Test ID: U-342 | Sample Type: Dried Urine (4 timed collections) | Technology: Advanced LCMS analysis with specialist laboratory interpretation included | Laboratory: ZRT Laboratory (CLIA-certified) | Test Result: in 3-5 working days | Suitable For: Adults and Children | Collect Sample At Home: No Clinic Visit Required
Understand the Connection Between Neurotransmitters, Stress and Sleep
The Advanced Neurotransmitter & Diurnal Hormone Test (U-342) is a comprehensive at-home dried urine test that measures neurotransmitters and their related metabolites alongside your daily patterns of free cortisol, free cortisone, and 6-sulfatoxymelatonin — the main urinary metabolite of melatonin.
Rather than looking at one marker or one moment in the day, this profile examines important pathways involving serotonin, dopamine, GABA, glutamate, norepinephrine, epinephrine, histamine, and the kynurenine pathway. Four timed measurements each of free cortisol, free cortisone and MT6s provide urinary profiles across the collection day.
The result is a broader view of the biochemical patterns that may be relevant to mood, stress response, energy, concentration, and sleep. Your personalised laboratory report can help you and your healthcare professional decide whether further assessment or targeted support may be appropriate.
What Does the Test Measure? (42 Markers)
The total includes 26 entries in the Advanced neurotransmitter profile plus four measurements each of free cortisol, free cortisone, MT6s and creatinine. Repeated measurements contribute to the 42 total; this does not mean 42 different substances.
| Pathway or Group | Markers Included |
|---|---|
| Serotonin and tryptophan | Tryptophan (Trp), Serotonin (5-HT), 5-HIAA |
| GABA, glutamate and amino acids | GABA, Glycine (Gly), Taurine (Tau), Glutamate (Glu), Glutamine (Gln) |
| Histamine | Histidine (His), Histamine (HIST), N-Methylhistamine (N-MeHist) |
| Phenylethylamine | Phenylethylamine (PEA) |
| Dopamine and catecholamines | Tyrosine (Tyr), Tyramine (Tyra), Dopamine (DA), DOPAC, HVA, Norepinephrine (NE), Normetanephrine (NMN), Epinephrine (Epi), VMA |
| Kynurenine pathway | Kynurenine (Kyn), Kynurenic Acid (KynAc), 3-Hydroxykynurenine (3OHKyn), Xanthurenic Acid (Xanth) |
| Sample correction | Creatinine (Crtn) ×5 |
| Diurnal stress hormones | Free Cortisol (FC) ×4, Free Cortisone (FCn) ×4 |
| Melatonin metabolite | 6-Sulfatoxymelatonin (MT6s) ×4 |
Creatinine is included in the neurotransmitter profile and in the four timed profiles to account for urine concentration. The ×5 notation does not mean five urine collections.
Not Sure Which Test Is Right for You?
Email us at info@hormonelab.co.uk with your gender, age, symptoms, medications, and any current treatments. We will forward your enquiry to our doctors and respond within 24 hours with a suggestion.
Could This Test Be Relevant to Your Symptoms?
If you experience persistent or unexplained symptoms such as:
- Low mood, irritability, or frequent mood changes
- Feeling anxious, tense, overwhelmed, or "wired"
- Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking refreshed
- Daytime tiredness or fluctuating energy
- Poor concentration, mental fog, or forgetfulness
- Low motivation or reduced enjoyment
- Difficulty coping with stress
- Restlessness or feeling unable to switch off
- Changes in appetite or cravings
- Low libido
- Premenstrual mood changes
These symptoms can have many possible causes. However, they are commonly associated with pathways involving neurotransmitters, stress hormones, circadian rhythms, and neurotransmitter metabolism. This profile is designed to assess these interconnected systems together, helping you and your healthcare practitioner gain a broader understanding of potential biological contributors to your symptoms.
How This Test May Help
Unlike standard neurotransmitter testing, this profile evaluates:
- Neurotransmitters involved in mood, motivation, focus, stress response, and relaxation
- Neurotransmitter metabolites that provide information about neurotransmitter breakdown and turnover
- Amino acid precursors used to produce neurotransmitters
- The tryptophan-kynurenine pathway, which influences serotonin metabolism
- Cortisol and cortisone patterns throughout the day
- Melatonin production through measurement of its primary urinary metabolite
Reviewing these pathways together may help identify patterns that could warrant further investigation or monitoring.
Understanding Your Symptoms
Low Mood, Irritability, or Frequent Mood Changes
Mood regulation is influenced by several neurotransmitter systems, particularly serotonin, dopamine, and GABA.
Relevant markers include:
- Serotonin (5-HT)
- 5-HIAA
- Dopamine (DA)
- DOPAC
- HVA
- GABA
- Tryptophan
The test evaluates both neurotransmitters and their metabolites, providing insight into neurotransmitter production and metabolism that may be relevant when investigating mood-related symptoms.
Feeling Anxious, Tense, Overwhelmed, or "Wired"
Feelings of anxiety and nervous tension are often associated with a balance between calming and stimulating neurotransmitter pathways.
