Amino Acids Gone Wild
I came up with an unusual title because I have written a number of articles on amino acids in psychiatry in the past, and I didn't want to repeat the same title by mistake.
Ref. 1 reported that homocysteine levels were high in schizophrenia. This appears to support the abnormal methylation hypothesis. Ref. 2 also reported abnormal amino acid metabolism in psychosis.
Ref. 3 reported excessive amino acids in the cerebrospinal fluid in schizophrenia.
Glutamate
The excessive glutamate theory, which has been popular, is discussed in Ref. 4.
Serine
The serine theory is discussed in Ref. 5.
Various Amino Acids
Various amino acids are discussed in Ref. 6. Ref. 7 is old but interesting. If the hyperasparaginemia caused the schizophrenia, this would implicate amino acids in the disease.
Tryptophan
There has been more evidence implicating tryptophan than for any other amino acid in psychiatric diseases. Ref. 8 reported increased levels of tryptophan metabolites in the cerebrospinal fluid in schizophrenia. This work was done at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Nanna Svartz väg 2, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. The prestigious Karolinska Institute awards the Nobel prizes in medicine.
Ref. 9 by the same group reported similar findings in bipolar disorder. Ref. 10 reports genetic similarities between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Refs. 11-13 also support the excessive tryptophan theory.
Conclusions
A great deal of work, much of it done in Sweden, has supported abnoraml amino acid metabolism in psychiatric diseases. Tryptophan appears to be flooding the brain cells. There are excessive tryptophan metabolites in both the brain and the cerebrospinal fluid in both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. If this is true, and it appears to be true, then a diet very low in tryptophan is suggested as a treatment.
Such a diet would avoid sugar, which causes increased tryptophan transport into the brain. Fat also must be avoided as it also causes increased tryptophan transport into the brain. Steroids, which have psychiatric side effects, also do this. Steroids should be avoided.
References
1. Muntjewerff JW, Kahn RS, Blom HJ, den Heijer M. Homocysteine, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and risk of schizophrenia: a meta-analysis. Mol Psychiatry. 2006;11:143-149.
2. Fekkes D, Pepplinkhuizen L, Verheij R, Bruinvels J. Abnormal plasma levels of serine, methionine, and taurine in transient acute polymorphic psychosis. Psychiatry Res. 1994;51:11-18.
3. Reveley MA, De Belleroche J, Recordati A, Hirsch SR. Increased CSF amino acids and ventricular enlargement in schizophrenia: a preliminary study. Biol Psychiatry. 1987;22:413-420.
4. Goff DC, Wine L. Glutamate in schizophrenia: clinical and research implications. Schizophr Res. 1997;27:157-168.
5. Waziri R, Wilcox J, Sherman AD, Mott J. Serine metabolism and psychosis. Psychiatry Res. 1984;12:121-136.
6. Macciardi F, Lucca A, Catalano M, Marino C, Zanardi R, Smeraldi E. Amino acid patterns in schizophrenia: some new findings. Psychiatry Res. 1990;32:63-70.
7. Perry TL, Wright JM, Hansen S. Hyperasparaginemia in a schizophrenic patient. Biol Psychiatry. 1983;18:89-97.
8. Increased Levels of Kynurenine and Kynurenic Acid in the CSF of Patients With Schizophrenia. Linderholm KR, Skogh E, Olsson SK, Dahl ML, Holtze M, Engberg G, Samuelsson M, Erhardt S Schizophr Bull. 2010 Aug 20.
9. Elevated levels of kynurenic acid in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with bipolar disorder. Olsson SK, Samuelsson M, Saetre P, Lindström L, Jönsson EG, Nordin C, Engberg G, Erhardt S, Landén M J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2010 May;35(3):195-9.
10. Lichtenstein P, Yip BH, Bjork C, et al. Common genetic determinants of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in Swedish families: a population-based study. Lancet. 2009;373:234-9.
11. Erhardt S, Blennow K, Nordin C, et al. Kynurenic acid levels are elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with schizophrenia. Neurosci Lett. 2001;313:96-8.
12. Nilsson LK, Linderholm KR, Engberg G, et al. Elevated levels of kynurenic acid in the cerebrospinal fluid of male patients with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res. 2005;80:315-22. [PubMed]
13. Schwarcz R, Rassoulpour A, Wu HQ, et al. Increased cortical kynurenate content in schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry. 2001;50:521-30.
Published by Craig Olson
I have worked at many different jobs including as a scientist, a mental health worker, a physical health worker, etc. I am an advocate for better health care and an advocate for the disabled. View profile
- Dopamine, Amino Acids, and SchizophreniaA toxic metabolite of dopamine causes schizophrenia. This toxin causes amino acids to flood the brain cells.
- Protein, Amino Acids and Brain AllergiesThere are brain diseases in which the brain is allergic to particular amino acids. My view is that these are not rare, but rather are rarely understood. PKU is rare.
- Excessive Amino Acids in the Brain in Mental IllnessMeasurements in the brain have shown excessive amino acids in mental illness. These same amino acids are found in the diet. A diet very low in amino acids is suggested as a treatment.
- Amino Acid ResearchAmino acids are involved in a large number of diseases. They appear to be abnormal in psychiatric diseases as well as some types of mental retardation. In some situations they may be used as treatments.
- Justifications for the Amino Acid Theory of SchizophreniaMy theory is that amino acids flood the brain in psychiatric disorders. This is why glucose metabolism is slow. The brain is burning the amino acids for fuel.
- Abnormal Amino Acid Metabolism in Schizophrenia and Other Mental Diseases
- Amino Acids and Health
- Amino Acids in Psychiatry
- Amino Acids: Why All the Fuss?
- Amino Acids and Their Sources
- Child Temper Tantrum or Pediatric Bipolar Disorder?
- Schizophrenia Versus Bipolar Disorder - What's the Difference?