Is the pursuit of happiness the pursuit of homeostasis? A review on the modulatory functions of endorphins on human behavior
Introduction Endorphins have been associated with analgesia and pleasurable activities. However, the so-called “happy chemicals” are far more complex than initially thought. Research shows that their impact on human behavior is modulatory, with the main goal not being “happiness” but a “return to t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2022-06-01
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| Series: | European Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822018934/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1827754978528198656 |
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| author | M. Conde Moreno F. Ramalheira |
| author_facet | M. Conde Moreno F. Ramalheira |
| author_sort | M. Conde Moreno |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction
Endorphins have been associated with analgesia and pleasurable activities. However, the so-called “happy chemicals” are far more complex than initially thought. Research shows that their impact on human behavior is modulatory, with the main goal not being “happiness” but a “return to the most desirable state” – which can be highly context-dependent.
Objectives
Review of the modulatory functions of endorphins on human behavior and their possible implications in psychiatric conditions.
Methods
Pubmed search consisting of the MeSH terms “Endorphins”, “Opioid Peptides”, “Behavior”, and “Psychiatry”.
Results
Endorphins elicit pleasure via stimulation of the release of dopamine from the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens. They are known to be involved in analgesia and stress response and social interaction. Endorphins can be released in a multitude of circumstances that may seem contradictory – having both inhibitory and stimulating roles in appetite, sexual response, and memory– but are modulatory effects depending on what constitutes homeostasis in each context. Peripheral levels of endorphins have been found low in depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. In schizophrenia, studies suggest that peripheral levels are high during psychosis, low in chronic disease and that naltrexone seems to improve auditory hallucinations. Endorphins may also have a role as markers of treatment response.
Conclusions
Endorphins have a complex role in behavior and homeostasis. These molecules could have implications in psychiatry- given that they are part of our stress response and are released to promote a more “desirable state”. Their role as a marker of illness or response to treatment needs further investigation.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:58:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cc25b5435ea24ff185c10841d55a3b20 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:58:06Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-cc25b5435ea24ff185c10841d55a3b202023-11-17T05:05:19ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852022-06-0165S733S73310.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.1893Is the pursuit of happiness the pursuit of homeostasis? A review on the modulatory functions of endorphins on human behaviorM. Conde Moreno0F. Ramalheira1Centro hospitalar Psiquiátrico de Lisboa, Hospital De Dia, Lisboa, PortugalCentro hospitalar Psiquiátrico de Lisboa, Serviço De Electroconvulsoterapia, Lisboa, Portugal Introduction Endorphins have been associated with analgesia and pleasurable activities. However, the so-called “happy chemicals” are far more complex than initially thought. Research shows that their impact on human behavior is modulatory, with the main goal not being “happiness” but a “return to the most desirable state” – which can be highly context-dependent. Objectives Review of the modulatory functions of endorphins on human behavior and their possible implications in psychiatric conditions. Methods Pubmed search consisting of the MeSH terms “Endorphins”, “Opioid Peptides”, “Behavior”, and “Psychiatry”. Results Endorphins elicit pleasure via stimulation of the release of dopamine from the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens. They are known to be involved in analgesia and stress response and social interaction. Endorphins can be released in a multitude of circumstances that may seem contradictory – having both inhibitory and stimulating roles in appetite, sexual response, and memory– but are modulatory effects depending on what constitutes homeostasis in each context. Peripheral levels of endorphins have been found low in depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. In schizophrenia, studies suggest that peripheral levels are high during psychosis, low in chronic disease and that naltrexone seems to improve auditory hallucinations. Endorphins may also have a role as markers of treatment response. Conclusions Endorphins have a complex role in behavior and homeostasis. These molecules could have implications in psychiatry- given that they are part of our stress response and are released to promote a more “desirable state”. Their role as a marker of illness or response to treatment needs further investigation. Disclosure No significant relationships. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822018934/type/journal_articleendorphinsendogenous opioidshuman behavior |
| spellingShingle | M. Conde Moreno F. Ramalheira Is the pursuit of happiness the pursuit of homeostasis? A review on the modulatory functions of endorphins on human behavior European Psychiatry endorphins endogenous opioids human behavior |
| title | Is the pursuit of happiness the pursuit of homeostasis? A review on the modulatory functions of endorphins on human behavior |
| title_full | Is the pursuit of happiness the pursuit of homeostasis? A review on the modulatory functions of endorphins on human behavior |
| title_fullStr | Is the pursuit of happiness the pursuit of homeostasis? A review on the modulatory functions of endorphins on human behavior |
| title_full_unstemmed | Is the pursuit of happiness the pursuit of homeostasis? A review on the modulatory functions of endorphins on human behavior |
| title_short | Is the pursuit of happiness the pursuit of homeostasis? A review on the modulatory functions of endorphins on human behavior |
| title_sort | is the pursuit of happiness the pursuit of homeostasis a review on the modulatory functions of endorphins on human behavior |
| topic | endorphins endogenous opioids human behavior |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822018934/type/journal_article |
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