| Craig Hall Gallery: May 13 - 17, 2024 |
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| The Amazing Brain is my way of sharing my passion for neuroscience in an exciting and engaging manner. The characters seen in these works are personifications of neurotransmitters, microscopic chemicals released throughout the brain that are essential to life. Each character is designed in accordance with their functions as neurotransmitters. More information about each character can be seen below their individual pictures. |
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 Epinephrine/Norepinephrine Epinephrine and Norepinephrine both regulate your body's blood pressure, especially during stress responses. When released, these chemicals increase attention and arousal. Epinephrine and norepinephrine work both as neurotransmitters and hormones, and are released by either the brain or the adrenal glands. |
 Serotonin Serotonin is a neurotransmitter with a huge variety of functions, some of which are not yet fully understood. Serotonin is particularly responsible for sleep, mood, and digestion. Low serotonin levels are attributed to depression. |
 Acetylcholine Acetylcholine is a typically excitatory neurotransmitter with a huge variety of functions. This chemical is essential for a wide variety of bodily functions, such as gastrointestinal contractions, bronchoconstriction in the lungs, urinary bladder function, and male erection. Acetylcholine is also released in order to allow for skeletal muscle contraction, which is the reason for this character's buff build. |
 Glutamate Glutamate is the brain's main excitatory neurotransmitter and The Amazing Brain's main antagonist. Glutamate is essential for cognition, learning and memory, and mood regulation. Glutamate dysregulation can be associated with schizophrenia, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's Disease. Glutamate and GABA can be seen fighting each other, a nod to the never-ending battle between excitatory and inhibitory secretions that occur throughout the body. |
 GABA GABA is the brain's main inhibitory neurotransmitter and The Amazing Brain's main protagonist. GABA's job is to inhibit or block transmissions from other neurons. Conditions associated with inadequate amounts of GABA include schizophrenia, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, and PTSD. |
 Dopamine Dopamine is most commonly thought of as the reward and motivation neurotransmitter, but this chemical actually has a huge variety of functions. Dopamine is essential to motor control and cognitive function, as well as providing feelings of pleasure. Having too much or too little dopamine can be associated with a number of mental illnesses, including psychosis. |
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