Q

NEM
DrMikeWoodbridge
N

BRAINNEUROTRANSMITTERS

THEATEAM:
Therearebelievedtobehundredsofneurotransmittersinthebrain.Themain
onesare:

SEROTONIN:

Theserotonergicsystemregulatesabroadrangeofpsychologicalandbiological
functionsincludingmood,arousal,andaggression.Serotoninactslikea
conductorinanorchestradirectingtheflowofthoughtsandinformationinyour
brain.Whenserotoninlevelsarenormalourthoughtsflowinanorderlyand
coherentmanner.Ifserotoninlevelsdropthenthoughtsbecomescatteredand
unfocused,memoryandconcentrationbegintosuffer.DuringRapidEye
Movement(REM)sleeptheserotonergicsystemisswitchedoffandchaosreigns
withwildthoughts,vividfantasies,dreams,andsometimesnightmares.Drugs
thatsuppresstheserotonergicsystemlikeLSDwillcausethistohappenwhen
youareawake!
SerotoninismadefromtheAminoAcidTRYPTOPHANfoundinmeatandfish.
DietslowingoodqualityproteinmaybedeficientinTryptophanresultingin
Brainserotoninlevelsfalling.
DOPAMINE:
Thedopaminergicsystemisinvolvedinrewardpleasureandisimportantin
learning.Itistheprincipalneurotransmitterinvolvedinaddictionsandis
producedinhugeamountsatorgasm.Excessivelevelsareassociatedwith
addictivetendencies,anxiety,compulsions,unhealthyrisktakingincluding
gamblingandpromiscuoussex,andaggression.Reducedlevelsareassociated
withdepression,anhedonia,lackofremorseaboutpersonalbehaviour,social
anxiety,andantisocialbehaviour.UnlikeSerotoninthedopaminergicsystem
doesnotundergomajorcyclicshiftsinlevelsduringthecourseofthesleepwake
cycle.Caffeine,chocolate,andmoderateexercisewillelevateDopaminelevels.
AmphetamineswillcauseasuddenhugepulseofDopaminereleasefollowedby
aseriousdepletionwhichcantakedaystorecoverfrom.Prolongeduseof
AmphetaminescancausePsychosis.

CATECHOLEAMINES(Noradrenaline):
SimilareffectstoDopamineinproducingalertness,focus,andmotivation.

NOTE:bothDopamineandCatecholeaminesareproducedfromtheaminoacid
TYROSINEwhichisfirstconvertedintoDopamineandthenNoradrenaline.

ACETYLCHOLINE:
Thiswasthefirstneurotransmittertobeidentifiedbackintheearly1900s.Itis
themostabundantneurotransmitterinthebrain.Itisinvolvedinspatial
memory,learning,mentalfocus,alertness,attentionspan,motivation,sleepand
sexualdesire.Optimallevelsenhancecognition.ItisnotedtobelowinDementia
andDepression.LevelsareincreasedbysomeAminoAcids(AcetylLCarnitine,
Taurine),Omega3FattyAcidDHA,Choline,VitaminsB2,5,12,andC,caffeineand
nicotine.AlcoholandtheheavymetalsMercuryandAluminiummayreduce
levelsofacetylcholine.Acetylcholinelevelsdeclineaspartofnormalageing.

IMPORTANT:
(1)NeurotransmittersintheBrainarereplenishedduringsleep.Sleep
deprivation/poorqualitysleepwillresultinNeurotransmitterdepletion.The
lifestyleofyoungpeopleisveryriskyfortheirMentalHealth(thegreatbrain
robbery)duetothepotentiallydevastatingcombinationofreducedsleep,poor
qualitysleep,poordiets,andillicitdruguse,allcombiningtoseriouslydeplete
theBrainofitsNeurotransmitters.
(2)TheBrainnotonlyrequiresadequateamountsoftheAminoAcidprecursors
fornormalNeurotransmitterlevelsbutalsospecificVitamins,Minerals,anda
moleculecalledSAMe(primarymethyldonor).Thesemicronutrientsactas
cofactorstoactivatetheenzymesinvolvedinNeurotransmitterproduction.
(3)TheEISScanisveryusefulformonitoringresponsetotreatmentasthe
patientisreassuredtoseenormalizingofbrainactivityandrestorationof
neurotransmitterlevelsconsistentwiththeirsubjectiveimprovement.

Copyright2009
DrMWoodbridge