What Does “Chemical Imbalance” Mean and What Is the Link?

Question by : What does “chemical imbalance” mean and what is the link?
Hi. I have tried really hard to search for the possible meanings of chemical imbalance. What comes up are diagrams of the neuron synapsis and information that there is something wrong with the balance of/or amount of neuron transmitters. However what is the link between this and depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and OCD? The information is very scarce.

Please can you give me references to (scientific) articles that directly relates one of these mental disorders to shown differences/activity/structures in the brain.

Best answer:

Answer by tigertigertiger
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Serotonin Transporter, and Depression: Comment on Kaufman et al
Biological Psychiatry, Volume 61, Issue 9, 1 May 2007, Pages 1112-1113
Allan V. Kalueff, M. Wheaton, R. Ren-Patterson and D.L. Murphy

This is just one link of thousands when you do a search for “depression” + “serotonin” for example on Science Direct or Athens – even Google Scholar. There is alot to choose from.

Wikipedia is a good place to start; searches of serotonin, dopamine etc can come up with pretty comprehensive explanations of their functions.

Using the example of the connection between serotonin and depression and anxiety etc, the effectiveness of SSRI’s indicate that increased levels of serotonin in the synapse have anti-depressant effects. The SSRI’s increase the amount of serotonin in the synapse by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin from the synapse. Out of all the antidepressants this is frequently found to be most effective with the least sideffects. NARIs increase the level of the noradernaline in the synapse working in a similar way to the SSRIs. There are also MAOIs that inhibit the metabolic degredation of monoamines by monomine oxidase in the treatment of depression etc. However, these are old-fashioned drugs and are less commonly used these days.
Antianxiety medications are often benzodiazepines such as diazepam. These bind to benzodiazepine receptors that are linked to GABAa receptors in a complex involving GABAa and benzodiazepine receptors and a choride channel. The opening of this channel allows passage of chloride ions into the neurone and therefore hyperpolarization of the latter. It can be very addictive and potentially lethal if you drink on it!

Reference:
Puri, B.; Laking, P.; Treasaden, I (2002)Textbook of Psychiatry Second Edition. Churchill Livingstone, U.K.

Goodluckx

Answer by budweiser C
The myth of chemical imbalance
http://www.drugsandyourmind.com/chembal.html

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