Check out Part 1
Check out Part 2
Check out Part 3

Ok, to recap, Drs. Purvis & Cross operate a camp for post-institutionalized traumatized children called “The Hope Connection” as part of their research for the Institute for Child Development at Texas Christian University. There they test the neurotransmitter levels of the children before, during and after the camp experience. As reported in Part 3, many of these neurotransmitter levels are found to be way out of range (either high or low). Two others to add to the list:

PEA, beta- Phenylethylamine is often found to be abnormally high (although sometimes abnormally low). This important neurotransmitter is often referred to as the chemical of “love”. Found in chocolate and psychedelic drugs, it produces euphoria, such as in a “runner’s high”. But at extreme amounts it does just what drug addicts report a bad LSD trip to do… produce racing thoughts, paranoia, schizophrenic thought. Abnormally low levels are associated with depression, and some literature cites that those with ADHD also have abnormally low levels.

And Histamine is almost universally high. You probably know about histamine…it is the chemical released in an allergic reaction; the reason we take anti-histamines. It magnifies the immune response and works to suppress the inflammation response of allergens. But universally high histamine causes many problems as well. Neurochemically, high histamine levels (especially coupled with low serotonin levels) are found in people who exhibit OCD, Bipolar, depression and schizophrenia.

As Dr. Purvis put it “these children are allergic to life”. This statement was especially meaningful to me as I am more and more grasping the relationship between a body’s immune system, GI system and neurochemistry…and trauma’s impact on all three.

NeuroScience, Inc. is the laboratory that The Hope Connection uses for their neurotransmitter testing, which is done via saliva tests. Campers receive targeted amino acid therapy (TAAT) based on this testing, but not much information was given on the particulars of that other than saying that supplements were only about 20-30% of the solution.

What these professionals are doing via research and their camps is measuring the impact of attachment therapies, therapeutic parenting and sensory and attachment activities on the changes in neurochemistry. And their initial data shows that these activities are making profound differences, not only in the children’s behaviors, but actually in their neurotransmitter levels.

Profound stuff, huh?

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