Serotonin is a chemical substance also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine that is derived from the amino acid tryptophan, notes Encyclopedia Britannica. It is a vasoconstrictor, which means it aids in the narrowing of blood vessels. It also functions as a neurotransmitter transporting information from one neuron to the next. Serotonin is concentrated in your midbrain and hypothalamus, where it plays a role in dictating your moods. It can also be found in the blood platelets, mast cells and intestinal tissue. Several effects are seen with serotonin deficiency.
Depression
One of the most common effects of serotonin deficiency is depression. Your depression may range from mild to severe. Depression manifests itself with symptoms like anxiety, feelings of worthlessness, fatigue and insomnia. The strongest proof behind the connection between serotonin and depression is the commonly decreased amounts of serotonin found in patients who have been diagnosed with mild to severe depression. A majority of antidepressants work by increasing serotonin levels at neuronal synapses by blocking the reuptake of serotonin back into the presynaptic cell, according to the University of Bristol, United Kingdom.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
The National Institutes of Health lists sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, as one of the many effects of serotonin deficiency. Infant deaths from SIDS occur before a child's first birthday. These deaths are unexplained even after autopsies and researching circumstances of death. Serotonin is a very important brain chemical for conveying messages between cells. It helps in the regulation of breathing, heart rate and sleep. The brains of infants who died of SIDS were found to have been producing very low levels of serotonin, thus impeding the infant from responding to breathing challenges.
Aggressive Behavior or Violence
The "Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience" shows that one of the effects of serotonin deficiency is aggressive behavior and impulsive violence. If you have a deficiency in serotonin, most of these aggressive and violent behaviors will take place when you are intoxicated by alcohol. The journal notes that impulsive offenders who always behave aggressively when they are intoxicated have been shown to have a low brain serotonin turnover rate.
References
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Serotonin
- University of Bristol: Depression
- National Institutes of Health: SIDS Linked to Low Levels of Serotonin
- "Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience"; Low Brain Serotonin Turnover Rate (low CSF 5-HIAA) and Impulsive Violence; M Virkkunen, D Goldman, D A Nielsen, and M Linnoila; July 1995
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