What are Neurotransmitters?

Neurotransmitters are naturally occurring chemicals within the brain that relay signals between the nerve cells and are required for proper brain and body function.

A proper balance of neurotransmitter levels helps achieve optimal health.

Neurotransmitter imbalances have been linked to:

• Attention issues (lack of focus and motivation, poor concentration, and ADD)
• Learning difficulties and development delays (young children)
• Hyperactivity and ADHD for both children and adults
• Sleeping problems (fatigue, problems falling asleep, tossing and turning, etc.)
• Menopause related issues (hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats)
• PMS and birth control related issues (mood swings, aggressiveness, irritability, sadness, lack of libido)
• Weight issues and appetite control (cravings, overwhelming hunger, etc.)
• Depression (sadness, lack of motivation, mood swings, etc.)
• Migraine Headaches 
• Anxiety (irritability, nervousness, obsessive-compulsive, insecurity, racing thoughts, restlessness)
• Libido (lack of sex drive for women and men, orgasm issues, erectile dysfunction, etc.)

The approach is based on a baseline measurement of your neurotransmitter and/or hormone levels. The initial testing of your levels from a urine or saliva sample constitutes your baseline.

We can test the greatest number of neurotransmitters and hormones for the most complete assessment of your health. We can measure 13 different neurotransmitters and 11 different hormones. The baseline sample will help us determine if your condition is neurotransmitter related and what the optimal treatment is for addressing your condition(s).

Targeted Amino Acid Therapy (TAAT)
The process of balancing neurotransmitters is called Targeted Amino Acid Therapy (TAAT). The program follows the principle that optimizing neurotransmitters requires that not only must appropriate levels be attained, but neurotransmitters must be addressed in the proper order.

Address Multiple Neurotransmitters
Through laboratory testing, it has been found that very few patients have a neurotransmitter imbalance that is limited to a single neurotransmitter. The vast majority of patients have imbalances involving multiple neurotransmitters and, therefore, require therapies that address multiple neurotransmitters. For this reason, therapies that address serotonin and the catecholamines as well as other neurotransmitters must be used to achieve a balance.

Neurotransmitter Interaction
Some antidepressant drugs, like Lexapro, only prevent the reuptake of serotonin, while others, like Wellbutrin, only prevent the reuptake of norepinephrine. It is common for a patient to require more than one of these medications to achieve symptom relief due to the balanced serotonin and norepinephrine effect a combination of therapies provides. The need for this combination is well understood and other reuptake inhibitors, like Effexor, affect both serotonin and norepinephrine. There is a complex interaction between all the neurotransmitters and we can help you understands how to address this interaction with TAAT.

Proper Ratios of Amino Acids
The ratios of inhibitory neurotransmitter precursors, excitatory neurotransmitter precursors, and the amount of GABA support in the specific formulas are based on this principle. NeuroScience formulas are more effective than general amino acid supplements because general amino acid supplements do not contain the proper ratios of amino acids or address multiple neurotransmitters. Additionally, the modulatory nature and GABA potentiating actions of serotonin dictates that it must be addressed prior to increasing catecholamine levels. While this is a simplified explanation, it covers the basic theory behind the amino acid therapies used in the NeuroScience Neurotransmitter Optimizing Programs.

Puzzle with many Pieces
Many other neurotransmitters are involved in the regulation of neurotransmission. Some, like PEA, can be tested and are known to cause a predictable change in the clinical presentation and, along with the catecholamines, affect excitatory activity. Others, like histamine, glutamine, and glutamate, have roles that are clearly defined but were not measured until recently. Others still wait to be discovered.