Effects of Neurotransmission on Human Behavior

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Effects of Neurotransmission on Human Behavior

• IB Psychology
• Taken fromLevels of Analysis in Psychology By
  Jennie Jamison

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Neurotransmission affects everything and
everything affects neurotransmission!
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Neurotransmission and Behavior

• We have already discussed how neurotransmitters
  are important messengers in our bodies.
• Link between neurotransmitter imbalance and
  impaired functioningdopamine, norepinephrine,
  serotonin.

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Food and Mood

• Why do people fail to eat properly?

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Diet and Neurotransmission

• The building blocks of normal neurotransmitter
  function starts prenatally.

• Continued poor diet negatively affects ones
  ability to cope with life stressors.

• Life stressors lead to increased stress hormones
  which lead to higher risk of mental and physical
  health problems.

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Diet and Neurotransmitters

• Food impacts how neurotransmitters function in
  the brain, which affects behavior.

• Approximately 70 neurotransmitters regulate
  functioning and contribute to normal functioning.
  

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Serotonin

• Serotonin is linked to depression, antisocial
  behavior, autism, anxiety, addictions, and eating
  disorders.

• Serotonin is a monoamine- a synthesized form of
  single amino acid (tryptophan)

• Our bodies DO NOT produce tryptophan. We have to
  get it from food.

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Serotonin

• No other neurotransmitter is as strongly linked
  to your diet as serotonin. (Somer, 1999)

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What else does food do?

• Provides other nutrients vital for proper
  neurotransmitter functioning
• B vitamins
• Vitamin C
• Selenium
• Magnesium

• Lack of some nutrients can cause irreversible
  damage to the nervous system protein and zinc.

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Diet is really important!!

• Diets should be balanced. Diets too high in
  protein or in simple carbs can cause imbalances
  in blood sugar AND neurotransmitters that affect
  mood.

• Sugar is good for energy, but too much can cause
  low mood and energy.

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What happens with a poor diet?

• Sugar enters the bloodstream ? increased blood
  sugar ? pancreas releasing insulin ? decreased
  blood sugar (usually sending in lower than where
  it started).

• Foods high in sugar and caffeine also lower
  serotonin levels in the brain, which can slow
  people down.

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Diet is really important!!

• A poor diet creates a vicious cycle.

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Diet and Depression

• People with depression tend to prefer and crave
  fats and carbohydrates.

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Research on Diet, Neurotransmitters and Depression

• Larry Cristensen and Ross Burrows (1990) Dietary
  Treatment of Depression
• Research Question Will a better diet stabilize
  neurotransmitters and in turn stabilize mood?

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Christensen and Barrows (1990)

• Participants
• 20 participants with depression related to diet
  were chosen.
• Participants were given the Beck Depression
  Inventory (BDI) and Chritensen Dietary Distress
  Inventory

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Christensen and Barrows (1990)

• Methods
• Randomly Assigned to Experimental or Control
  Conditions
• Experimental Condition Eliminated sucrose and
  caffeine for 3 weeks.
• Control Condition Eliminated red meat and
  artificial sweetener.
• Saliva tests were give to show that participants
  followed their diets over the three weeks.

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Christensen and Barrows (1990)

• Results
• Experimental Group showed fewer depression
  symptoms.
• Benefits were maintained for three months.
• Authors concluded that dietary changes were
  successful for most but not all of the study
  participants.

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Christensen and Barrows (1990)

• Limitations Next Steps
• Results not generalizable to all depressed
  patients.
• NOT a random sample of all depressed people.
• Not fully controlled.
• More research is needed.

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In Conclusion

• Theories explaining the relationship between diet
  and depression are incomplete (Christensen, 2007)

• Diet is one factor that increases the risk of
  depression.

• It is important to remember that balance is
  important, and anything we do to disrupt our
  bodies balance will affect neurotransmission.