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Although both serotonin and dopamine help regulate mood and concentration, they each have distinct functions. Learn about the differences
Both serotonin and dopamine are often referred to as happy hormones and interact with each other to maintain balance within the body. These two neurotransmitters regulate mood and emotion, and deficiency of either can lead to several mental disorders. Despite these similarities, however, they each operate differently.
Serotonin and dopamine belong to the same group of neurotransmitters known as monoamines. Neurotransmitters transmit information between neurons and play a role in several bodily functions such as sleep, metabolism, memory, and emotional well-being. Imbalance of these neurotransmitters can lead to certain medical conditions.
Inhibitory neurotransmitter
Excitatory neurotransmitter
Produced from the amino acid tryptophan
Produced from the amino acid tyrosine
Regulates mood
Regulates motivation
Mood stabilizer rather than a booster
Causes a happiness spike in response to a specific activity
Inhibits impulsive disorder
Enhances impulsive disorder
Associated with feelings of happiness, focus, and calm
Associated with motivation and productivity
Controls sleep, eating, and digestion
Largely controls bodily movements and balance
Deficiency leads to pain sensitivity, anxiety, depression disorders, aggressiveness, and insomnia
Deficiency leads to Parkinson’s disease, memory loss, low sex drive, poor digestion, and poor cognition
Effective in raphe nucleus and central section of the brain
Effective in the hypothalamus, substantia nigra, and midbrain sections
What is serotonin and what are its effects on the body?
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is synthesized in the brain but found in the central nervous system, blood, and platelets. It is also found abundantly in the digestive tract.
Serotonin is synthesized from amino acid tryptophan that we acquire through diet and found mostly in cheese, nuts, and red meat. Some functions of serotonin include:
- Controls bowel movements and motility
- Stimulates the area of the brain that controls nausea as a mechanism to eliminate toxins from the stomach
- Regulates mood and sleep and reduces anxiety, depression, and insomnia
- Released by platelets and helps in wound healing by narrowing the blood vessels
- Maintains bone health (abnormally high serotonin levels may cause osteoporosis and makes the bone weak)
- Controls libido (libido is enhanced with low levels of serotonin and reduced with high levels of serotonin)
Low levels of serotonin are treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which are used as antidepressants. In some cases, these drugs can cause an abnormal increase in serotonin levels and lead to serotonin syndrome. Symptoms include:
- Muscle twitching
- Shivering
- Diarrhea
- Confusion
- Irregular and rapid heart rate
- High blood pressure
- Seizures
- Memory problems
- Sleep problems
- Poor appetite
- Irritability
- Low self-esteem
What is dopamine and what are its effects on the body?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is released when your brain is expecting a reward from achieving a goal. It is also involved in feelings of motivation, sleep, attention, and memory. Dopamine has a role in both neurological and physiological function, affecting your motor function, emotions, and even your decision-making. It has also been linked to psychological issues.
Dopamine never acts alone; it acts along with other neurotransmitters such as serotonin. Some functions of dopamine include:
- Memory and focus
- Alertness
- Motivation
- Mood and emotions
- Motor control
- Blood flow
- Digestion
- Executive functioning
- Heart and kidney function
- Pain processing
- Pancreatic function and insulin regulation
- Pleasure and reward seeking behavior
- Sleep
- Stress response
- Increase in dopamine may produce euphoria
High levels of dopamine may lead to:
Low levels of dopamine may lead to:
- Movement difficulties
- Poor coordination
- Lack of concentration
- Depression
- Feeling demotivated
- Aches and pains
- Muscle cramps
- Weight loss or weight gain
- Loss of balance
- Fatigue
- Low energy
- Low self-esteem
- Disturbed sleep
- Feeling demotivated
- Inability to focus
- Mood swings
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
Low levels of dopamine can lead to conditions such as:
- Parkinson’s disease, which is a disorder of the central nervous system that affects movements and causes tremors, muscle stiffness, and trouble walking due to lack of balance and coordination.
- Dopamine transporter deficiency syndrome, also known as infantile parkinsonism–dystonia, which causes movement abnormalities.
