Dopamine and Depression Treatment Link – How does it Work?

The link between dopamine and depression is well established, but more research is needed to understand this complex relationship.

Depression is a condition that has multiple potential causes. Dopamine deficiencies are but one area of study concerning the overall prevalence of depression disorders.

The most recent research on dopamine and depression has linked activities in the dopamine system to anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure) in depressed patients. Further, it has been linked to both negative and positive symptoms of schizophrenia.

Some medical professionals recommend boosting dopamine levels in the brain to reduce depression symptoms. Supplements and medications like dopamine agonists may be used in some cases. However, in other cases, excess dopamine may be underlying depressive behaviors.

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Dopamine and Depression Treatment

Depression affects different people in different ways. One depressed person may be lethargic, unmotivated and spend most of her time sleeping. Another depressed person will remain active at work, rarely sleep and display regular irritability.

The only commonalities between different depression disorders seem to be despondency and feelings of dejection.

Internationally, there are more then 300 different mental disorders currently classified. Some researchers believe there may be a common neurobiological correlate.

Various antidepressant medicines available today target serotonin; not dopamine. Many clinical trials have addressed the roles of serotonin in depressive disorders.

Some of the most prescribed pharmaceuticals for depression are called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors).

SSRIs work to increase serotonin by blocking its reabsorption into the presynaptic neurons which release it. Common SSRIs include fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa), paroxetine (Paxil) and escitalopram (Lexapro).

Commonly, these prescription-only SSRI medications take weeks to accumulate (“load”) in the brain and begin to work. In many cases, they do not work to alleviate symptoms even after a proper loading period.

Further, these medications are associated with various adverse effects; some very serious.

How Dopamine May Affect Depression

Dopamine is often thought of as a neurotransmitter that accommodates feelings of pleasure and reward – and it is.

However, there are other important roles of dopamine; including modulating motor movement, enhancing memory and learning, maintaining a healthy sex drive (libido) – and feeling motivated about pursuing plans that you have developed.

When people have low dopamine levels, they may experience poor motor skills, lacking motivation, constantly low spirits, poor appetite, low libido and/or suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

These same symptoms are associated with various depressive disorders. It follows that novel depression therapies may be discovered by exploring activities in relevant areas of the dopamine system.

Elevated levels of brain dopamine are associated with energetic, focused attitudes. Psychostimulant drugs like amphetamines and cocaine cause their effects by stimulating the release of dopamine.

Dopamine and Depression Research

Preliminary research suggests that enhancing dopamine neurotransmission capacities in the brain’s VTA (ventral tegmental area) can improve various depressive-like behaviors.

By inducing enhanced dopamine neuron firing in the VTA, certain depressive symptoms were alleviated within seconds. No loading period was necessary; meaning the patient did not have to wait for several weeks only to find a given medication did not work for her.

There are a number of different drugs that can be used to target dopamine activity in the brain. Some of these work by imitating the effects of natural dopamine and stimulating the same receptors.

But many are turning to natural supplements and interventions to raise levels of this neurochemical without relying on pharmaceutical treatments.

Naturally Increasing Dopamine Levels for Mood Enhancement

Many people are interested in naturally balancing their brain chemicals in order to alleviate depression and anxiety, improve cognitive functioning and enhance overall wellbeing.

Research shows that certain foods, herbal supplements, amino acids and lifestyle modifications can naturally increase levels of brain dopamine, and dopamine receptors.

Dopamine in biosynthesized inside the brain from L-DOPA, which is produced from the amino acid tyrosine.

Tyrosine is produced from another amino called phenylalanine, which is derived from certain foods. Research shows that increasing intake of foods rich in phenylalanine and tyrosine has a positive effect on dopamine synthesis.

Foods that can help to increase dopamine synthesis include lean cuts of red meats, turkey and other fowl, green leafy vegetables, fish, eggs, beets, bananas, green tea, strawberries and apples.

Mucuna pruriens is a natural source of L-DOPA. It is a tropical legume commonly called velvet beans and contains roughly 5% natural L-DOPA.

Originally native to areas in both Asia and Africa, M. pruriens is now cultivated widely to meet increasing international demand.

Phenylalanine and tyrosine supplements can also help to naturally raise dopamine and may combat depression symptoms, according to some user reviews.

Many people also take a multivitamin and multimineral supplement to ensure they have ample availability of certain cofactors needed in dopamine synthesis.

Other important factors for alleviating depression and increasing dopamine naturally include getting daily exercise, managing stress effectively and staying properly hydrated.

Conclusions

Research is emerging that implicates a role for dopamine in the treatment of depression and other mood disorders.

In some cases, medications like SSRIs that target serotonin seem very helpful for depressive disorders. However, sometimes they do nothing to better the symptoms at all.

Foods and supplements that help to increase dopamine activity may interact with various medications and/or herbal supplements. Note that changing your levels of important brain chemicals even slightly can yield strong physiological effects.

Larger-scaled, randomized human trials are warranted to further explore the apparent associations between dopamine and depression.

If you have been diagnosed with any depressive disorder, or if you use prescription medications for any purpose, then it is best to get medical advice before attempting to naturally raise dopamine levels.

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