excitational

Excitational is an adjective meaning capable of causing excitation or stimulation. In general use it describes processes, substances, or conditions that increase activity, arousal, or responsiveness. The term is less common in everyday language than excitatory or excited and is most often encountered in technical writings where authors wish to emphasize the act of inducing excitation rather than the adjective form of the noun.

In neuroscience, excitational effects refer to actions that increase the likelihood that a neuron will fire. These effects are typically produced by excitatory neurotransmitters, such as glutamate, which depolarize the postsynaptic membrane and generate excitatory postsynaptic potentials. Excitational signaling contrasts with inhibitory signaling, which reduces excitability and often involves neurotransmitters like GABA. In this context, the term emphasizes the functional outcome (increase in activity) rather than a particular receptor type, and it is commonly replaced by the term excitatory or excitatory synapse in modern literature.

In other scientific fields, excitational can describe any process that raises energy, prompts reactions, or triggers structural changes. For example, electronic or vibrational excitation in molecules is usually described using the noun excitation energy rather than excitational states, though some authors may employ excitational to signal a general tendency toward excitation.

The term’s precise usage varies by discipline and author; readers should rely on the preferred terminology of their field, which commonly favors excitatory, excitation, or excitation-related descriptors.