title: Depressive relapse following acute tryptophan depletion in patients with major depressive disorder.
abstract: Acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) lowers serotonin synthesis and elicits depressive symptoms in some, though not all, remitted patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). In the present study, eight medication-free remitted patients with MDD, seasonal pattern, were tested twice, once following the ingestion of a tryptophan-containing mixture, once following ATD. ATD significantly increased Hamilton depression scores (p < 0.001). Four of the patients had a family history of psychiatric disorders: substance abuse (n = 4), mood disorders (n = 3) or Cluster B personality disorders (n = 3). The mood-lowering response to ATD was significantly greater in those patients with, than without, affected relatives (p < 0.001). These preliminary findings (1) support the hypothesis that depressed states are related to disturbed serotonin neurotransmission and (2) suggest that depressive symptoms following ATD might identify a subgroup of patients at high genetic risk for disorders associated with affective lability and dysregulated impulse-control, conditions thought to be related to low serotonin neurotransmission.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Leyton
authors: A M
authors: AM
authors: Ghadirian
authors: S N
authors: SN
authors: Young
authors: R M
authors: RM
authors: Palmour
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Blier
authors: K F
authors: KF
authors: Helmers
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Benkelfat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D017668:Age of Onset; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000235:genetics; D012008:Recurrence; D016574:Seasonal Affective Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D014364:Tryptophan