Central and Peripheral Nervous System - NEUROPANEL

In the central nervous system:

Noradrenaline and dopamine are the two main catecholamines. Noradrenaline appears to play a role in the central control of blood pressure, and in determining mood and activity, probably by affecting emotional impulses. Dopamine is important in the control of motor pathways, as shown by the dopamine deficiency syndrome in Parkinson's disease, and is possibly of importance in the abnormal behavior of psychotics. The role of the small concentration of adrenaline in the brain has not yet been fully established.

In peripheral tissues:

Noradrenaline appears to be predominantly involved in sympathetic control of blood pressure and blood flow, whereas adrenaline is more important for metabolic processes, especially fat and glucose saturation. Adrenaline and noradrenaline concentrations are important indicators for heart failure, heart disease, arteriosclerosis and hypertension.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure. It is mainly produced in the intestine, and also partially in the brain. It is a molecule responsible for regulating appetite, sleep, memory and learning processes, mood and different aspects of behavior. It is also involved in the regulation of body temperature, muscle contraction, some functions of the cardiovascular system and some functions of the endocrine system.

A deficit of serotonin in our body is related to diseases such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD), aggression, drug or alcohol dependence, eating disorders and insomnia.

Histamine is a substance that mediates inflammatory processes. This neurotransmitter is synthesized in neurons of the hypothalamus, from where it is distributed throughout the brain. It is present in different brain regions such as the hippocampus and hypothalamus, and allows rapid neurotransmission by histaminergic neurons passing through the spinal cord. Histamine is a molecule that acts in our body both as a hormone and as a neurotransmitter depending on the tissue in which it is released.

Among its functions:

• It acts by regulating the biological rhythm of sleep by prolonging the waking state, i.e., acting in the opposite way to melatonin.
• It increases the excitability of neurons in the central nervous system and exerts a vasodilatory effect on the cardiovascular system.
• It is essential in the modulation of both humoral and cellular immune response generating inflammatory reactions, immediate hypersensitivity and allergy, in the regulation of gastric secretions and intestinal motility at the digestive system level as well as in the control of bronchi and pulmonary alveoli triggering bronchoconstriction in people with bronchial asthma and other pneumopathies.
• In addition to its role in physiological functions, histamine is associated with degenerative diseases (multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's).

Symptoms associated with high histamine levels are: headache (migraine, headache), back pain or contractures, dehydration of intervertebral discs, pressure pain, tiredness, dry skin and/or dermatitis or skin itching, rhinorrhea, nasal congestion and sneezing, slow or heavy digestion, abdominal swelling, constipation and/or diarrhea, obesity not justified by dietary habits, memory disturbances, asthmatic reactions and tinnitus.

At Euroespes Medical Center we perform the determination of Neurotransmitters by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), considered the reference technique, using a state-of-the-art ultrasensitive Micro-Chromatography equipment specialized in the determination of Neurotransmitters (ALEXYS Neurotransmitters, ANTEC Scientific).