Neuropeptides are potent neuromodulators in the CNS whose actions are mediated via GPCRs. In contrast to classical neurotransmitters, neuropeptides are released in a frequency-dependent fashion and often have a longer half-life of activity after release. These factors, among others, enable neuropeptides to produce long-lasting effects on cellular functions such as excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission, neuronal excitability, and gene transcription (Gallagher et al. 2008). Thus, a long-lasting dysregulation of neuropeptides could have significant effects on the activity of neurons and consequently, behavior.
