Neurotransmitters regulate neurological activity, mood, and sleep patterns. Testing for levels of these chemical messengers, often through blood or urine samples, can detect deficiencies or excesses that cause physical and psychological problems. Inhibitory neurotransmitters calm a person down, while stimulant chemicals are important for detecting symptoms of neurological diseases. Dopamine controls the central nervous system and is formed from tyrosine. Testing is also done for chemicals such as GABA, glutamate, histamine, and serotonin.
Normally acting as chemical messengers between nerve cells and the brain and body, neurotransmitters can regulate neurological activity, mood and sleep patterns. Some trigger reactions while others inhibit signals; various messengers moving through the neuronal synapses can regulate other neurotransmitters or produce the necessary ones. A deficiency or an excess of any can cause physical and psychological problems. Neurotransmitter testing, often performed using a blood or urine sample, typically determines levels of chemical messengers, modulatory compounds, or precursor substances. It is often performed for people with conditions such as insomnia, anxiety, depression and attention deficit disorder (ADD).
Neurotransmitters, or endogenous chemicals, are usually sent from the brain to the rest of the body via the bloodstream. They can then be found in a blood test, but are often filtered out by the kidneys, so neurotransmitter testing often detects excesses through a urine sample. Scientists in a lab can analyze these samples to find deficiencies or overloads, as well as look for imbalances in the nutrients and hormones that sometimes impact production.
There are tests that can look for levels of inhibitory neurotransmitters, which often regulate other chemicals. These typically calm a person down and allow them to sleep and be less aggressive. Examples include agmatine, which can counteract the influence of glutamate; this is a major excitatory compound in the brain which often controls brain function, learning and memory. However, excesses of glutamate can kill nerve cells and abnormal levels are often seen in various neurological diseases. Testing neurotransmitters for stimulant chemicals is typically important when someone experiences brain trauma, low blood sugar, or symptoms of conditions such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s.
Dopamine is a chemical that typically controls the central nervous system, as well as cardiovascular and kidney function. It usually helps regulate other hormones as well. Neurotransmitter testing is often important for detecting levels of this chemical, but also for epinephrine or epinephrine, into which it can be converted. Dopamine is also formed from tyrosine, an amino acid, so low levels of the neurotransmitter are sometimes traced to a deficiency of the protein.
Neutrotransmitter testing is also done for chemicals such as gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), one of the most common inhibitory chemicals in the brain. Glutamate and its preliminary form, glutamine, are also frequently tested. Problems with sleep and inflammation often warrant testing for histamine, while compulsion, anxiety and depression are often treated after testing the neurotransmitter levels of serotonin.
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