concept

serotonin

Also known as: 5-HT

Facts (41)

Sources

Psychedelics, Sociality, and Human Evolution frontiersin.org Frontiers 20 facts

claimHigher-order executive tasks such as social learning, working memory, and behavioral flexibility depend critically on the prefrontal cortex, which is modulated by serotonin (5-HT), according to research by Puig and Gulledge (2011).

claimEarly hominins likely pursued exogenous chemical analogs of serotonin (psychedelics) due to the high metabolic cost of serotonin production, its importance in adaptive brain function, and selection pressures for sophisticated social cognition.

claim5-Hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) moderates anxiety and stress, promotes patience and coping, and opens a window of plasticity for greater adaptation under conditions of increased environmental volatility.

claimPsilocybin ingestion could have provided homeostatic utility to human ancestors by acting as a treatment for 5-HT (serotonin) depletion, which was a recurrent adaptive problem during the advancement into a socio-cognitive niche.

referenceMiyazaki et al. (2012) identified that serotonin plays a role in the regulation of patience and impulsivity.

claimThe negative impact of serotonin (5-HT) depletion on fitness likely increased during hominization due to an escalating dependence on cognitive skills for cooperative and collective life, as suggested by Dunbar (2014) and Gamble et al. (2014).

claimT. A. Jenkins, J. C. Nguyen, K. E. Polglaze, and P. P. Bertrand reviewed the influence of tryptophan and serotonin on mood and cognition, noting a possible role of the gut-brain axis in a 2016 study.

claimPsilocybin is considered a prime candidate for instrumentalization in human evolution due to its potential to ameliorate serotonin depletion and facilitate adaptive behaviors.

claimJ. W. Kanen et al. demonstrated in a 2020 study that serotonin depletion impairs both Pavlovian and instrumental reversal learning in healthy humans.

referenceCarhart-Harris and Nutt published a review in 2017 discussing serotonin and brain function, specifically focusing on the roles of two receptors.

referenceNilsson et al. (2019) authored 'Chapter eight - Serotonin and cognitive flexibility' in the book 'The Serotonin System', which examines the relationship between serotonin and cognitive processes.

claimHumans cannot produce the amino acid tryptophan, which is a precursor in the biosynthesis of 5-HT (serotonin), and must obtain it through their diet.

claimThe incidental ingestion of psilocybin and other psychedelic secondary metabolites, which have very low toxicity and structurally resemble the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT), may have provided a 'treatment' for serotonin depletion, a challenge recurring during human advancement into a socio-cognitive niche.

claimTryptamine psychedelics, such as DMT and psilocybin, could have provided an ideal substitute for tryptophan by mimicking the structure and function of 5-HT (serotonin).

claimI. Branchi described neural plasticity as a double-edged sword, noting that increasing serotonin levels leads to both greater vulnerability to depression and an improved capacity to recover, in a 2011 study.

referenceM. Berger, J. A. Gray, and B. L. Roth reviewed the expanded biology of serotonin in 2009.

claimThe intentional and repeated use of psilocybin by early hominins is hypothesized to be supported by the substance's low toxicity and its structural resemblance to the neurotransmitter serotonin, potentially allowing it to serve as a treatment for serotonin depletion.

claimPsychedelic substances generate their effects primarily by interacting with the serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) system, binding to the 5-HT2A receptor as partial agonists.

referenceYoung, S. N. and Leyton, M. (2002) published 'The role of serotonin in human mood and social interaction. Insight from altered tryptophan levels' in Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior.

referencePuig and Gulledge (2011) published 'Serotonin and prefrontal cortex function: neurons, networks, and circuits' in Molecular Neurobiology, examining the role of serotonin in cortical function.