Relevant markers include:
- GABA
- Glycine
- Glutamate
- Norepinephrine
- Epinephrine
- Normetanephrine
- VMA
- Cortisol and Cortisone Rhythm
Assessing both neurotransmitters and daily stress hormone patterns may help identify whether stress-response pathways are contributing to symptoms.
Difficulty Falling Asleep, Staying Asleep, or Waking Refreshed
Sleep relies on healthy interactions between melatonin, cortisol, serotonin, and calming neurotransmitters.
Relevant markers include:
- MT6s (Melatonin Metabolite)
- Cortisol
- Cortisone
- GABA
- Glycine
- Serotonin
- Histamine
This profile allows your practitioner to review both sleep-related neurotransmitters and your daily cortisol rhythm, which can influence sleep quality and recovery.
Daytime Tiredness or Fluctuating Energy
Low energy may be linked to stress hormone regulation, neurotransmitter activity, poor sleep quality, or chronic stress.
Relevant markers include:
- Cortisol
- Cortisone
- Dopamine
- Norepinephrine
- Epinephrine
- PEA
The four-point hormone measurements provide information about your stress hormone rhythm throughout the day, while neurotransmitter results may help assess pathways involved in alertness and motivation.
Poor Concentration, Mental Fog, or Forgetfulness
Concentration and cognitive performance depend on several neurotransmitter pathways.
Relevant markers include:
- Dopamine
- Norepinephrine
- Glutamate
- Tyrosine
- Tryptophan
- Kynurenine Pathway Markers
The results may help identify patterns affecting attention, focus, cognitive processing, and mental clarity.
Low Motivation or Reduced Enjoyment
Motivation and reward perception are strongly influenced by dopamine pathways.
Relevant markers include:
- Dopamine
- DOPAC
- HVA
- PEA
- Tyrosine
By assessing dopamine production and metabolism, the profile may provide additional information regarding pathways involved in motivation and drive.
Difficulty Coping With Stress
Some people experience prolonged feelings of emotional or physical stress despite relatively minor day-to-day demands.
Relevant markers include:
- Cortisol
- Cortisone
- Norepinephrine
- Epinephrine
- GABA
- Serotonin
Reviewing stress hormones together with neurotransmitter pathways can provide a more complete picture of your body's stress response mechanisms.
Restlessness or Feeling Unable to Switch Off
This may present as physical tension, racing thoughts, inner agitation, or difficulty relaxing.
Relevant markers include:
- GABA
- Glutamate
- Glycine
- Norepinephrine
- Epinephrine
The profile evaluates both stimulating and calming pathways that may influence nervous system balance and relaxation.
Changes in Appetite or Cravings
Appetite regulation is influenced by stress hormones, neurotransmitters, reward pathways, and emotional wellbeing.
Relevant markers include:
- Serotonin
- Dopamine
- PEA
- Histamine
- Cortisol
Results may provide insight into pathways that can influence eating behaviour, cravings, and appetite regulation.
Low Libido
Sexual desire and satisfaction are influenced by mood, motivation, stress response, and neurotransmitter balance.
Relevant markers include:
- Dopamine
- Serotonin
- PEA
- Norepinephrine
Assessing these pathways may help identify factors that could contribute to changes in libido or sexual wellbeing.
Premenstrual Mood Changes
Mood symptoms that occur before menstruation may be influenced by neurotransmitter regulation, particularly serotonin and GABA pathways.
Relevant markers include:
- Serotonin
- 5-HIAA
- GABA
- Dopamine
- Tryptophan
Evaluation of neurotransmitter metabolism may provide useful information when investigating mood changes associated with the menstrual cycle.
Why Combine Neurotransmitters With Cortisol and Melatonin?
Mood, energy, stress response, and sleep are influenced by interconnected systems. A neurotransmitter-only test provides information about neurotransmitter pathways, but it does not include timed urinary cortisol or melatonin-metabolite measurements. By combining these measurements, U-342 offers a broader neuroendocrine overview:
- Cortisol supports the body’s response to daily demands and normally follows a day-night rhythm
- Cortisone provides additional context on glucocorticoid metabolism
- 6-Sulfatoxymelatonin is a urinary metabolite of melatonin; its timed measurements provide information relevant to a review of sleep-wake patterns
- Neurotransmitters, precursors and metabolites provide information about systemic production, metabolism and excretion across several biochemical pathways
Measuring parent neurotransmitters alongside related metabolites provides a broader biochemical picture than considering individual markers alone. For example, this profile includes dopamine with DOPAC and HVA, and serotonin with 5-HIAA.
This combined information may be particularly useful when symptoms overlap — for example, poor sleep accompanied by fatigue, stress sensitivity, low mood, or reduced concentration.
Who Is This Test For?
This test is suitable for children and adults seeking additional biochemical information about symptoms involving mood, stress, energy, concentration, and sleep.
How It Works
- Order your kit — delivered directly to your door
- Collect four timed dried urine samples on the collection day using the supplied filter cards at specified times
- Allow the cards to dry, then return them to the laboratory using the provided instructions
- Receive your results by email within 3–5 working days of the lab receiving your samples
Preparing for Your Test
Food, drink, nicotine, medicines, and supplements may affect urinary results. Follow the current instructions supplied with your kit for preparation, collection times and any restrictions on food, drink or nicotine. Do not stop prescribed medication or change treatment unless your prescribing clinician tells you to do so. Record all medicines and supplements on your requisition form.
