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The unique twist to the work that Dr. Purvis and Dr. Cross do at the is that they test neurotransmitter levels of all the Camp Hope campers (and their parents) before, during and after the day camp. To day, Dr. Purvis reports she has reviewed over 900 neurotransmitter tests on traumatized children. She has seen some pretty definite patterns.

Dr. Purvis reports that the younger children (under 10) most generally have very high adrenaline, which depletes over time. In fact their research shows that at about age 10 the adrenals often start to “run out” of adrenaline. What this looks like in terms of behavior is children who were often aggressive and hyperactive, hypervigilant and highly reactive will become withdrawn and depressed. Dr. Purvis referred to this as the neurochemical “cost of fear” – those depleted adrenal glands.

Similar patterns are seen in the norepinephrineand dopamine neurotransmitters. Serotonin is universally low in nearly all the traumatized kids they work with. GABA can be either low or high, but over time it “wears out”

Glutamate, which is the most prominent neurotransmitter in the body, being present in over 50% of nervous tissue, is a major excitatory neurotransmitter. It is usually high in these children, sometimes severely high.

Here’s a quick primer on what I’ve learned recently about neurotransmitters. Some of this is alluded to on Dr Purvis and Dr. Cross’ presentation; some is not, but helps us to understand more:

1. Serotonin is produced primarily in the GI system/intestinal tract. It is produced from the amino acid tryptophan and becomes serotonin in the brain. It is needed for regulating mood, sleep, body temperature and appetite. Nutrition plays an important role in serotonin formation.
2. SSRIs (or antidepressants such as Prozac, Paxil, Lexapro and others) recycle the serotonin in the brain to give the brain more access to it. But they do NOT make serotonin.
3. adrenaline (epinephrine) inhibits the body’s immune response. It’s why someone with a severe allergy carries an “epi” pen for emergencies. Chronic abuse, neglect and maltreatment cause adrenaline to pump into the brain’s neurochemistry at a very high rate for a very long time, ultimately altering the body’s immune response.
4. GABA is the brain’s principal inhibitory neurotransmitter. It is involved in all anxiety disorders. Interestingly enough, while looking up links for this primer in neurotransmitters, I happened along this article: THE ROLE OF GABA IN THE PATHOGENESIS AND TREATMENT OF ANXIETY AND OTHER NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, which said:

EK made a clinical distinction between PTSD patients who develop PTSD following a single episode of trauma, such as victims of violent crimes, and those who experience repetitive trauma, such as incest victims or combat veterans. Patients who experience a single traumatic episode appear to respond to SSRIs, while those with repetitive trauma tend not to respond well to SSRIs. The latter patients may benefit from treatment with GABAergic mood stabilizers.

To be continued...

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