Neurotransmitter Support For Kids
In today's society, there are a significant number of children struggling with focus issues, behavioral problems and developmental delays. In 2005, approximately 7% of school age children suffered from attention and hyperactivity issues1. Many of the children also have learning disabilities or other mood and behavioral problems.

These children are also more likely to suffer from low self-esteem, develop emotional and social problems, and underachieve in school2. As these children grow into adults, they have an increased risk for substance abuse and developing low mood, anxiousness, and other psychiatric disorders3. With the healthcare cost estimated at $1.6 billion per year, this is a major public health concern4.

Many children who experience attention and hyperactivity issues may suffer from a neurotransmitter imbalance. Neurotransmitter imbalances have been linked to lack of focus, poor concentration, hyperactivity, and irregular sleep patterns. Neurotransmitters like norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, and phenylethylamine (PEA) play key roles in maintaining normal attentiveness and behavior.

Norepinephrine is normally involved in vigilance and wakefulness; however, high levels of norepinephrine can reduce the rate of information processing and reduce attentiveness5. Epinephrine and norepinephrine enhance memory formation. Patients with attention issues display decreased urinary epinephrine levels which may contribute to difficulties in information retrieval 6,7,8. Dopamine is involved in the reward cascade, so low levels of dopamine may correlate with increased impulsivity and an increased reward threshold9. PEA is an excitatory neurotransmitter that appears to be involved in the ability to focus and tends to be lower in patients struggling with attention issues10.

Not only are optimal levels of these neurotransmitters necessary to maintain focus, but an imbalance in one neurotransmitter is likely to affect other neurotransmitters. Addressing neurotransmitter balance can be the key to getting attention and hyperactivity issues under control.

Neurotransmitter testing allows the healthcare practitioner to assess whether over or under stimulation of the relevant neurotransmitters is contributing to a patient’s focus issues, behavioral problems or developmental delays.

As such, clinical outcomes can be improved when therapies target specific neurotransmitters.