What You Receive With Your Results
- All 42 measurements displayed in numerical and graphical form
- Diurnal urinary cortisol, cortisone and MT6s profiles
- Neurotransmitter pathway analysis including metabolites and precursors
- Specialist laboratory interpretation and personalised comments
Dried Urine Sample Collection Instructions
Collect four timed dried urine samples using the supplied materials.
Before You Begin
Read the instructions supplied with your kit. Record all current medications, supplements and hormone treatments on the Test Requisition Form.
Choosing Your Collection Day
- Men and children: Collect on any day of the month.
- Women who do not menstruate, including postmenopausal women: Collect on any day of the month.
- Women with regular periods: Choose a non-bleeding day. This urine-only test does not require collection on a specific day of your menstrual cycle.
- Women with irregular or infrequent periods: Collect on any non-bleeding day.
Avoid collecting during menstruation or whenever blood may be present in your urine. If you use hormone treatments, also follow the guidance below.
When to Collect
All groups should collect samples at the following four times:
| Sample | Collection Time |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your first urination immediately upon waking |
| 2 | Your second urination, approximately two hours after the first collection |
| 3 | Just before dinner |
| 4 | Just before bedtime |
Before your first collection, do not eat, drink anything other than water, or take vitamins or supplements. Follow your healthcare provider’s advice about medication timing; do not stop prescribed medication without their advice.
Limit fluid intake to no more than approximately 240 ml (8 oz) during the hour before each collection to avoid diluting your sample.
How to Collect Each Sample
- Remove a collection card from its bag. Write your name, collection date and time on the card before collecting.
- Open the cover and fold it away from the filter paper. Avoid touching the filter paper.
- Fully saturate the filter paper by urinating directly onto it, or collect urine in a clean cup and dip the paper up to the top black dashed line.
- Hang or tape the card somewhere secure to dry. Ensure the wet filter paper does not touch anything.
- Allow the sample to dry completely for at least six hours. Once completely dry, refold the card, place it in its bag and seal it. Do not leave samples outside the bag for longer than 24 hours.
- Repeat these steps for each collection time.
If You Use Hormone Treatments
Record all hormone treatments on your Test Requisition Form. Follow the hormone-use instructions supplied with your kit and your healthcare provider’s advice. Do not stop prescribed hormone treatment without their advice.
- Morning hormones: Take or apply your usual morning dose after the first urine collection. Wash your hands thoroughly afterwards, especially after applying topical hormones.
- Nighttime hormones: Collect your bedtime sample before taking or applying your nighttime dose.
- Vaginal hormones: The laboratory’s instructions advise avoiding vaginal hormone use during the collection day until after the final urine sample. Discuss timing with your healthcare provider if needed.
If You Miss a Collection
Collect the missed sample at the same time the following day. For example, collect a missed evening sample the following evening. Record the actual collection date and time on both the card and the Test Requisition Form, then follow the same drying and sealing instructions.
Returning Your Samples
Complete the Test Requisition Form in full. Place it, any additional paperwork and all sealed, completely dry samples into the test kit box. Pack and return the kit according to the return instructions provided.
A return envelope is provided with your kit. It is not prepaid; customers are responsible for return postage to the laboratory.
Important: Urine samples that are wet, unsealed, excessively diluted or more than 30 days old will not be processed.
Collection Instructions: View dried urine collection instructions
Why We Use ZRT Laboratory
All testing is performed by ZRT Laboratory — a globally recognised, CLIA-certified diagnostic laboratory founded in 1998 by Dr. David Zava, PhD. ZRT has performed over 11 million tests and is trusted by healthcare professionals in 96+ countries. ZRT pioneered dried urine collection methods for multiple daily samples, making at-home neuroendocrine testing practical and accurate.
Hormone Lab UK (Testfield UK Ltd) is the official UK test provider for ZRT Laboratory.
Important Information
- Laboratory analysis is included in the price
- A return envelope is supplied. Customers pay return postage to the laboratory
- Test kit valid for 12 months from purchase date
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a neurotransmitter test?
This test measures selected neurotransmitters, their precursors, and their metabolites excreted in dried urine. The results provide information about systemic biochemical pathways and may support a broader assessment of symptoms involving mood, stress, energy, focus, or sleep.
Why are samples collected at different times of day?
Urinary cortisol, cortisone, MT6s and some neurotransmitter-related measurements vary across the day. Timed samples provide information about daily patterns and reduce reliance on a single time-point snapshot.
What is 6-sulfatoxymelatonin?
6-Sulfatoxymelatonin (MT6s) is the main metabolite of melatonin found in urine. Measuring it at several points provides a urinary profile for review alongside sleep-wake patterns.
Does the price include the laboratory fee?
Yes. The full laboratory analysis fee is included. Return postage to the laboratory is not included.
How long is the kit valid for?
The kit must be used within 12 months of the purchase date.