Acetylcholine plays a role in short-term memory and learning. Norman Weinberger, the author of a study that discovered a connection between memory and acetylcholine, stated that the study was the first to show that direct stimulation of a brain region has control of the extent of detail in a memory. Weinberger also said that acetylcholine assists in the function of new memories by sending input to other parts of the brain.
Weinberger's experiment evaluated rats' ability to remember specific tone frequencies. Researchers stimulated the part of the brain that releases acetylcholine in the rats as a specific tone played. The following day, they determined how well the rats recalled tones by measuring changes in the rodents' breathing patterns. When stimulation and acetylcholine release were greater during the task, the rats remembered the frequency. The results were the first to connect acetylcholine levels to memories.
Glutamate is a neurotransmitter abundantly present in the brain. This chemical messenger serves in processing learning and memory formation. Stroke patients and Alzheimer's disease patients produce large amounts of this neurotransmitter leading to a condition called excitotoxicity. Excitotoxicity is a process of overload of glutamate that has damaging effects on a person's brain cells, affecting learning and memory. The affected cells can be damaged or killed off by this overproduction.
All neurotransmitters have extensive relationships with one another. They all act together to send and receive messages in the brain. Studies on these connections continue. Educational programs utilize the latest research to design instructional methods to improve learning outcomes. Professional development has expanded to include how the brain processes and retains information based on neurotransmitters and their function in learning and memory.