Serotonin

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?

Latest Serotonin News and Research

Depression treatment using AI, brain scans

Artificial intelligence (AI) may be a useful and even essential tool in selecting the best treatment for depression, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Biotechnology on February 2020.

10 Feb 2020

Study sheds new light on genetic relationship between three mood disorders

Researchers shed new light on the genetic relationship between three mood disorders associated with depression--major depression and bipolar disorder types 1 and 2, in a new study in the journal Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier.

5 Feb 2020

Shift workers at increased risk for sleep disorders and metabolic syndrome

Shift workers are at a significantly increased risk for sleep disorders and metabolic syndrome, which increases a person's risk for heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

3 Feb 2020

Non-hormonal options are effective in treating menopause symptoms

The classic symptoms of menopause – hot flashes, sleeplessness, and vaginal dryness – have typically been treated with estrogen therapy. Studies published today report that non-hormonal options are effective, too.

24 Jan 2020

Gut microbiome linked to behavioral problems in children

Children with behavioral problems may have different compositions in their gut microbiome, with parents playing a major role in how pronounced the differences were, other than the food they provide, a new study suggests.

21 Jan 2020

New analysis method shows how the brain regulates its signals using glutamate

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology and Gothenburg University in Sweden have achieved something long thought almost impossible - counting the molecules of the neurotransmitter glutamate released when a signal is transferred between two brain cells. With a new analysis method, they showed that the brain regulates its signals using glutamate in more ways than previously realised.

21 Jan 2020

Burnout linked to higher risk for abnormal heart rhythm

A new study published in January 2020 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology shows that burnout could really cause your heart to fail as a result of an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation (AF).

14 Jan 2020

Researchers study the effects of antidepressants to identify the least harmful drugs

About one in ten women in Québec will suffer from depression during pregnancy. Without treatment, the illness carries risks for both mother and child.

8 Jan 2020

VA researchers find new evidence on the underlying biological causes of anxiety

In the largest genetic study on anxiety to date, VA researchers found new evidence on the underlying biological causes of the disorder.

7 Jan 2020

No clear evidence to determine if psychotherapy or medications are more effective for treating PTSD

A new study that sought to find out whether serotonin reuptake inhibitors or trauma-focused psychotherapy is more effective in treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) concluded there is insufficient evidence at present to make that determination.

20 Dec 2019

Scientists evaluate mouse models used for developing new treatments for Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is an incurable and fatal hereditary disease. Developing disease-modifying drugs to treat patients with HD depends on studying them in animal models. Scientists evaluated the mouse models used for developing new treatments for mood disorders in HD and recommended which of these models are most relevant to their studies.

11 Dec 2019

Blood pressure drug could be beneficial in treating alcohol use disorders

A drug used to treat high blood pressure may alleviate anxiety induced by long-term heavy alcohol use, and also halt the damage such drinking can cause to the brain's ability to grow new cells, research at the Queensland University of Technology shows.

11 Dec 2019

Mice study shows the impact of taking antidepressants during pregnancy

Exposure to antidepressants during pregnancy and the first weeks of life can alter sensory processing well into adulthood, according to research in mice recently published in eNeuro.

From Society for Neuroscience 11 Dec 2019

UC study explores side effects in pediatric patients treated with antidepressants

Sometimes, the medications needed to function and live a quality life cause side effects that can make life quite uncomfortable.

10 Dec 2019

Drug used to treat Parkinson’s shows potential as a dementia treatment

Drug used to treat hallucinations and delusions in Parkinson's shows promise as treatment for dementia-related psychosis (DRP).

5 Dec 2019

New computational method can help predict and design allosteric functions in proteins

Called the "second secret of life", allostery is one of the most fundamental processes of biology and has been a central focus among scientists across the life sciences spectrum, from fundamental biology to drug development.

3 Dec 2019

New findings could help clinicians to improve care for pregnant women and new mums with depression

Professor Sue Jordan from the University's College of Human and Health Science, who led the study, says the findings could be used to help clinicians improve care for women during pregnancy and after they have given birth.

20 Nov 2019

New technique enables the study of transporter proteins at a single-molecule level

Like a boat helping passengers cross a river, transporters move substances across cell membranes. This process is fundamental to the healthy functioning of cells in life forms from bacteria to humans.

14 Nov 2019

Depression in middle and older adulthood associated with nutrition

Your diet can put you at risk of depression, according to a new study. The study also found that the likelihood of depression is higher among middle-aged and older women who were immigrants to Canada when compared to Canadian-born women.

12 Nov 2019

Study supports physical activity as a preventive measure for depression

A new study has found that physical activity may have a preventative effect against depression. Physical activity has long been linked with better mental health due to its ability to reduce the stress hormone cortisol and increase the feel-good hormone serotonin. However, there has been limited empirical evidence to support physical activity as a preventive measure for depression, making these findings very important.

5 Nov 2019