Serotonin receptor is reduced in Panic Disorder

[David Baxter PhD]

Serotonin Receptor Is Reduced in Panic Disorder
June 03, 2004
Medinews.com

Brain scans have revealed to researchers that in patients with panic disorder, a type of serontonin receptor is reduced by almost one-third in three structures straddling the center of the brain. The findings were reported in the January 21, 2004, issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

In the current study, researchers used positron emission tomography (PET) scans to visualize serotonin receptors in brain areas of interest in 16 panic disorder patients, seven of whom also suffered from major depression, and 15 matching controls. A radioactive tracer binds to the receptors, revealing their location and a numerical count by brain region. Subjects also underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, which were overlaid with their PET scans to precisely match it with brain structure. The new finding of serotonin receptor reduction is the first to show that the receptor may be abnormal in the disorder and may help to explain how genes might influence vulnerability. Genes, for example, might increase risk for the disorder by coding for decreased expression of the receptors.

In a related study, recent experiments with knockout mice showed that a popular serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drug produces its anti-anxiety effects by stimulating the formation of new neurons in the hippocampus via the serotonin receptor.

The study was conducted by Drs. Alexander Neumeister and Wayne Drevets and colleagues, of the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, Bethesda, MD, USA).

 

[jurplesman]

There may be many reasons why there is a reduction in receptors for serotonin. The fact that many people with anxiety attacks may benefit from SSRIs could indicate that the body is not producing sufficient amounts of serotonin in the first place.

Serotonin is produced from tryptophan found in food. When there is an obstruction in either the assimilation of tryptophan and the various nutritional forerunners and coenzymes necessary in serotonin synthesis, then there could be a serotonin deficiency resulting is a reduction is receptors for serotonin.

The major obstruction in serotonin production can be energy starvation in the cells (including brain cells) that occurs as a result of insulin resistance (hypoglycemia). This can be medically confirmed if you test people with anxiety (or depression and a host of other mental illnesses) for hypoglycemia.

The test is described at our web site as

Testing for Hypoglycemia and How the Doctor can help by Dr George Samra

We have tested and helped many people with anxiety by placing them on a hypoglycemic diet.

See:

Beating Anxiety

 

[jurplesman]

There may be many reasons why there is a reduction in receptors for serotonin. The fact that many people with anxiety attacks may benefit from SSRIs could indicate that the body is not producing sufficient amounts of serotonin in the first place.

Serotonin is produced from tryptophan found in food. When there is an obstruction in either the assimilation of tryptophan and the various nutritional forerunners and coenzymes necessary in serotonin synthesis, then there could be a serotonin deficiency resulting is a reduction is receptors for serotonin.

The major obstruction in serotonin production can be energy starvation in the cells (including brain cells) that occurs as a result of insulin resistance (hypoglycemia). This can be medically confirmed if you test people with anxiety (or depression and a host of other mental illnesses) for hypoglycemia.

The test is described at our web site as

Testing for Hypoglycemia and How the Doctor can help by Dr George Samra

We have tested and helped many people with anxiety by placing them on a hypoglycemic diet.

See:

Beating Anxiety

 

[David Baxter PhD]

The balance of neurotransmitters is a delicate one and the major neurotransmitters are heavily interlinked as well as heavily interlinked with the endocrine system. It's like one of those long domino lines, where you knock one off balance and it ripples all the way down the line.

There are so many factors that can upset the balance of brain chemistry or specifically the levels of any one of the neurotransmitters.

I'm not disputing that the relationships you describe may be one such factor, jurplesman. I would ask that you not "oversell" it though. It may be a factor in some cases - in others it is probably irrelevant.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

The balance of neurotransmitters is a delicate one and the major neurotransmitters are heavily interlinked as well as heavily interlinked with the endocrine system. It's like one of those long domino lines, where you knock one off balance and it ripples all the way down the line.

There are so many factors that can upset the balance of brain chemistry or specifically the levels of any one of the neurotransmitters.

I'm not disputing that the relationships you describe may be one such factor, jurplesman. I would ask that you not "oversell" it though. It may be a factor in some cases - in others it is probably irrelevant.

 

[jurplesman]

I am not overselling this. I tend to look at mental illness from a scientific point of view, which include nutritional medicine. I have practised nutritional therapy for many years, and so I would lilke to pass on my experiences to you and your readers. However I fully understand if you would ban me if my therapeutic model does not fit in with the established assumptions of this web site. My approach is just one other alternative in the treatment of mental illness. Perhaps you might allow some room for new and different ideas. Life is after all very complex.

