Serotonin (also known as 5-HT) is a neurotransmitter that is found throughout the body.1 The wide dispersal of serotonergic neurons throughout the brain enables serotonin to be involved in modulating diverse body functions:1,3,5
- mood
- sleep
- cognition
- sensory processing
- pain perception
- movement
- regulation of internal temperature
- appetite
- sexual behaviour
- hormone secretion.
References:
1. Bakshi A, Tadi P. Biochemistry, serotonin. StatPearls [internet]. 2022.
2. Neurotransmitters. In: Augustine GJ, Groh J, Huettel S, et al. (eds). Neuroscience. 7th edition. Oxford University Press, 2023.
3. Olivier B. Serotonin: A never-ending story. Eur J Pharmacol 2015; 753: 2–18.
4. Tao Z, Wang P, Wei S, et al. The role of descending pain modulation in chronic primary pain: Potential applications of drugs targeting serotonergic system. Neural Plast 2019; 2019: 1389296.
5. Millan MJ, Marin P, Bockaert J, Mannoury la Cour C. Signaling at G-protein-coupled serotonin receptors: recent advances and future directions. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2008; 29 (9): 454–464.