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What causes brain chemical imbalance?

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What causes brain chemical imbalance?

The brain chemical hypothesis suggests that depression results from changes in the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. The most common evidence supporting the chemical imbalance theory is the impact of antidepressant medications. 

Antidepressants work by increasing other neurotransmitters and serotonin levels in the brain. Large-scale analysis observed that these drugs effectively treat depression symptoms compared with placebo. However, they improve a person's symptoms, which does not mean that they occur from a chemical deficiency. 

Millions of chemical reactions take place in the brain, and the number of such reactions occurring at any one time makes it challenging to determine if an individual is experiencing a singular brain chemical imbalance. For example, there is a time lag when patients take SSRIs and reverse symptoms. It suggests that some different unknown downstream processes could be mediating the antidepressant effect. 


Brain chemical imbalance symptoms


Brain chemical imbalance treatment

Several medicines function by changing the levels of the chemicals in the brain by blocking reabsorption. This blocking of specific neurotransmitters increments the class available for the nerves to use. And it will activate your nerve receptors for a longer duration. 

Medications can help alter the level of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine (also known as noradrenaline). Some medicines work on a combination of two or more chemicals. Examples of these drugs include:


Selective Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): They work by blocking the reabsorption of serotonin. Examples are paroxetine (Paxil), fluoxetine (Prozac), and citalopram (Celexa). 

Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs): They work by blocking brain reabsorption of both serotonin and norepinephrine, resulting in increased levels of both the chemicals in the brain. Examples are venlafaxine (Effexor XR) and duloxetine (Cymbalta). 

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs): They block the reabsorption of serotonin and noradrenaline. Examples include nortriptyline (Pamelor) and imipramine (Tofranil). 

Norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs): They block the reabsorption of both neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine. It includes bupropion (Wellbutrin). 

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs): They block the reabsorption of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Examples are isocarboxazid (Marplan) and phenelzine (Nardil). MAOIs are not as popular as other forms of antidepressants. 


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