Mysteries of the Mind
Diseases of the mind have mysified the drug companies, yet they make massive amounts of money selling their products.
Much of this money comes from the taxpayers. The government could save massive amounts of money by recognizing orthomolecular medicine, but it doesn't. This is perhaps due to the large number of lobbyists that the drug companies hire and send to Congress.
The subject matter here is so vast that I will probably have to write a series of articles to do justice to it.
PET Brain Scans
A relatively new technique called Positron Emission Tomography has been used to study the living brain. Studies by Stevens and others have shown low frontal glucose metabolism in the various types of mental disorders including schizophrenia.
Tryptophan
Tryptophan metabolism is increased by stress. This has been shown by Curzon of the UK and others. I am proposing a diet low in tryptophan supplemented by niacin to avoid pellagra.
Curzon did experiments on rodents.
Yes, it is a difficult subject. It has defied most scientists for centuries. However, it hasn't defied all scientists!
The brain seems to think it has a deficiency of niacin, but it doesn't. The result is that tryptophan floods the brain cells. The cells either have to blow up and burst like a balloon or burn the amino acid for fuel. Most cells burn it for fuel, but some cells are lysed. This has been seen with the electron microscope.
My theory is that an anti-pellagra factor evolved over centuries and perhaps millenniums. This anti-pellagra factor was designed by Mother Nature to be released when the brain thinks that it is low on niacin. Call this anti-pellagra factor "substance X". Substance X is released during stress and during actual pellagra. Substance X causes tryptophan to flood the cells. Cytokines such as interferon may also be released. Interferon causes the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan degredation to be activated, leading to the production of niacin.
Ref. 1 provides more detailed information. This group was from the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. Linda.Nilsson@fyfa.ki.se
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is discussed in Ref. 2. It is classified as an "affective" disorder. LIke other mental diseases, it has abnormal (excessive) tryptophan metabolism. More information on tryptophan is given in Ref. 3. Ref. 4 gives more information on bipolar disorder.
Schizophrenia
Ref. 5 reports schizophrenia as being a disease with excessive brain tryptophan metabolism.
Genetics
Ref. 6 reports results from a genetic study which appears to show that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are closely related.
Brain
Ref. 7 reports increased brain tryptophan metabolism in schizophrenia.
Psychiatric Drugs
Ref. 8 discusses psychiatric drugs. It is very critical of the drug companies.
Conclusions
But what are the best treatments? My experience is that the best treatments are orthomolecular. These treatments use natural body substances and various diets. Ref. 9 discusses these treatments, which are economical and safe.
References
1. Schizophr Res. 2005 Dec 15;80(2-3):315-22. Epub 2005 Aug 25. Elevated levels of kynurenic acid in the cerebrospinal fluid of male patients with schizophrenia. Nilsson LK , Linderholm KR , Engberg G , Paulson L , Blennow K , Lindström LH , Nordin C , Karanti A , Persson P , Erhardt S .
2. Bearden CE, Hoffman KM, Cannon TD. The neuropsychology and neuroanatomy of bipolar affective disorder: a critical review. Bipolar Disord. 2001; 3 :106-50. discussion 151-3.
3. www.CraigOlson.bizhosting.com .
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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. [ PubMed ]
7. Schwarcz R, Rassoulpour A, Wu HQ, et al. Increased cortical kynurenate content in schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry. 2001; 50 :521-30. [ PubMed ]
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
Stress and TryptophanExperiments have been done on rats. These rats were stressed and then killed. Their brains were studied. There is evidence that tryptophan flooded the brain cells.- Excessive Catabolism of Tryptophan in Mental DiseasesThere is massive evidence that tryptophan metabolism is abnormal in the various forms of mental disease. This is also true in Huntington's chorea, which has psychiatric symptoms.
- Abnormal Energy Metabolism in Mental DiseaseIn mental disease brain glucose metabolism is slow. This is seen in schizophrenia, depression, and other forms of mental disease. This problem may be caused by tryptophan flooding the cells causing a diabetes of the b...
- Tryptophan Depletion and Mood DisordersTryptophan depletion is an experimental treatment being used for depression and bipolar disorder. The results so far have been controversial. The idea is to reduce brain tryptop...
- Tryptophan and Mental Illness Tryptophan floods the brain cells in mental illness. Patients have taken tryptophan and have gotten worse according to several studies.
- Abnormal Tryptophan Metabolism in Depression
- Abnormal Tryptophan Metabolism in Psychiatric Diseases
- Abnormal Tryptophan Metabolism in Depression
- Disorders of Tryptophan Metabolism
- Abnormal Tryptophan Metabolism in Depression and Other Mental Diseases
- Abnormal Tryptophan Metabolism in Psychiatric Diseases
- Abnormal Tryptophan Metabolism in Neuropsychiatric Diseases