Quick Facts
- Sample: Dried urine
- Fasting: No fasting required; dietary restrictions apply the day before collection
- Turn-around: 5–7 business days after lab receipt. May take longer based on weather, holiday, or lab delays.
Benefits
- Gold-standard precision — LC-MS/MS technology minimizes cross-reactivity for highly accurate neurotransmitter measurement
- Comprehensive panel — measures 20+ markers including dopamine, serotonin, GABA, glutamate, and key metabolites
- Convenient at-home collection — no phlebotomy or bulky jug; collect dried urine spots privately
- 24-hour equivalent — multiple timed samples approximate daily neurotransmitter output patterns
- Direct access — order online, ship your kit, receive results without office visits
- Professional-grade insights — structured reference ranges help you and your clinician explore neurochemical contributors
Who Is This Test For?
- Adults with persistent anxiety or depressed mood seeking biochemical insight alongside standard care
- Individuals experiencing sleep disturbances, poor focus, or attention issues despite routine evaluation
- Those with PMS/PMDD symptoms or stress intolerance wanting to explore neuroendocrine patterns
- People managing addictive behaviors or chronic stress in collaboration with healthcare providers
- Health-conscious consumers using functional or integrative medicine approaches to mood and cognition
- Anyone seeking adjunctive data to complement psychiatric or neurologic assessment and treatment planning
How It Works – Just 3 Steps
- Order online — purchase your test kit, which ships directly to your home with collection instructions
- Collect samples — urinate onto filter paper at specified times, let strips air-dry, then seal and mail
- Review results — receive your lab report in 5–7 days; share with your clinician for interpretation
FAQ
What neurotransmitters does this test measure? The panel includes dopamine, serotonin, GABA, glutamate, norepinephrine, epinephrine, histamine, glycine, PEA, and multiple metabolites such as 5-HIAA, HVA, DOPAC, and VMA for comprehensive neurochemical profiling.
Is this test a replacement for mental-health care? No. National guidelines emphasize clinical assessment and DSM-5 criteria for mood disorders (American Psychiatric Association 2020). This test provides adjunctive biochemical information to support—not replace—professional evaluation.
How should I prepare for collection? Avoid bananas, pineapple, avocado, nuts, alcohol, nicotine, and protein shakes the day before testing. Maintain usual prescriptions unless your clinician advises changes; inform them about antidepressants, stimulants, or supplements.
Can urinary neurotransmitter levels diagnose specific conditions? No. Urinary levels don't directly map to brain concentrations or establish psychiatric diagnoses. Your provider interprets patterns alongside symptoms, medications, and other clinical findings for a complete picture.
Who interprets my results? You receive numerical values with reference ranges. Discuss patterns—such as elevated excitatory versus inhibitory transmitters—with a physician, psychiatrist, or qualified functional-medicine provider for personalized recommendations.
How often should I retest? Intervals are individualized. Some clinicians retest after 3–6 months when adjusting therapies; others reserve repeat panels for persistent symptoms, always prioritizing overall clinical status over numbers alone.
More Details
What is the purpose of this test?
The U-325 LCMS Neurotransmitters profile measures multiple neurotransmitters and metabolites in dried urine to characterize biochemical patterns potentially associated with mood, cognition, stress response, and related symptoms (ZRT Laboratory). Using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), this panel quantifies catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine), inhibitory and excitatory transmitters (GABA, glutamate, glycine), serotonin, histamine, and downstream metabolites collected across the day to approximate 24-hour output. LC-MS/MS is considered a gold standard for small-molecule quantification, offering high specificity and sensitivity with lower limits of detection than older immunoassays. This test serves as an adjunctive biochemical assessment rather than a stand-alone diagnostic tool.
Who would benefit from this test?
This panel is often used by adults experiencing persistent symptoms such as anxiety, depressed mood, poor focus, sleep disturbance, addictive behaviors, or PMS/PMDD who—together with a clinician—wish to explore potential neurochemical contributors alongside standard medical and psychiatric evaluation (Walk-In Lab). Approximately 21 million U.S. adults (8.3%) experienced at least one major depressive episode in 2020, and 31.1% of adults face an anxiety disorder at some point, underscoring the public-health impact of mood conditions linked to neurotransmitter dysregulation (NIMH 2023). Health-conscious consumers using direct-to-consumer lab services may find this at-home collection method reduces delays and cost barriers while enabling professional follow-up.
