Dopamine in the Human Brain…Increases With Sleep Deficit

Even one night without sleep can increase the amount of dopamine in the human brain, according to new imaging research in the August 20 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. Dopamine and endorphins are keys to promote pain relief in the human body. On one hand, when endorphins are released in response to pain, dopamine seems to be triggered to move into the frontal lobe of the brain, neutralizing the feeling of pain.

On the other hand, when dopamine levels are too high, they tend to reduce the amount of endorphins available for pain relief. That may be why antidepressants that are designed to reduce dopamine levels sometimes relieve chronic pain--they allow endorphin levels to stay higher than when excessive dopamine is present. Vigorous exercise and sweets can increase Dopamine, moderate exercise releases endorphins. Because drugs that increase dopamine, like amphetamines, promote wakefulness, the findings offer a potential mechanism explaining how the brain helps people stay awake despite the urge to sleep.

The study also shows that the increase in dopamine cannot compensate for the cognitive deficits caused by sleep deprivation. Given this research it seems that depression, brain fog, chronic pain, weight gain and insomnia may be trauma related rather than social psychological factors as previously imagined