FROM PEER REVIEWED LITERATURE

Urinary neurotransmitter testing prior to amino acid therapy is of no value. There is no correlation between baseline neurotransmitter testing (prior to starting treatment) and urinary neurotransmitter phases once the patient is taking amino acid precursors. It is not necessary or even useful to measure baseline urinary neurotransmitters in treatment.

Ingrid Kohlstadt, MD Johns Hopkins, Hinz, M. Depression in I. Kohlstadt (ed.)

Food and Nutrients in Disease Management (CRC Press, 2009)

   If you get nothing else from this web article, "Baseline urinary neurotransmitter testing prior to treatment is of no value". It's more effective at putting money in the bank account of those recommending it than relieving symptoms in patients."

neurotransmitter testing

  There are four sources of samples for human neurotransmitter testing:

1. Central spinal fluid, this is not practical method of neurotransmitter testing in clinics since a spinal tap is needed.

2. Blood or serum from blood, this method of neurotransmitter testing is of no value in clinic. As soon as a needle is inserted the neurotransmitter levels immediately change. The only valid procedure for obtaining baseline blood / serum for neurotransmitter testing is inserting a central line, wait 30 minutes then obtain a sample. Central line placement in a clinic is not an option since it is a hospital procedure due to the risk of pneumothorax, profuse bleeding, etc.

3. Saliva, there has been no successful calibrate of salivary neurotransmitter testing.

4. Urine, this is the method of neurotransmitter testing perfected by NeuroResearch Clinics.

neurotransmitter testing

Baseline Bogus

  The following neurotransmitter testing statements are true:

1. Baseline urinary neurotransmitter testing prior to treatment is of no value.
2. Baseline urinary neurotransmitter testing prior to treatment has no value in diagnosing disease or selecting a nutrient starting dose.
3. Serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine do not cross the blood brain barrier.
4. Urinary neurotransmitter testing of serotonin and dopamine is of no value if the phases are not determined.
5. Urinary serotonin and dopamine is not serotonin and dopamine filtered by the kidneys then excreted into the urine, it is serotonin and dopamine synthesized by the kidneys then excreted into the urine.
6. Urinary serotonin and dopamine are not serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitter molecules that have been in the brain or peripheral system, they are neurotransmitters synthesized by the kidneys
7. The only valid goal of urinary neurotransmitter testing is to establish urinary serotonin and dopamine in the phase 3 therapeutic range.

Differences between laboratories doing testing of neurotransmitters

  NeuroResearch Clinics relies exclusively on DBS Labs  neurotransmitter testing in treatment of disease. DBS Labs is directed by Tom Uncini, MD hospital based pathologist, dual board certified in laboratory medicine. Dr. Uncini is the medical director of two hospital labs. Dr. Uncini is also on the faculty of the University of Minnesota Medical School. Urinary testing produced by DBS Labs is of hospital caliber. Between Dr. Uncini and his lab manager there are over 50 years of hospital based laboratory experience.

  The experience and credentials of DBS Labs stand in contrast to the other labs which have no hospital based board certified laboratory medicine pathologist directing the lab, no medical license, no hospital privileges, no clinic, no patients, and no patient care experience. These labs hold out they have the expertise to tell doctors how to treat their patients when lab results are reported.

  On split sample testing results of laboratories advocating baseline testing do not correlate with DBS Lab results. These non-MD labs are the labs that are recommending "baseline urinary neurotransmitter testing" prior to treatment even though there is no correlation between testing prior to treatment and once treatment is initiated.