When should I order U-325 | Dried Urine LCMS Neurotransmitters?
Consider ordering when you experience ongoing mood or attention issues, stress intolerance, or hormonal-cycle–related mood changes despite basic labs and routine evaluation—provided you are also working with a licensed clinician to interpret findings and manage treatment. The test is appropriate for preventive or functional-medicine contexts exploring stress physiology and neuroendocrine patterns before severe clinical disease emerges, though such use should complement—not replace—evidence-based psychiatric and neurologic care (ZRT Laboratory). Typical scenarios include troubleshooting persistent symptoms, monitoring response to lifestyle or targeted interventions, and supporting integrative treatment plans under professional guidance.
How do I interpret the results?
Your report includes numerical neurotransmitter values with reference ranges. Values outside the range are flagged as high or low but do not by themselves establish a psychiatric diagnosis. Patterns—such as relatively higher or lower catecholamines or serotonin—should be interpreted in the context of symptoms, medications, supplements, and comorbid conditions by a healthcare professional, since urinary levels do not map in a simple one-to-one way to brain concentrations or specific diagnoses (ZRT Laboratory).
Elevated catecholamines (DA, NE, Epi):
- What it means: May reflect chronic stress, anxiety, or hyperarousal states
- Typical action: Discuss stress-management strategies, sleep hygiene, and possible medication adjustments with provider
Low serotonin / 5-HIAA:
- What it means: May be associated with depressed mood, poor sleep, or impulsivity
- Typical action: Consider dietary tryptophan sources, light exposure, and evidence-based therapies; consult a psychiatrist if severe
GABA / Glutamate imbalance:
- What it means: May suggest excitatory–inhibitory dysregulation linked to anxiety or agitation
- Typical action: Explore relaxation techniques, assess magnesium status, and consider professional behavioral interventions
Elevated histamine / N-MeHist:
- What it means: May relate to allergic or inflammatory processes affecting mood and cognition
- Typical action: Review allergen exposures, antihistamine use, and systemic inflammation markers with clinician
Depression and anxiety cost the global economy an estimated $1 trillion annually in lost productivity, highlighting the economic burden of conditions in which neurotransmitters play key roles (WHO 2022).
Pre-test preparation
Avoid bananas, pineapple, avocado, nuts, nut butters, alcohol, nicotine, and protein shakes the day before collection, as these can acutely alter urinary neurotransmitter levels (ZRT Laboratory). Maintain your usual prescriptions unless a clinician specifically recommends changes. Inform your provider about antidepressants, stimulants, benzodiazepines, and supplements that may influence neurotransmitter metabolism. Collection involves urinating into a clean container and applying urine to filter-paper strips at several specified times during the day; strips must air-dry completely before being placed in the kit's protective pouch. Ship the kit early in the week via mail or overnight carrier so the lab receives it promptly.
How often should I get tested?
Retesting intervals are individualized based on clinical status and treatment goals. The table below offers general guidance:
- Baseline screening for mood/attention symptoms: Once to establish pattern; discuss findings with clinician
- Monitoring response to lifestyle or therapy changes: 3–6 months after starting interventions
- Persistent, unexplained symptoms despite treatment: As clinically indicated, typically every 3–6 months
- Stable, well-managed condition: Annually or as symptoms change; prioritize overall wellness
Always ensure changes are grounded in overall clinical status rather than numbers alone. Repeat testing should support—not drive—your treatment plan.
Why early detection matters
Identifying neurochemical imbalances early can help you and your clinician tailor interventions before symptoms worsen or become entrenched. Depression and anxiety affect millions—31.1% of U.S. adults experience an anxiety disorder at some time in their lives (NIMH 2023)—and early biochemical insight may support timely lifestyle modifications, targeted therapies, or referrals to mental-health specialists. Evidence-based strategies that support healthy neurotransmitter function include regular physical activity, adequate sleep, balanced nutrition (including sufficient protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and micronutrients), and minimizing excess alcohol and nicotine, all recommended in major depression and anxiety guidelines (Mayo Clinic 2023). Combining biochemical data with clinical assessment empowers proactive, personalized care.
Related tests you may consider
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