Diagnosis and treatment of chemical imbalance in the brain

Thursday, July 5, 2018 01:05 News No test available to detect if there is a chemical imbalance in the brain, tests that use urine, saliva or blood to measure neurotransmitters in the brain are not accurate.

Not all neurotransmitters are produced in the brain, so currently marketed tests will not be able to distinguish between levels of neurotransmitters in the brain and levels of neurotransmitters in the body. In addition, the levels of neurotransmitters in your body and brain are constantly changing. This makes these tests unreliable.

Diagnosis of Mental Illness:
Psychological disorders are not diagnosed by chemical tests. Your treatment plan will not be guided by these tests either. Your doctor may order blood tests to rule out other conditions, such as thyroid disorders or vitamin deficiencies, which can lead to symptoms of mental disorders.

If no underlying illness is detected, you will likely be referred to a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist. Where they perform a psychological evaluation. This includes a series of questions about your thoughts, feelings, and habits about diet, sleep, and daily activities.

How to treat a chemical imbalance:
There are many drugs that are thought to work by altering the concentrations of certain chemicals in the brain. These drugs affect the levels of dopamine, noradrenaline, serotonin or norepinephrine. Some work on a combination of these two chemicals.

Examples of such drugs:
– selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs work by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin, for example, fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), citalopram (Celexa)

– serotonin-noripheniferin (SNRI) inhibitors, including duloxetine (Cymbalta ) and venlafaxine (Effexor). (SNR) work by inhibiting the reabsorption of serotonin and norepinephrine, resulting in increased levels of these chemicals in the brain.

Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) Examples are imphramine (tofranil) and (nortriptyline)

– inhibitors of norepinephrine dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRI), such as bupropion (Wellbutrin) ,

MAOI inhibitors regulate the secretion of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. These medications, including isocarboxazid (Marplan) and phenelzine (Nardil), are not as common as the other types. Antidepressants.

When it comes to mental disorders, there are probably several factors. It is unclear whether a certain drug will guarantee treatment.

For some people, depression and other mental disorders are secondary. It means that the symptoms come and go. Medications can help control symptoms, but it can take a long time. The symptoms may also recur later.

While taking medication to treat mental disorders, modern therapy techniques are also important. Psychotherapy helps transform thinking and behavior patterns into healthier behaviors. An example is called cognitive-behavioral therapy. This type of treatment can prevent the return of your depression when you feel better.