On October 9, 2000, Arvid Carlsson, along with Paul Greengard and Eric Kandel, received the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology for work concerning signal transduction in the nervous system. The three scientists have enhanced the understanding of normal brain function by discovering slow synaptic transmission, one type of signal transduction between nerve cells. In addition, their work establishes a basis for the evaluation of receptor genes and the genetic control of signal transmission.

The human brain has billions of nerve cells, or neurons. The junction between neurons is the synapse, the precise point of the transmission of information, or signal transduction, from the brain. Neurotransmitters are formed from chemical compounds, or precursors, and are released by the presynaptic cell into the synapse. There the neurotransmitters combine with protein molecules (receptors) from the postsynaptic cell to regulate electrical signal transmission between neurons.

Arvid Carlsson received the Nobel Prize for his...