Acetylcholine (ACh)
⤢ 3D
Acetylcholine is a major neurotransmitter of both the central and peripheral nervous systems. At the neuromuscular junction it triggers voluntary muscle contraction, and as the primary transmitter of the parasympathetic ("rest and digest") system it slows the heart and stimulates digestion. In the brain it is central to attention, learning, and memory — the cholinergic neurons lost early in Alzheimer’s disease — acting through nicotinic and muscarinic receptors.
Too little may be associated with
Alzheimer's disease, memory loss, muscle weakness
Too much may be associated with
Muscle spasms, excessive salivation, slowed heart rate
Informational only — not medical advice.
Stimuli that influence it
Functions
- Arousal
- Attention
- Attention Filtering
- Autonomic Control
- Balance
- Consciousness
- Heart Rate Regulation
- Language Comprehension
- Learning
- Memory
- Motor Control
- Navigation
- Neuroplasticity
- Reading
- Reflex Coordination
- REM sleep
- Smell
- Spatial Awareness
- Vision
- Voluntary Movement
- Wakefulness
Dysfunctions
Substances
- Acetyl-L-carnitine (↑)
- Alpha-GPC (↑)
- Bacopa monnieri (↑)
- Choline (↑)
- Citicoline (CDP-Choline) (↑)
- Ginkgo biloba (↑)
- Huperzine-A (↑)
- Lion's Mane mushroom (↑)
- Nicotine (↑)(HARMFUL)
- Phosphatidylserine (↑)
- Uridine (↑)
Behaviors
- Chewing gum (↑)
- Flow state (↑)
- Learning something new (↑)
- Quality sleep (↑)
- Solving puzzles (↑)
- Writing (↑)
Books (53)
A Caregiver's Guide to Alzheimer's Disease: 300 Tips for Making Life Easier
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Guide and Sourcebook
Arousal
Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?
Consciousness
Consciousness explained
Figurative language comprehension
Freedom from Nicotine: The Journey Home
In Pursuit of Memory: The Fight Against Alzheimer's
In Search of Memory
Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain
Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning
Mapping the Mind
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything
Motor control
Motor cortex in voluntary movements
Motor Learning and Control
Neuroplasticity
Neuroscience (textbook)
Podcasts
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- Being Patient: Alzheimer’s Podcast
Interviews with scientists, physicians, and caregivers on Alzheimer’s research and care.
- Brain Science with Ginger Campbell, MD: Neuroscience for Everyone
Dr. Ginger Campbell on how recent neuroscience explains the mind.
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- The Neuro Experience
Louisa Nicola on brain performance, longevity, and human optimization.
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Research (209)
- The oscillatory biology of sleep: Linkage to dementia Nedergaard (2026) Full text ↗ PubMed ↗
- Sleep disturbance triggers aberrant activation of vagus circuitry and induces intestinal stem cell dysfunction Li et al. (2026) Full text ↗ PubMed ↗
- Noradrenergic and cholinergic innervation of the normal human heart and changes associated with cardiomyopathy Hanna et al. (2026) Full text ↗ PubMed ↗
- Biochemistry, Dopamine Receptors Bhatia et al. (2026) PubMed ↗
- Hyperhidrosis Brackenrich et al. (2026) PubMed ↗
- Hypothalamic Dysfunction Casipit et al. (2026) PubMed ↗
- L-α-GPC in Cognitive Decline: Mechanisms and Clinical Evidence in Neurodegenerative Disorders Putri et al. (2026) Full text ↗ PubMed ↗
- Cortical glutamatergic and GABAergic inputs support learning-driven hippocampal stability Robert et al. (2025) Full text ↗ PubMed ↗
- The Effects of a Bacopa monnieri Extract (Bacumen(®)) on Cognition, Stress, and Fatigue in Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial Lopresti et al. (2025) Full text ↗ PubMed ↗
- Dual neuromodulatory dynamics underlie birdsong learning Qi et al. (2025) Full text ↗ PubMed ↗
- Neuronal network controlling REM sleep Luppi et al. (2025) Full text ↗ PubMed ↗
- Locus Coeruleus Is Associated with Higher Openness to Experience and IQ: Implications for the Noradrenergic System for Novelty Seeking in Daily Life Plini et al. (2025) Full text ↗ PubMed ↗
- The Glutamate/GABA-Glutamine Cycle: Insights, Updates, and Advances Andersen (2025) Full text ↗ PubMed ↗
- [Effects of Tiaoshu Anshen acupuncture on sleep quality and serum neurotransmitter levels in patients with chronic insomnia] Li et al. (2025) Full text ↗ PubMed ↗
- The Molecular Basis of Love Babková et al. (2025) Full text ↗ PubMed ↗
Links
- 0 Wikipedia: Acetylcholine
- 0 Wikipedia: Alzheimer's disease
- 0 Wikipedia: Arousal
- 0 Wikipedia: Attention
- 0 Wikipedia: Consciousness
- 0 Wikipedia: Learning
- 0 Wikipedia: Memory
- 0 Wikipedia: Motor control
- 0 Wikipedia: Navigation
- 0 Wikipedia: Neuroplasticity
- 0 Wikipedia: Rapid eye movement sleep
- 0 Wikipedia: Reading
- 0 Wikipedia: Traumatic brain injury
- 0 Wikipedia: Wakefulness
Recovery resources
For stimuli that influence Acetylcholine (ACh). Not medical advice — see all recovery resources.
- Celebrate Recovery · general recovery
SMART Recovery · general recovery
Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) · substance abuse