Effect of Tryptophan Depletion on Mood in Male and Female Volunteers: A Pilot Study

✍ Scribed by K. A. SMITH; E. M. CLIFFORD; R. A. HOCKNEY; D. M. CLARK; P. J. COWEN

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 137 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6222
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1077(199703/04)12:2<111::aid-hup846>3.0.co;2-m

✦ Synopsis

We studied 12 healthy subjects, six males and six females, using the technique of tryptophan depletion in a doubleblind placebo controlled crossover design. Subjects rated their subjective mood and also underwent a mood induction procedure. The tryptophan free mixture signi®cantly lowered plasma total and free tryptophan at 5 h. After the tryptophan-free mixture, subjective ratings of mood fell in the females but not in the males. Whilst the mood induction procedure was eective at lowering mood, it did not have any greater eect on the day of tryptophan depletion in either women or men.