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Test Don’t Guess: Neurotransmitters Uncovered

NPO Conference

Tamara Owen, RN, MS, PMHNP503.788.7726

October 8-10, 2015 at Sunriver, Oregon

Testing can help you:

• Provide rapid symptom relief, improving compliance

• Pinpoint the root cause of health issues for long-term positive outcomes

• Shorten the time to wellness

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www.tamaraowen.com503.788.7726

Understanding the role of neurotransmitters and key players

Inhibitory Neurotransmitters

• Serotonin: mood, appetite and sleep

• GABA: primary inhibitory neurotransmitter -necessary to feel calm and relaxed

• Glycine: like GABA, helps to calm and relax the body

• Taurine: important for proper heart function, healthy sleep and promoting calmness

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• Epinephrine (Adrenaline): important for motivation, energy and mental focus

• Norepinephrine (Noradrenaline): important for mental focus, emotional stability and endocrine function.

• Dopamine: responsible for feelings of pleasure and satisfaction, also muscle control, muscle function, and GI issues.

• Glutamate: primary excitatory neurotransmitter necessary for memory and learning.

• PEA (phenylethylamine): important for focus and concentration.

• Histamine: helps control sleep-wake cycle, plus energy and motivation.

Excitatory Neurotransmitters

Cortisol and DHEA

• Cortisol: primary glucocorticoid produced by the adrenal gland. Regulates body’s stress response.

• DHEA: produced by the adrenal glad and is a precursor to estrogens and androgens.

Why Test?Patients may present with the same complaint, but associated imbalances differ. (Anxiety Illustration)

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Treating a patient’s specific imbalances provides symptom relief, improving compliance.

(Fatigue illustration)

Results also provide insight into the root cause of symptoms, shortening the time to wellness

and reducing costs (Insomnia illustration)

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Physical Stress

Psychosocial Stress

Exposures to toxins

HormonalShifts

EmotionalStress

Poor diet,medications

Persistentimmune

activation

Addressing the root cause allows you to fully restore balance and health

Root Causes/ Contributors

Assessment and Testing

HPA axis and neurotransmitters

Inflammation/Oxidative Stress

Hormone andneurotransmitter

interactions

Toxins Genetics Lyme’s Disease

Stress -the primary contributor

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

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impacts adrenal output…but it isn’t just about DHEA and c

How can we effectively assess adrenal function?

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Stages of Adrenal Dysregulation

Normal Stress Response

Compensation Mechanism

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Biomarkers for Early Stage

Biomarkers for Early Stage

Biomarkers for Mid Stage

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Biomarkers for Mid Stage

Biomarkers for End Stage

Biomarkers for End Stage

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Case Review

49 year old male:

• Low energy

• No motivation

• Some anxiousness

• Levothyroxine 75mcg

Adrenal results

Neurotransmitter results

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Calming Neurotransmitters

Stimulating Neurotransmitters

Adrenal Results

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Patient Care Cycle

Identify Imbalances for Personalized Patient Care

Epinephrine, Norepinephrine, Dopamine, DOPAC, PEA, Glut5-HIAA 4-point cortisol

Inflammation/Oxidative Stress

The Source of Many Clinical Conditions

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Inflammation underlies many clinical conditions

Inflammation is the body’s response to an immune challenge

The nervous, endocrine, and immune systems are intricately interconnected.

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Inflammation affects other systems of the body and leads to clinical conditions

Inflammation contributes to neurotransmitter imbalances

Oxidative Stress is a byproduct of inflammation

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Consequences of inflammation and oxidative stress

Low grade inflammation leads to:

Case Review

23 year old male:

• Low energy

• No motivation

• Some mood issues

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Adrenal Results

Neurotransmitter Results: Inflammation

Calming Neurotransmitters

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Stimulating Neurotransmitters

Adrenal Results

Sex Hormone Interactions with Neurotransmitters

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Sex hormones and neurotransmitters impact each other

Estrogen and Serotonin

Estrogen/Serotonin Connection

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GABA and Progesterone

GABA/Progesterone relationship

Progesterone and monoamine oxidase

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Dopamine and testosterone

Dopamine/Testoterone Relationship

Therapy considerations

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Toxins and Heavy Metal Exposure on the Nervous, Immune and

Endocrine Systems

Symptoms of metal hypersensitivities

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Occupations and industries with high metal exposure

Sources of metal exposure:

Frequency of Metal Sensitivity

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Many patients are sensitive to more than one metal

Dental fillings (amalgams)

Medications can contain metals

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Smoking tobacco products

Jewelry

Cosmetics

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Cosmetics

Food

Occupational exposure

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Sources of metal exposure:

Comprehensive assessment yields the most data

Test:

• Neurotransmitters

• 4-point cortisol

• Sex hormones

www.tamaraowen.com503.788.7726