Effects of psychedelics on neurogenesis and broader neuroplasticity link.springer.com Springer Dec 19, 2024 10 facts

claimIn the absence of brain serotonin, citalopram treatment strongly decreased BDNF concentrations while the survival of newborn cells remained unchanged.

claimStandard antidepressants function primarily by targeting the monoamine neurochemical route to restore dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NA), and serotonin (5-HT) levels to homeostatic concentrations.

claimActivation of 5-HT2A and 5-HT2B serotonin receptors can alter serotonin release and elicit specific behavioral responses, according to behavioral and electrophysiological studies.

claimThe effect of 5-HT2C receptor agonists and antagonists on chronic unpredictable stress-mediated anxiety and depression in adolescent Wistar albino rats involves serotonin and mitochondrial ETC-I function in serotonergic neurotransmission, according to a 2020 study by Wankhar et al. in Behavioural Brain Research.

measurementAyahuasca ingestion increased levels of all monoamines in the amygdala of adult rats, while reducing the rate of serotonin consumption in the amygdala, according to Castro-Neto et al. (2013).

claimPsychoactive tryptamines interact with multiple neurotransmission systems, including serotonin, glutamate, dopamine, and sigma-1 receptors, to produce a broad spectrum of effects.

claimNew biochemical routes to treat depression are emerging, including the induction of neurogenesis independent of direct 5-HT (serotonin) modulation.

claimSerotonin can promote neurogenesis independently of BDNF, implying that ketamine's influence on neurogenesis may involve the modulation of serotonergic pathways.

claimJ.R. Lacasse and J. Leo argued that there is a disconnect between the advertisements for serotonin-based antidepressants and the actual scientific literature regarding serotonin and depression.

claimβ-carbolines (Harmala alkaloids) are not inherently psychedelic but influence serotonin signaling by inhibiting the monoamine oxidase enzyme (MAO), producing behavioral effects similar to SSRIs.

“Plants of the Gods” and their hallucinogenic powers in ... surgicalneurologyint.com Miguel Faria · Surgical Neurology International Jul 19, 2021 7 facts

claimCocaine acts as an indirect sympathomimetic drug that crosses the blood–brain barrier and blocks the transport of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, which inhibits the re-uptake of these neurotransmitters at presynaptic terminals and increases their quantity and receptor activation in postsynaptic neurons.

claimThe active chemical principle in Yopo tree (Anadenanthera) derivatives consists of tryptamine (indole alkaloids) neurochemicals related to serotonin.

claimThe hallucinogenic mechanism of ergot derivatives is suspected to be similar to that of indole alkaloid derivatives, serotonin, and lysergic acid derivatives.

claimPsychoactive substances that bind to 5-HT receptors act as serotonin agonists, mimicking the psychoactive properties of serotonin in the central nervous system to enhance mood and induce happiness and euphoria.

accountZapotec and Aztec Indians consumed the seeds of Turbina corymbosa and Ipomoea violacea, which contain lysergic acid compounds that act through serotonin psychoactive pathways similar to psilocybin and psilocin.

claimPsilocybin and psilocin are indole alkaloids found in Psilocybe mushrooms that are related to the neurotransmitter serotonin and the amino acid precursor tryptophan.

claimLysergic acid derivatives are indole alkaloids that are chemically related to serotonin.

Neuroimaging in psychedelic drug development: past, present, and ... nature.com Nature Sep 27, 2023 2 facts

claimPET investigations have been used to understand the long-term effects of recreational MDMA and psychedelic use on serotonin brain markers, specifically serotonin transporters and 5-HT2A receptors.

referenceErritzoe et al. (2020) measured serotonin release in the human brain using PET imaging with [11C]CIMBI-36 and a d-amphetamine challenge.

The Mechanisms of Psychedelic Visionary Experiences - Frontiers frontiersin.org Frontiers Sep 27, 2017 2 facts

procedureThe phasic effects of psychedelics occur in three stages: first, they stimulate and enhance serotonin; second, they saturate and overload the serotonin system; and third, they release the habitual serotonin repression of the dopaminergic system.

claimPsychedelics affect a variety of neurotransmitters, including serotonin, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, and dopamine.