If chemicals like oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin are so crucial to our mental health, why can’t we monitor them the same way diabetics monitor insulin?
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As of right now, we don’t have a good, non-invasive, relatively long lasting sensor for these molecules, especially for measuring these in the brain rather than peripheral tissues.
I’m working on a doctorate in this field so would be open to discussing more if you want to DM me.
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As of right now, we don’t have a good, non-invasive, relatively long lasting sensor for these molecules, especially for measuring these in the brain rather than peripheral tissues.
I’m working on a doctorate in this field so would be open to discussing more if you want to DM me.
The amount of neurotransmitters released in the synaptic cleft, which is the space between neurons, can be measured as low as number of molecules, *plural* for *this one neuron to its neighbor* nevermind all the *other* connections it has.
At the electrochemical level we still don’t really know why or how the brain works, but we’ve taken enough of them apart to figure out where the problems are and what goes where, more or less
Now multiply that by the lack of standardization between brains, both in terms of wiring and other endocrine/hormonal influences, never mind predisposing developmental, environmental, or genetic issues
So some of the areas you’re interested in are actually very deep inside the brain, measured in nano distances, for a sample that is measured in nano liters, or less than parts per billion, its kinda hard to even get there without killing the patient.
Then, again, there is that one guy who had the railroad spike driven up through his skull, and he survived for decades past that, albeit with *significant* personality and behavioral problems
As a follow up I know serotonin storm is a legit thing if we cant measure serotonin how do medical professionals know that’s the problem. Do they just assume based on meds and ruling other options out?
The amount of neurotransmitters released in the synaptic cleft, which is the space between neurons, can be measured as low as number of molecules, *plural* for *this one neuron to its neighbor* nevermind all the *other* connections it has.
At the electrochemical level we still don’t really know why or how the brain works, but we’ve taken enough of them apart to figure out where the problems are and what goes where, more or less
Now multiply that by the lack of standardization between brains, both in terms of wiring and other endocrine/hormonal influences, never mind predisposing developmental, environmental, or genetic issues
So some of the areas you’re interested in are actually very deep inside the brain, measured in nano distances, for a sample that is measured in nano liters, or less than parts per billion, its kinda hard to even get there without killing the patient.
Then, again, there is that one guy who had the railroad spike driven up through his skull, and he survived for decades past that, albeit with *significant* personality and behavioral problems
As of right now, we don’t have a good, non-invasive, relatively long lasting sensor for these molecules, especially for measuring these in the brain rather than peripheral tissues.
I’m working on a doctorate in this field so would be open to discussing more if you want to DM me.
Neurotransmitters are tiny molecules used only to send signals from one brain cell (neuron) to another one right next to it. One cell releases only a few molecules of them, they cross the tiny gap between cells, and then they are reabsorbed. They don’t just hang out in your brain between cells over long periods, and the amounts are too small to measure anyway.
But the bigger issue is that your brain doesn’t use “blood.” It’s actually completely separated from your bloodstream by a special filter called the blood-brain barrier. Your brain cells instead swim in something called cerebrospinal fluid, and the barrier only lets very specific molecules from your blood in/out of this fluid. Neurotransmitters are not one of them.
In other words, we can’t draw blood from your arm to figure out what’s going on in your brain. We would have to cut into your brain. And doing that breaks the blood-brain barrier, which is dangerous and harmful. And even then, we would have no way of reaching in between cells and measuring the tiny amounts of neurotransmitters firing between them in real time anyway.
Now, there happens to actually be some neurotransmitters in your bloodstream. Serotonin, for example, is also used as part of digestion, and can be picked up in a blood test. But this blood serotonin is not passing in/out of your brain, so is not a useful measurement for mental health, for the same reason an injection of serotonin in your arm wouldn’t help you there either.
As a follow up I know serotonin storm is a legit thing if we cant measure serotonin how do medical professionals know that’s the problem. Do they just assume based on meds and ruling other options out?
Neurotransmitters are tiny molecules used only to send signals from one brain cell (neuron) to another one right next to it. One cell releases only a few molecules of them, they cross the tiny gap between cells, and then they are reabsorbed. They don’t just hang out in your brain between cells over long periods, and the amounts are too small to measure anyway.
But the bigger issue is that your brain doesn’t use “blood.” It’s actually completely separated from your bloodstream by a special filter called the blood-brain barrier. Your brain cells instead swim in something called cerebrospinal fluid, and the barrier only lets very specific molecules from your blood in/out of this fluid. Neurotransmitters are not one of them.
In other words, we can’t draw blood from your arm to figure out what’s going on in your brain. We would have to cut into your brain. And doing that breaks the blood-brain barrier, which is dangerous and harmful. And even then, we would have no way of reaching in between cells and measuring the tiny amounts of neurotransmitters firing between them in real time anyway.
Now, there happens to actually be some neurotransmitters in your bloodstream. Serotonin, for example, is also used as part of digestion, and can be picked up in a blood test. But this blood serotonin is not passing in/out of your brain, so is not a useful measurement for mental health, for the same reason an injection of serotonin in your arm wouldn’t help you there either.
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