Posted by linkadge on May 4, 2009, at 17:34:38
In reply to Re: drug for motivation!, posted by metric on May 4, 2009, at 16:57:02
>Wow. I had no idea that's why people sip their >coffee. I thought they just savored the taste. >Or preferred the sustained delivery and >consequent minimization of crashes.Not necessarily. There is the same phenomina with smoking. Some studies show that smokers will smoke to reach a certain level of MAO inhibition. In certain animal models of depression there is an increase in prefrontal dopaminergic neurotransmission. The same appears to be true in humans. Depressed patients who responded to ketamine for instance experienced a decrease in prefrontal cortex metabolism. See:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506112416.htm
Increasing prefrontal cortex function doesn't always result in improved mood. There is a threshold effect beyond which you can worsen mood. For certain depressions, drugs which increase prefrontal metabolism can substantially worsen depression. Wellbutrin for instance, makes some people acutely worse.
>Unfortunately, neuroscience hasn't reached the >stage where such nuanced interpretations of >neurochemical phenomena can be regarded as more >than wild conjecture. The brain remains a black >box, especially as it concerns the more subtle >variations that give rise to changes in mood->related areas.
I like to think I am a step above conjecture.
Linakdge
poster:linkadge
thread:893899
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090426/msgs/894255.html