Medication can affect how the brain works and can thus be considered a form of neuromodulation.
Drugs, such as antidepressants and antipsychotics, that affect the brain are very similar to the chemicals that the brain produces itself.
The pain-suppressing pathway in our brain is based on opioids, serotonin, and dopamine, showing that these substances play a wider role than just as antidepressants or antipsychotics.
That is why serotonin preparations can also be useful for people with chronic pain without depression. The medication is then given to activate that pain-inhibiting activity, but not as an antidepressant.
Sometimes people are particularly focused on a particular symptom, such as pain or tinnitus, so they pay less attention to other sensations. There is a biochemical mechanism behind this process: Dopamine D1 receptors are involved in this exaggerated perception, among other things. Medication that blocks these dopamine D1 receptors can help reduce that increased focus.
Other medications such as Clonazepam are actually an anti-epileptic medicine, but prevent side effects from dopamine blockers.
Gabapentin, another anti-epileptic drug, suppresses pain and stabilizes mood.
Medications that are stimulating for most people, such as methylphenidate (Rilatin), may have the opposite effect in others, such as people with ADHD, and may actually have a calming effect.
Prescribing medication is based on the neurotransmitters of the brain circuits that we are trying to influence. Sometimes the effect of the medicine is independent of what the label says (such as antidepressant, antipsychotic, anti-epileptic,...).
Medication can be given to support a low production of a certain substance by your own brain. The lowest possible dose is chosen. Because high doses can sometimes have the opposite effect. This is called an “inverted-U profile”. In addition, high doses may cause more side effects.
An umbrella term for various electrical stimulation techniques:
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