Serotonin
Jan 17, 2018
Serotonin
ContentWhat is Serotonin?
What is it used for?
What’s the effect (too much/too little of it)?
Factors that may cause Imbalance in serotonin
Case study
Drugs
What’s SerotoninNeurotransmitter
Known as 5 hydroxytryptamine
Found in:
Pinal gland
Digestive tract
Central nervous system
Blood platelets
What is it used for?
Control the mood of a person
Regulate sleep
Arousal levels
Social behavior
What’s the effect?Too little:
Eating disordersPanic attacksOCD
Too much:AnxietyInsomniaSexual dysfunctionGastrointestinal disturbances
Factors that may cause Imbalance in
serotoninLow brain cell production of serotonin
A lack of receptor sites able to receive the serotonin that is made
Inability of serotonin to reach the receptor sites
A shortage in tryptophan
Case study
72-hour pilgrimage, Japan
Did not consume water or food
Hallucinate after 48 hours
Blood sample showed serotonin levels had increased
SSRIs:Most commonly used antidepressantSymptoms
Examples:Citalopram (Celexa)Escitalopram (Lexapro)Fluoxetine (Prozac)Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva)Sertraline (Zoloft
Drugs
ReferencesFeature, Colette BouchezWebMD. "Serotonin and Depression: 9 Questions and Answers." WebMD. WebMD, 30 Dec. 0089. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. <http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/serotonin>Nordqvist, Christian. "What Is Serotonin? What Does Serotonin Do?" Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 04 Aug. 2011. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232248.php>M. Stahl, Stephen. "Serotonin: It's Possible to Have Too Much of a Good Thing/Brainstorms December 1997." Serotonin: It's Possible to Have Too Much of a Good Thing/Brainstorms December 1997. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. Crane, John & Hannibal, Jette. “Biological level of analysis: psychology and behavior” Psychology Course Companion. Oxford, 2009.