Research published in the past few years, however, shows that neuronal identity can change, too. It’s thought that most neurons synthesize and release just one neurochemical transmitter, and so they can be classified as “dopaminergic,” “GABAergic,” or “glutamatergic,” according to which one they use. But it is now clear that at least some neurons can use more than one transmitter and, more surprisingly, that mature neurons can switch the transmitter they use, converting their excitatory synapses into inhibitory ones, or vice versa.
