Tryptophan depletion increases aggression in women during the premenstrual phase.
BACKGROUND
Reducing serotonin by the method of tryptophan depletion (TD) has led to increased aggression but experimental studies have not used female subjects.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of TD on aggression in women in the late luteal phase of their menstrual cycle.


METHODS
Healthy women were recruited and randomly assigned to an amino acid drink either depleted or with a balanced amount of tryptophan. At 4.5 h later, they competed on the competitive reaction time task.


RESULTS
Women who had received the TD drink showed more behavioural aggression in response to provocation.


CONCLUSIONS
Decreased serotonergic neurotransmission increases aggression in women as well as men.
Bond
A J
AJ
Section of Clinical Psychopharmacology, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK. a.bond@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Wingrove
J
J
Critchlow
D G
DG
D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008183:Luteal Phase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000172:deficiency; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000172:deficiency / Q000502:physiology*
D012701:Serotonin; D014364:Tryptophan