Serotonin

Serotonin is one of several chemical messengers in the brain, or neurotransmitters, which help brain cells communicate with one another. Among many other functions, serotonin is involved in regulating mood. Problems with making or using the right amount of serotonin have been linked to many mental disorders, including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, autism, and schizophrenia.

What is Serotonin?

Serotonin is an example of a neurotransmitter, a chemical messenger that is passed between nerve cells. When a nerve impulse reaches the axon at the end of a nerve, neurotransmitters are released which cross an area called the synapse to be received by a specific receptor on the end of a target nerve. Once received by the target nerve, the neurotransmitter may either excite that nerve to fire its own signal or prevent it from firing the signal.

Serotonin Function

Serotonin Biosynthesis

Drugs Targeting the 5-HT System

Serotonin Pathology

Serotonin in Plants

The Relationship Between Serotonin and 5-HTP

Do Serotonin and Antidepressants Affect the Microbiome?

Serotonin and Aggression

Latest Serotonin News and Research

Repeated ketamine infusions may be a promising treatment for PTSD patients

Repeated intravenous (IV) ketamine infusions significantly reduce symptom severity in individuals with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the improvement is rapid and maintained for several weeks afterwards, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

5 Jan 2021

Scientists design experimental gut-brain system in a lab dish

Research into what is known as the gut-brain axis continues to reveal how the brain and gut influence each other's health and well-being. Now researchers are endeavoring to learn more about gut-brain discourse using a model system built in a lab dish.

4 Jan 2021

New tool may help monitor serotonin transmission with greater fidelity than current methods

Serotonin is a neurochemical that plays a critical role in the way the brain controls our thoughts and feelings.

23 Dec 2020

Newly discovered brain pattern could improve the diagnosis of mental health disorders

A pattern in how the brain breaks down tryptophan, a common amino acid consumed through food, was discovered by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

18 Dec 2020

4E-BP proteins are key to unlock the antidepressant effect of ketamine in the brain

A group of proteins called 4E-BPs, involved in memory formation, is the key to unlocking the antidepressant effect of ketamine in the brain, according to researchers from three Canadian universities. The discovery could lead to better and safer treatments for certain patients suffering from major depression.

17 Dec 2020

MIPT researchers use zebrafish to study chronic stress

A team of researchers led by MIPT's Allan Kalueff has studied chronic stress in zebrafish and determined that the animal can serve as a valuable model species for research into the associated brain diseases, complementing research currently done on rodents.

14 Dec 2020

Study pinpoints specific areas of the brain where serotonin promotes patience

We've all been there. Whether we're stuck in traffic at the end of a long day, or eagerly anticipating the release of a new book, film or album, there are times when we need to be patient.

27 Nov 2020

Normal sleep depends on bacteria in the gut

With fall and winter holidays coming up, many will be pondering the relationship between food and sleep.

27 Nov 2020

Serotonin is vital to the regulation of patience

Delayed gratification is vital to human survival. It allows us to suppress our impulses to behave in ways that gain instant gratification to reap rewards later.

27 Nov 2020

Study shows how rotavirus leads to severe gastrointestinal disease

Rotavirus is a major cause of diarrhea and vomiting, especially in children, that results in approximately 128,000 deaths annually.

20 Nov 2020

Antidepressant drug fluvoxamine may prevent some serious complications of COVID-19

In a preliminary study of COVID-19 patients with mild-to-moderate disease who were attempting to recover in their homes, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that the drug fluvoxamine seems to prevent some of the most serious complications of the illness and make hospitalization and the need for supplemental oxygen less likely.

12 Nov 2020

Imaging technique reveals opioid receptor localization across the whole brain

Winding and twisting like a labyrinth, the brain consists of an elaborate network of passages through which information flows at high speeds, rapidly generating thoughts, emotions, and physical responses.

12 Nov 2020

Targeting TAAR5 can provide a new treatment opportunity for neurodegenerative disorders

St Petersburg University researchers, led by Professor Raul R. Gainetdinov, Director of the Institute of Translational Biomedicine and Academic Supervisor of the St Petersburg University Hospital, have found a new role for recently discovered neurotransmitter system that uses the trace amine-associated receptor 5 (TAAR5) for neurotransmission.

11 Nov 2020

New insights into the relationship between sweet taste of sugar and satiety regulation

To date, very little is known about how sweetness perception contributes to satiety. This study, conducted by an Austrian-German team led by chemists Veronika Somoza and Barbara Lieder, provides new insights into the relationship between the sweet taste of sugar, energy intake and the regulatory process of hunger and satiety.

10 Nov 2020

Critically ill COVID-19 patients experience novel platelet-activating immune complexes, study finds

Canadian researchers from McMaster University, Ontario, have pinpointed platelet activating immune complexes in coagulation disorders associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the condition caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

10 Nov 2020

Commonly prescribed anti-depressant may halt the growth of childhood sarcoma

A new study has found that a commonly prescribed anti-depressant may halt growth of a type of cancer known as childhood sarcoma, at least in mice and laboratory cell experiments.

6 Nov 2020

Addictive drug displays different acute pharmacology and synaptic plasticity

Nucleus accumbens in the brain play a central role in the risk-reward circuit. Their operation is based chiefly on three essential neurotransmitters: dopamine, which promotes desire; serotonin, whose effects include satiety and inhibition; and glutamate, which drives goal-directed behaviors and responses to reward-associated cues and contexts.

30 Oct 2020