Norepinephrine
The Get Up and Go Neurotransmitter
Instructor: Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes PhD, LPC-MHSP, LMHC
Executive Director, AllCEUs Counselor Education

CEUs are available for this presentation at https://www.allceus.com/member/cart/index/product/id/960/c/
In Australia, the professional development course is located at  https://australia.allceus.com/member/cart/index/product/id/960/c/  

Objectives
~ What is it and what is it’s function?
~ How does it interact with serotonin, dopamine and GABA?
~ What are symptoms of excess?
~ How do you decrease it?
~ What are symptoms of insufficiency?
~ How do you increase it?
What is it
~ General function of norepinephrine is to mobilize the brain and body for action
~ Norepinephrine release is lowest during sleep, rises during wakefulness, and reaches much higher levels during situations of stress or danger
~ Norepinephrine functions mainly as a neurotransmitter with some function as a hormone (being released into the bloodstream from the adrenal glands)
~ NE affects the behaviors of individuals including a modulation of vigilance, arousal, attention, motivation, reward and also learning and memory
What is it
~ It enhances processing of sensory inputs, attention, and formation and retrieval of long-term and working memory
~ NE is involved in the clinical features of cerebral aging, cognitive slowing, and loss of behavioral adjustment
~ Both NE and 5-HT activity is lower in bipolar disorder
~ Neither 5-HT nor NE depletion induced clinical depression in healthy subjects or worsened depression in unmedicated symptomatic patients with major depression.
~ This finding suggests that the cause of depression is more complex than just an alteration in the levels of 5-HT and/or NE, and may be more directly caused by dysfunction in brain areas or neuronal systems modulated by neurotransmitters.
What is it
~ Like SSRIs, SNRIs are thought to work by promoting neuroplasticity in the brain.
~ Higher levels of norepinephrine and serotonin may stimulate neurons to remodel themselves and their circuits in a variety of ways that promote increased flexibility.
~ NE plays a determinant role in executive functioning regulating cognition, motivation, and intellect, which are fundamental in social relationships.
~ Social dysfunction is possibly one of the most important factors affecting the quality of life in depressed patients
What is it
~ Phenylalanine->Tyrosine->L-dopa->Dopamine->Epinephrine->Norepinephrine
~ Norepinephrine is synthesized from dopamine (tyrosine) amino acid found in proteins such as meat, nuts, and eggs. Dairy products such as cheese also contain high amounts of tyrosine (the amino acid is named for “tyros,” the Greek word for cheese).
~ Modulates immune response. Suppress neuroinflammation when released in the brain.
~ Up to 70% of norepinephrine projecting cells are lost in Alzheimer’s Disease
~ Increase the force of skeletal muscle contraction and the rate and force of contraction of the heart.
~ Increase heart rate, blood pressure, and levels of glucose and fat in the blood
What is it
~ In the eyes, an increase in production of tears, making the eye