Epinephrine
is a hormone which,
together with norepinephrine, is produced by the body in response
to emotional or physical stress. The results are several general
symptoms which together ready the body for "fight-or-flight"
reactions. These symptoms include increased respiratory rate,
increased blood pressure, pulse rate and cardiac output, increased
muscle strength, increased blood supply to major organs (brain,
heart, kidneys), decreased blood supply to periphery (skin)
and intestines.
Epinephrine is marketed under the trade
names Adrenalin, Bronkaid Mist, Primatene Mist and Sus-Phrine
to treat several conditions including asthma; high levels
of epinephrine have been reported in anxiety disorders, although
it is not yet clear whether this is a cause or effect of those
disorders (i.e., whether individuals experience a panic attack
because of overrelease of epinephrine, or whether a panic
attack stimulates overrelease of epinephrine).
by Catherine E. Myers. Copyright © 2006 Memory Loss and the Brain |