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

Researchers identify a biomarker in platelets that tracks the extent of depression

Researchers are one step closer to developing a blood test that provides a simple biochemical hallmark for depression and reveals the efficacy of drug therapy in individual patients.

3 Jan 2022

AAN issues new guideline on oral and topical treatments for painful diabetic neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy refers to nerve damage due to diabetes and it may lead to pain and numbness, most often in the hands and feet. To help neurologists and other doctors determine the best treatment for people with diabetic neuropathy, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has issued a guideline on oral and topical treatments for painful diabetic neuropathy.

28 Dec 2021

Doctors advised to prescribe fewer antidepressants and for shorter periods of time

Doctors should prescribe fewer antidepressants and for shorter periods of time, because of the ongoing uncertainties about their effectiveness and the potential severity and durability of the withdrawal symptoms associated with them, suggests a review of the evidence on antidepressant use, published online in the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.

21 Dec 2021

Clinical drug research for the treatment of CNS and neurological disorders

Frontiers in Clinical Drug Research - CNS and Neurological Disorders is a book series that brings updated reviews to readers interested in advances in the development of pharmaceutical agents for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) and other nerve disorders.

29 Nov 2021

Researchers discover new link between diet, intestinal stem cells and disease

The intestine is essential for maintaining our energy balance and is a master at reacting quickly to changes in nutrition and nutrient balance.

21 Nov 2021

Genetically engineered bacteria can monitor health from within

That feeling in your gut? Well, it's in your head, but some of it does truly start in the gastrointestinal tract.

12 Nov 2021

Psychiatric drug prevents some of the most serious complications of COVID-19, study finds

Leonard Imbula of the Healthy Mind Lab at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis holds a bottle of fluvoxamine, a psychiatric drug that has been shown, in a pair of studies conducted on two continents, to be an effective treatment for people sick with COVID-19.

9 Nov 2021

Study identifies serotonin as a possible trigger of flare-ups in Crohn's disease

A new treatment may be on the horizon for people with a major form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) called Crohn's disease, after a McMaster University-led study identified serotonin as a possible trigger of flare-ups.

6 Nov 2021

Psychology professor secures $2.59 million NIH grant to study the brain mechanisms of addiction

A five-year, $2.59 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will allow a psychology professor at Binghamton University, State University of New York to study the mechanisms of addiction.

2 Nov 2021

Stanford neuromodulation therapy causes remission in almost 80% of patients with severe depression

A new type of magnetic brain stimulation brought rapid remission to almost 80% of participants with severe depression in a study conducted at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

30 Oct 2021

Study finds early fluvoxamine treatment among COVID-19 patients reduces hospitalization

A team of researchers conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, adaptive platform trial to evaluate the efficacy of fluvoxamine to prevent COVID-19 progression and hospitalization.

29 Oct 2021

Using fluvoxamine to treat COVID-19 patients reduces the need for prolonged hospitalization, trial shows

The results of a new randomized clinical trial, published in The Lancet Global Health, have demonstrated that using fluvoxamine to treat high-risk outpatients with early-diagnosed COVID-19 reduced the need for prolonged observation in an emergency setting or hospitalization, compared to a control group who received a placebo.

28 Oct 2021

Mothers pass on the legacy of stress exposure to future generations

A mother's response to stress can even influence her grandchildren. Biologists at the University of Iowa found that roundworm mothers subjected to heat stress passed, under certain conditions and through modifications to their genes, the legacy of that stress exposure not only to their offspring but even to their offspring's children.

13 Oct 2021

Accumulation of amyloid beta and reduction of serotonin may trigger late-life depression

Looking for ways to image the human brain for the earliest signs of aging and cognitive decline, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers recently identified a pattern that links the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) proteins (associated with cognitive decline later in life) with a reduction of serotonin, the brain chemical that improves mood.

7 Oct 2021

Post-COVID depressive symptoms respond well to antidepressants, study shows

The COVID pandemic has led to a significant increase in mental health problems. Now, in some good news, a pilot study has shown that depressed patients who have suffered from COVID respond better to standard antidepressants than do people who have not had COVID.

4 Oct 2021

Existing drug used to treat constipation may boost people's ability to think more clearly

The development of drugs to treat cognitive problems in patients with mental illness may be a step closer after a team of researchers discovered that an existing drug - used to treat constipation - may be able to boost our ability to think more clearly.

4 Oct 2021

Study finds genetic link between driving convictions, accidents and everyday behavior

A new long-term psychological study of drivers has found an association between driving convictions, accidents and everyday behavior such as eating junk food or alcohol consumption.

3 Oct 2021

Researchers explore the clinical use of intravenous infusions of ketamine to treat depression

Depression is the most common mental illness as well as the number one cause of disability among people between the ages of 15 and 44. And for millions of sufferers, antidepressants have literally saved lives that could otherwise have been lost to suicide.

29 Sep 2021

Classic antidepressants show potential to enhance modern cancer treatments

Classic antidepressants could help improve modern cancer treatments. They slowed the growth of pancreatic and colon cancers in mice, and when combined with immunotherapy, they even stopped the cancer growth long-term.

28 Sep 2021

Research paves the way for advances in the treatment of many brain disorders

Bristol-led research has identified specific drug targets within the neural circuits that encode memories, paving the way for significant advances in the treatment of a broad spectrum of brain disorders.

16 Sep 2021

Serotonin

Overview

Serotonin Function

Serotonin Biosynthesis

Drugs Targeting the 5-HT System

Feature Articles

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

Researchers identify a biomarker in platelets that tracks the extent of depression

AAN issues new guideline on oral and topical treatments for painful diabetic neuropathy

Doctors advised to prescribe fewer antidepressants and for shorter periods of time

Clinical drug research for the treatment of CNS and neurological disorders

Researchers discover new link between diet, intestinal stem cells and disease

Genetically engineered bacteria can monitor health from within

Psychiatric drug prevents some of the most serious complications of COVID-19, study finds

Study identifies serotonin as a possible trigger of flare-ups in Crohn's disease

Psychology professor secures $2.59 million NIH grant to study the brain mechanisms of addiction

Stanford neuromodulation therapy causes remission in almost 80% of patients with severe depression

Study finds early fluvoxamine treatment among COVID-19 patients reduces hospitalization

Using fluvoxamine to treat COVID-19 patients reduces the need for prolonged hospitalization, trial shows

Mothers pass on the legacy of stress exposure to future generations

Accumulation of amyloid beta and reduction of serotonin may trigger late-life depression

Post-COVID depressive symptoms respond well to antidepressants, study shows

Existing drug used to treat constipation may boost people's ability to think more clearly

Study finds genetic link between driving convictions, accidents and everyday behavior

Researchers explore the clinical use of intravenous infusions of ketamine to treat depression

Classic antidepressants show potential to enhance modern cancer treatments

Research paves the way for advances in the treatment of many brain disorders

How has COVID-19 Impacted our Economy?

Using lab-grown stomachs to shed light on the symptoms of COVID-19

Developing a 'Fingerprint' test that could diagnose Alzheimer’s early

Serotonin

Overview

Feature Articles

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

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