Acute tryptophan depletion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) is a technique used extensively to study the effect of low serotonin in the brain.[1] This experimental approach reduces the availability of tryptophan, an amino acid which serves as the precursor to serotonin.[1][2] The lack of mood-lowering effects after ATD in healthy subjects seems to contradict a direct causal relationship between acutely decreased serotonin levels and depression. However, mood-lowering effects are observed in certain vulnerable individuals.[1] For example, a meta-analysis show that the effect size for the effects of tryptophan depletion on mood in depressed people not taking antidepressants was large (Hedge’s g = −1.9 (95% CIs −3.02 to −0.78) [3] Hence, a more accurate interpretation is that tryptophan depletion studies suggest a role for 5-HT in people vulnerable to depression and in those remitted on SSRI treatment [4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c van Donkelaar EL, Blokland A, Ferrington L, Kelly PA, Steinbusch HW, Prickaerts J (July 2011). "Mechanism of acute tryptophan depletion: is it only serotonin?". Molecular Psychiatry. 16 (7): 695–713. doi:10.1038/mp.2011.9. PMID 21339754.
  2. ^ Young SN (September 2013). "Acute tryptophan depletion in humans: a review of theoretical, practical and ethical aspects". Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience. 38 (5): 294–305. doi:10.1503/jpn.120209. PMC 3756112. PMID 23428157.
  3. ^ Ruhé HG, Mason NS, Schene AH. (April 2007). "Mood is indirectly related to serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine levels in humans: a meta-analysis of monoamine depletion studies". Molecular Psychiatry. 12 (4): 331–59. doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4001949. {{cite journal}}: Vancouver style error: punctuation in name 3 (help)
  4. ^ Jauhar, S., Arnone, D., Baldwin, D. S., Bloomfield, M., Browning, M., Cleare, A. J., Corlett, P., Deakin, J FW, Erritzoe, D., Fu, C., Fusar-Poli, P., Goodwin, G. M., Hayes, J., Howard, R., Howes, O. D., Juruena, M. F., Lam, R. W., Lawrie, S. M., McAllister-Williams, H., Cowen, P. J. "(2023). A leaky umbrella has little value: Evidence clearly indicates the serotonin system is implicated in depression". Molecular Psychiatry. 28 (8): 3149–52. doi:10.1038/s41380-023-02095-y. {{cite journal}}: Vancouver style error: non-Latin character in name 2 (help)