Sunday, April 26, 2015

Science versus archaic laws: endorphins

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       Founding members Siobhan Reynolds Kevin Byers Vanessa Mullin Alen J Salerian
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Science versus archaic laws: The Endorphins
ALEN J Salerian  MD
April 26, 2015

  To observe that the endorphins are the most influential chemicals of  brain transmission  will not be an overstatement.
    There are many important chemicals, dopamine ,serotonin norepinephrine, glutamate , acetyl choline GABA etc but none of them enjoys the unique properties of endorphins .
   Brain function is teamwork and no chemical can by itself dictate intellectual and emotional performance . It is also true that not all chemicals are of equal influence.
   What  distinguishes endorphins from other neurotransmitters?
 Their dual and paradoxical influence - enhancement and inhibition -on intellectual and emotional function.
   In the limbic brain  they counteract dopamine  and combat anxiety and worry. Just the opposite happens in prefrontal cortex by activating dopamine to  improve concentration ,mood and cognition. 
   This paradoxical effect  is consistent with natural observations:  The  “runners high “seems to be from suppression of limbic anxiety and enhancing prefrontal cortex by intense exercise inducing greater endorphin production.
 It is unfortunate that  laws and scientific knowledge are not always friends. In America DEA is in charge of neuroscience .
   The end result is even the most fantastic discoveries in neuroscience must be first cleared by a policeman. This is not an exaggeration this is a simple fact of life in America in 2015.

  We may be waiting for long time for endorphins to be properly utilized  to combat psychiatric disorders. Of course this will all depend on doctors educating the public about endorphins.

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