Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that plays counterpart to glutamates: if glutamate is the accelerator of the brain, GABA is the brake. There is an obvious need in an active system of this kind to modulate and balance activation with a dampening or braking system, and this is where GABA comes into its own. It acts quickly, binding with GABA receptors to produce an inhibiting effect on the postsynaptic cell. GABA and AMPA interactions are seen across the brain and result in much of the fast action of our neural processes, including many of our thought processes and much of our sensory input/processing.
