Neurotransmitters in Psychiatry

'Lacasse and Leo make an important contribution in the debate over prescription drug advertising [1]. Their demonstration of the ubiquity of the scientifically unsupported claim that serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) "correct a chemical imbalance" points out the need for better regulation of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).' McCarter (2)

There have been articles lately criticizing the drug companies for unsubstantiated advertizing (1, 2). Ref. 2 is available free full text at Pubmed. It is an open access article, meaning that it can be reproduced provided the citation is given. This policy is the beauty of PLoS (Public Library of Science) documents. Ref. 3 is also a PLoS document on the same subject. Ref. 4 is on the same subject, but it is not from PLoS and therefore is not open access. Nevertheless it is available free full text at Pubmed Central.

Psychiatric Drugs

Unfortunately there are bad side effects of psychiatric drugs (5).

"Bupropion is associated with a dose-related risk of seizure." Wah & Wah (5)

Ref. 5 is another open access article. It is available free full text at Pubmed Central, a website produced by the US National Library of Medicine.

MDMA

"3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or "ecstasy") causes serotonin neuron damage in laboratory animals." Roiser & Sahakian (6)

One of my many theories is that an internal substance similar to MDMA in structure may cause mental illness. In fact there could be more than one endogenous toxin. MDMA has a structure that resembles dopamine metabolites. This drug was invented by Dr. Alexander Shulgin of California. It has been like Frankenstein's monster.

This drug of abuse can cause a temporary psychosis.

Serotonin

"Contemporary neuroscience research has failed to confirm any serotonergic lesion in any mental disorder, and has in fact provided significant counterevidence to the explanation of a simple neurotransmitter deficiency." Lacasse & Leo (1)

The bulk of the evidence points towards dopamine, but there is also a glutamate theory that is popular. However, many of the psychiatric drugs act on serotonin. Ref. 1 is an open access article. It is available free full text at Pubmed Central. The SSRI drugs are used for depression.

Ref. 7 claims that affective disorders are due to catecholamine abnormalities, not serotonin.

Refs. 10-15 give more information on psychiatric drugs. Ref. 15 also deals with other drugs.

Norepinephrine

There is a norepinephrine theory of depression (17).

Alternative Medicine

My own theories favor alternative medicine, particularly orthomolecular medicine (20-23). I have included some references as background material that I have not directly cited. These background references provide more information about psychiatric drugs and alternatives to them.

Hoffer has used both alternative treatments and psychiatric drugs. My own view is that orthomolecular medicine is superior to psychiatric drugs. Orthomolecular medicines include vitamins, flavonoids (classified as vitamin P by some), minerals, fiber, etc. Orthomolecular treatments include various healthy diets. These are cheaper, safer, and more logical than the drugs. Also they have benficial side effects. Flavonoids are thought to prevent cancer, have antiviral properties, etc. Carotenoids are thought to prevent cataracts, prevent macular degeneration, and fight cancer.

Conclusions

More information is available at my website, which is www.CraigOlson.bizhosting.com. This website provides diagrams of chemical structures and detailed drawings of brain anatomy. Some brain anatomy drawings are at my photo albums at Gather.

My plan is to continue to write more articles on psychiatry in the future because it is such a vast subject and it is so important.

References

1. Lacasse JR, Leo J. Serotonin and depression: A disconnect between the advertisements and the scientific literature. PLoS Med. 2005;2:e392. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0020392.

2. Should Industry Speak the Loudest in Informing the Public on Medical Matters? Gordon McCarterPLoS Med. 2006 February; 3(2): e118. Published online 2006 February 28. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0030118. PMCID: PMC1388067.

3. Evident Exception in Clinical Practice Not Sufficient to Break Traditional Hypothesis Milan SarekPLoS Med. 2006 February; 3(2): e120. Published online 2006 February 28. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0030120. PMCID: PMC1388069.

4. SSRI ads questioned Colin MeekCMAJ. 2006 March 14; 174(6): 754. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.051634. PMCID: PMC1402373.

5. Generalized Seizure in a Mauritian Woman Taking Bupropion Marie France Lan Cheong Wah and Lan Sem Hing Lan Cheong Wah. PLoS Med. 2004 October; 1(1): e15. Published online 2004 October 19. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0010015. PMCID: PMC523836.

6. Relationship between ecstasy use and depression: a study controlling for poly-drug use Jonathan P. Roiser and Barbara J. Sahakian. Psychopharmacology (Berl). Author manuscript; available in PMC 2008 September 29. PMCID: PMC2556104 Published in final edited form as: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2004 May; 173(3-4): 411-417. Published online 2003 December 3. doi: 10.1007/s00213-003-1705-6.

7. Gerra G, Zaimovic A, Ferri M, Zambelli U, Timpano M, Neri E, Marzocchi GF, Delsignore R, Brambilla F. Long-lasting effects of (±)3,4-methylene-dioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) on serotonin system function in humans. Biol Psychiatry. 2000;47:127-136.

8. Kish SJ, Furukawa Y, Ang L, Vorce SP, Kalasinsky KS. Striatal serotonin is depleted in brain of a human MDMA (Ecstasy) user. Neurology. 2000;55:294-296.

9. Schildkraut JJ. The catecholamine hypothesis of affective disorders: A review of supporting evidence. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 1965;7:524-533.

10. Kirsch I, Moore TJ, Scoboria A, Nicholls SS. The emperor's new drugs: An analysis of antidepressant medication data submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Prev Treat. 2002;5.

11. Kirsch I, Scoboria A, Moore TJ. Antidepressants and placebos: Secrets, revelations, and unanswered questions. Prev Treat. 2002;5.

12. Dubvosky S, Davies R, Dubvosky A. Mood disorders. In: Hales R, Yudofsky S, editors. The American psychiatric textbook of clinical psychiatry, 4th ed. Washington (D.C.): American Psychiatric Press; 2003. pp. 439-542.

13. Consumer Reports. Free rein for drug ads. Yonkers (New York): 2003.

14. O'Brien C. Drug firm to drop non-addiction claim. Irish Times. 2003 October 5.

15. Angell M. The truth about the drug companies: How they deceive us and what to do about it. New York: Random House; 2004. 336 pp.

16. Glenmullen J. Prozac backlash: Overcoming the dangers of prozac, zoloft, paxil and other antidepressants with safe, effective alternatives. New York: Simon and Schuster; 2001. 384 pp.

17. Delgado P, Moreno F. Role of norepinephrine in depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2000;61(Supple 1):5-11.

18. Healy D. Let them eat prozac: The unhealthy relationship between the pharmaceutical companies and depression. New York: New York University; 2004. 351 pp.

19. Giving Legs to Restless Legs: A Case Study of How the Media Helps Make People Sick Steven Woloshin and Lisa M SchwartzPLoS Med. 2006 April; 3(4): e170. Published online 2006 April 11. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0030170. PMCID: PMC1434499.

20. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1680090/cuban_research_on_schizophrenia.html

21. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1680380/the_virus_theory_for_schizophrenia.html

22. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1676885/new_ideas_in_psychiatry.html

23. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1649109/mitochondrial_dysfunction_in_mental.html