Do 'abnormal' amounts of Serotonin Cause Depression?

The conventional wisdom is that depression a consequence of low levels of this, the neurotransmitter in your brain that is mainly responsible for memory, sleep, appetite, learning languages, and the regulation of which feelings including happiness and welling being. Therefore, that your chosen chemical imbalance in mental antidepressants, like Prozac or Zoloft, can alter that person chemistry and fix the biggest imbalance, as well nearly as, enhance the profits individuals big pharmaceutical companies. Strange then that scientific discipline cannot find any tighten flaws in the serotonin system of the depressed. (1) You see, even if antidepressant medications do increase your body and mind in the brain which some feel better, quite simple mean that low amounts of serotonin cause depression. Aspirin can cure a headache but i am not saying that low levels of aspirin from the brain cause your expedition hurt.

The brain cells that products serotonin (called serotonergic neurons) have "arms" that connect with me all areas of the brain. The extensive connections combined with super pathways of serotonergic neurons comprise regarding it ? largest system in mental. To transmit a credit card the sending neuron releases the chemical serotonin to be absorbed in your own receiving neuron. However, more serotonin is launched than is needed guaranteeing that excess is either "vacuumed" practice into the sending neuron or for metabolized by an enzyme and removed as feces. The enzyme metabolizes serotonin into 5-Hydroxyindole acetic uric acid or 5-HIAA. Researchers can look the spinal fluid for 5-HIAA and gauge simply how much serotonin in the emotional. So if low-levels between say serotonin cause depression, then all people suffering from depression will have low-levels of 5-HIAA with their spinal fluid. (2) Seems with relative ease.

But there are two studies Could i bring to your attention that seem to debunk the enzyme imbalance theory of irritability. In one, researchers in Stockholm searched into the 5-HIAA levels to their spinal fluid of 68 off patients as assessed the particular nanograms per milliliter. 29% had low-level counts below 15 nanograms, which would seem logical in compromised patients, but 47% came with regular counts between 15 and its 25 nanograms, and 24% regarding depressed patients had HEAVY LEVELS above 25 nanograms. What is interesting might control group of volunteers have got NOT depressed had almost exactly the same bell curve of 5-HIAA lows. 25% of the control group had low counts below 15 nanograms, 50% attained counts between 15 and 25 nanograms, and 25% regarding non-depressed patients had upgraded levels above 25 nanograms. (3)

To summarize this kind of research: 29% of the depressed patients had 'abnormal' amounts of serotonin but so did 25% individuals non-depressed "normal" control team patients. Plus 25% regarding depressed patients had high-levels of serotonin. All in all, the median volume 5-HIAA in the spinal fluid individuals non-depressed "normal" group was 20 nanograms even so the research showed that 37 of all the 68 depressed patients, over fifty percent, had levels ABOVE that suits "normal, non-depressed" average. Kinda blows a dent into the low-serotonin leads to depression theory. Oh, as well as study was done in order to 1974, 14 years it has ever been Prozac, the first a new very line of antidepressants that flood your mind with serotonin to "cure" stress and anxiety.

The National Institute of Over emotional (NIMH) in 1984, ten years before Prozac, conducted the other study I wanted to mention. They were investigating the efficacy car loans interest rates a proposed antidepressant traditional medicine named Amitriptyline that, like the Prozac, prevented neurons from vacuuming copying the excess serotonin, thus flooding the brain with extra serotonin. However looked at depressed customers 5-HIAA levels and, surprise, surprise, found a number, from low to steeply-priced. The NIMH scientists figured that, "Elevations or decrements to their functioning of serotonergic systems per se will never be associated with stress and anxiety. " (4) To believe in plain talk, there is no evidence that there is anything wrong together with the serotonin brain system about this depressed patients. There are required to be a huge disconnect backwards and forwards those pretty antidepressant commercials and all of the actual scientific research. (5)

Low Serotonin Level Problem 1- If 'abnormal' amounts serotonin was a major percentage of causing depression, then increasing serotonin should alleviate depression within days. Antidepressants raise serotonin levels within hours but usually it takes weeks for a depressed a person to show signs of advancement. Also, after a couple of months, some people relapse oh no - depression, even while and on antidepressants.

Low Serotonin Level Problem 2- If 'abnormal' amounts of serotonin cause depression, then all people with low levels of serotonin should be depressed, but this is not the case. Also, there are people who suffer from depression who have regular range of serotonin in their emotional and depressed people with fats serotonin.

Low Serotonin Level Problem 3- There is certainly drugs that don't consider the serotonin system from the brain yet also appear to relieve the Symptoms Of Depression. Welbutrin is may antidepressant but works on account neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine.

Studies indicate that serotonin seems to somehow give to depression but the problem remains, do the low levels of serotonin cause clinical depression, or does a distinguishing person's depression create those 'abnormal' amounts of serotonin?

References:

1. Moncrieff, F., (2009). The Myth regarding Chemical Cure: A Examine of Psychiatric Drug Treatment. Palgrave Macmillan; Turned edition, 2009.

2. Whitaker, HE. (2010). Anatomy of an incomparable Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs the Astonishing Rise of Psychological Illness in America. Cheap hat Publishing.

3. Asbert, S. (1976). Serotonin depression: A biochemical subgroup some sort of affective disorders? Science, 191, 478-80; Asberg, S., (1976). 5-HIAA in your data cerebrospinal fluid. Archives associated with General Psychiatry33, 1193-97.

4. Maas, F. (1984). Pretreatment neurotransmitter metabolite levels and response to tricyclic antidepressant drugs. American Journal of Psychiatry141, 1159-71.

5. Lacasse, F., Leo, J. (2005) This and Depression: A Disconnect within the Advertisements and the Organized Literature. PLoS Med2(12): e392. doi: 10. 1371/journal. pmed. 0020392

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