Word: serotonin
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...intricacies of this system are just beginning to be unraveled. Scientists speculate that when the body produces too few or too many such chemicals, behavioral problems ensue. Severe depression, for instance, could be linked to abnormally low levels of a family of neurotransmitters called monoamines (serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine), which can be destroyed by an enzyme called monoamine oxidase (MAO). To keep the enzyme from doing its work, chemists have developed drugs called MAO inhibitors. Other antidepressants, the tricyclics, increase the life of monoamines in the synapse...
...Geological Survey conference on animal behavior prior to earthquakes concluded that the body of such casual evidence is too large to ignore. In addition, a number of researchers have found that positive ions can have marked physiological effects on people and animals by stimulating the production of serotonin, a neurohormone that plays a role in the transmission of nervous impulses, mood responses and gastric secretions...
...illness, such as a blood clot or tumor. But migraines belong to a different and puzzling category known as vascular headaches. They seem to stem from a swelling of cranial blood vessels, which may be accompanied by some local inflammation. Some doctors also implicate bodily chemicals, notably histamine and serotonin. Investigators at Baylor University have even reported that over a prolonged period of time migraines may damage some brain cells?apparently without any noticeable mental impairment. Migraine sufferers have included such intellectual stalwarts as Jefferson, Freud, Nietzsche and Darwin. Lewis Carroll is thought to have conceived the more bizarre scenes...
...high, react to such atmospheric conditions by absorbing positive electrical energy like a storage battery, until they literally become overcharged. Their hair becomes electrified and stands on end, and they develop migraine headaches and nausea. They become tense, irritable and occasionally violent. They also secrete large amounts of serotonin, a hormone associated with the nervous system...
...Cope. In clinical studies involving 500 people, Sulman's team experienced few problems in treating the majority of patients. Small doses of drugs called monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors aided the elderly by slowing the breakdown of adrenaline. Drugs that prevent serotonin buildup helped those adversely affected by the ionized air. So did the lonotron, a machine the size of a tabletop radio. Developed by Hebrew University scientists, the device supplies negative electricity to an indoor area, bringing relief to overcharged victims...