 

[jurplesman]

I am not overselling this. I tend to look at mental illness from a scientific point of view, which include nutritional medicine. I have practised nutritional therapy for many years, and so I would lilke to pass on my experiences to you and your readers. However I fully understand if you would ban me if my therapeutic model does not fit in with the established assumptions of this web site. My approach is just one other alternative in the treatment of mental illness. Perhaps you might allow some room for new and different ideas. Life is after all very complex.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I am not overselling this. I tend to look at mental illness from a scientific point of view, which include nutritional medicine. I have practised nutritional therapy for many years, and so I would lilke to pass on my experiences to you and your readers. However I fully understand if you would ban me if my therapeutic model does not fit in with the established assumptions of this web site. My approach is just one other alternative in the treatment of mental illness. Perhaps you might allow some room for new and different ideas. Life is after all very complex.

If what you were doing was suggesting that individuals should examine factors like hypothyroidism, vitamin B12 deficiency, and hypoglycemia as possible factors in mental illness, I would have no quarrel with your posts at all.

That is not what you are saying in your posts, however. Rather, you are making claims that other medical and mental health practitioners don't know what they're doing, and making dangerous and misleading statements such as "Depression is a nutritional disorder".

See the posted Rules of this forum. In particular, see this part:

the following are expressly prohibited on this Forum:

* POSTS THAT ARE ANTI-PSYCHIATRY OR ANTI-MEDICINE IN NATURE (there are other forums where you can engage in such debates -- this is not one of them).
* POSTS THAT ADVISE ANY MEMBER OR PEOPLE IN GENERAL NOT TO TAKE MEDICATION PRESCRIBED BY A LICENSED PHYSICIAN OR NOT TO FOLLOW OTHER ADVICE GIVEN BY A LICENSED PHYSICIAN OR OTHER MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL (remember that only the individual's physician or primary therapist is likely to know the full medical or personal or family history of that individual).

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I am not overselling this. I tend to look at mental illness from a scientific point of view, which include nutritional medicine. I have practised nutritional therapy for many years, and so I would lilke to pass on my experiences to you and your readers. However I fully understand if you would ban me if my therapeutic model does not fit in with the established assumptions of this web site. My approach is just one other alternative in the treatment of mental illness. Perhaps you might allow some room for new and different ideas. Life is after all very complex.

If what you were doing was suggesting that individuals should examine factors like hypothyroidism, vitamin B12 deficiency, and hypoglycemia as possible factors in mental illness, I would have no quarrel with your posts at all.

That is not what you are saying in your posts, however. Rather, you are making claims that other medical and mental health practitioners don't know what they're doing, and making dangerous and misleading statements such as "Depression is a nutritional disorder".

See the posted Rules of this forum. In particular, see this part:

the following are expressly prohibited on this Forum:

* POSTS THAT ARE ANTI-PSYCHIATRY OR ANTI-MEDICINE IN NATURE (there are other forums where you can engage in such debates -- this is not one of them).
* POSTS THAT ADVISE ANY MEMBER OR PEOPLE IN GENERAL NOT TO TAKE MEDICATION PRESCRIBED BY A LICENSED PHYSICIAN OR NOT TO FOLLOW OTHER ADVICE GIVEN BY A LICENSED PHYSICIAN OR OTHER MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL (remember that only the individual's physician or primary therapist is likely to know the full medical or personal or family history of that individual).

 

[yellodolphin]

This just reminds me of the serotonin and its relation to depression. Depression used to be thought of as a deficiency in serotonin but its much more then that as the neurotransmitter is linked to lots of other physiological processes including that for reversing stress induced neurodegeneration. So in the case of panic attacks its probably related to other processes in the brain, but considering depression/anxiety are interrelated and are linked to stress it could be similar to depression.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Yellodolphin, that's a good reminder that there are probably multiple physical and psychological factors contributing to any mental health condition.

An article like the one in this thread may implicate serotonin but that doesn't mean that's the "cause" or the "only cause" by any means.

 

[foghlaim]

An article like the one in this thread may implicate serotonin but that doesn't mean that's the "cause" or the "only cause" by any means.

if serotonin was the only cause, then my problems should be gone.. re the meds to stablise the serotonin etc.. so i think as a person with depression, and other panic related issues.. i can say that serotonin is not the only factor on my illness.

just my tuppence worth..

nsa