Dopamine and PANDAS

[Athena]

Thank you very much for your reply and the information you shared. It is very interesting! ...Food for thought!

[MomWithOCDSon]

The research by Kirvan and Cunninham is indicating that it isn't too much or too little dopamine, but rather that the antibodies interfere with dopamine receptors preventing the regulation of signal. The analogy I use is that PANDAS antibodies are like loud commercials on a television that cause you to go over and turn down the volume and then when your regular show comes on you have to go back and turn back up the volume. This inability to control the "volume" because of the interference of the antibodies is what is causing the signalling issues/cross-talk.

 

So it isn't the dopamine per se but rather that the antibodies are binding to the dopamine receptors and interferring that's causing the issue for PANDAS kids -- at least that's the theory.

So, for folks like me who sit in the back of the class and take a little longer to catch on . . . . .

 

Is that why SSRI's are thought to, perhaps, be counter-productive in PANDAS OCD cases? Because the SSRI's further interfere with the regulation of the dopamine?

[FallingApart]

I know this is a super old thread. But what have we learned in the process. If a urine test comes back with extremely high neurotransmitters across the board, dopamine being the most elevated, do we stay clear of supplements that increase them?

 

We have given DD phosphatidylserine many times in the past and haven't seen adverse effects. But the supplements recommended based on her urine results have PS as a main ingredient.

 

I saw a few people say their child never gets tired. Mine is always out of energy. Are urine tests reliable? What's the most reliable and accurate way to test?

 

Thanks!