{"id":96810,"date":"2020-02-12T13:17:03","date_gmt":"2020-02-12T21:17:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/selfhacked.com\/?p=96810"},"modified":"2021-11-03T02:07:08","modified_gmt":"2021-11-03T09:07:08","slug":"acetylcholine-deficiency-increase-levels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/selfhacked.com\/blog\/acetylcholine-deficiency-increase-levels\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cAcetylcholine Deficiency\u201d & Factors that Increase Levels"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The “vagus nerve” uses acetylcholine. Our “rest-and-digest” response requires it. Acetylcholine also plays an important role in learning, memory, and sleep<\/a> quality. So what happens when acetylcholine runs low? In this post, we’ll explore the science to see if there such as thing as “acetylcholine deficiency” and whether certain lifestyle changes and nutrients can increase acetylcholine levels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Does “Acetylcholine Deficiency” Exist?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Research Limitations<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Due to its wide range of roles throughout the body and brain, low acetylcholine levels or activity in certain brain areas have been implicated in the development, progression, or symptoms of a variety of health conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, most of the studies dealt with associations only, which means that a cause-and-effect relationship hasn\u2019t been established.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, just because dementia has been linked with low acetylcholine activity in certain brain areas doesn\u2019t mean that cognitive dysfunction is always caused by “acetylcholine deficiency.” Data are lacking to make such claims. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, even if a study did find that low acetylcholine contributes to cognitive dysfunction, acetylcholine levels are highly unlikely to be the only cause. Complex disorders like dementia always involve multiple possible factors \u2013 including brain chemistry, environment, health status, and genetics \u2013 that may vary from one person to another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acetylcholine is undoubtedly an important neurotransmitter, but whether low acetylcholine levels in specific brain areas can cause<\/em> health problems is still uncertain.<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Associated Conditions:<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are no symptoms associated with “acetylcholine deficiency” or low acetylcholine levels per se.<\/em><\/strong> <\/em> Instead, people may only show symptoms of mental health or neurocognitive disorders. Your doctor will discuss your symptoms with you and run tests to pinpoint the underlying cause.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Low or high acetylcholine levels don\u2019t necessarily indicate a problem if there are no symptoms or if your doctor tells you not to worry about it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1) Dementia<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some studies suggest that poor cholinergic activity and low acetylcholine in the brain may cause cognitive decline and poor memory in people with dementia. Drugs used to slow down dementia work precisely by increasing acetylcholine in the brain [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) Alzheimer’s Disease<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Acetylcholine has also been proposed to play a potentially significant role in the development or symptoms of certain common neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/a> [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Alzheimer\u2019s disease, the so-called \u201ccholinergic<\/em>\u201d neurons \u2014 the brain cells that primarily use acetylcholine \u2014 gradually become damaged and destroyed. Additionally, important molecules called acetylcholine transporters<\/em> may also become impaired as the disease progresses. These molecules are responsible for transporting acetylcholine into neurons: and impairing them can, therefore, make it more difficult for acetylcholine to fulfill its normal functions throughout the brain. Together, then, these two important acetylcholine-related mechanisms are likely to contribute significantly to some of the hallmark cognitive symptoms of these disorders [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many (though not all) drugs that are currently used to treat Alzheimer\u2019s disease are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors<\/em><\/a>. As their name suggests, these drugs inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase<\/em>, which is responsible for breaking down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine throughout the brain. Therefore, inhibiting these enzymes can result in an overall increase of acetylcholine levels and activity, which may potentially compensate for the loss of cholinergic neurons that typically occurs in Alzheimer\u2019s disease [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, two common Alzheimer\u2019s medications, galantamine<\/em><\/a> and donepezil<\/em><\/a>, are each acetylcholinesterase inhibitors \u2014 and their therapeutic effects in relieving some of the cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer\u2019s are believed to stem primarily from to their ability to stimulate acetylcholine activity throughout the brain [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, not all Alzheimer\u2019s medications target acetylcholine. For example, the widely-used Alzheimer\u2019s drug memantine<\/em><\/a> targets other mechanisms entirely (specifically, NMDA receptors).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, acetylcholine is probably only one piece of a much more complex puzzle. Nonetheless, it does appear to play an important role in at least some of the main mechanisms and symptoms of Alzheimer\u2019s disease \u2014 and more research will be needed to explore these mechanisms more fully, as well as to potentially develop future medical treatments for these neurodegenerative disorders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alzheimer’s disease is marked by a loss of neurons that produce acetylcholine. Drugs that increase acetylcholine levels are commonly prescribed to manage the cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer’s.<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

3) Parkinson’s Disease<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n

According to limited studies, people with Parkinson\u2019s disease may also have low acetylcholine levels in the brain [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n

On the other hand, low acetylcholine levels might be a consequence, not a cause, of these neurodegenerative diseases. More research is needed [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n

4) Myasthenia Gravis<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Myasthenia Gravis is an autoimmune disease where acetylcholine nerves that go to the muscles become destroyed, causing severe muscle weakness. People with this disease also have low brain acetylcholine and cognitive impairment, but a causal link hasn\u2019t been established [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n