Perspectives in the control of chronic pain by nutritional manipulation

The role of cental neurotransmitters in mood, behavior and emotion are briefly reviewed. Some neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine and serotonin, have been implicated in both the determination of pain threshold and the behavioral responses to painful; stimuli. A number of experiments have indicated that brain serotonin can be increased through administration of tryptophan, the dietary precursor of serotonin. Other dietary amino acids have also been found to alter pain tolerance thresholds. This paper reviews the evidence for, and the possible future use of, dietary manipulation to control chronic pain.