Tryptophan depletion in normal volunteers produces selective impairment in memory consolidation.

摘要: Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) circuits may play a role in cognitive performance, particularly learning and memory. Cognitive impairment is often seen depressed patients, whom 5-HT turnover the brain thought to be lowered. A possible human pharmacological model study involvement of serotonergic system reduce central synthesis through L-tryptophan depletion healthy subjects. In this study, effects tryptophan were assessed whether genetically or developmentally determined vulnerability factors predictive induced by depletion. Sixteen volunteers with positive family history depression 11 without given 100 g an amino acid mixture tryptophan, according double-blind, cross-over design. Tryptophan specifically impaired long-term memory performance all subjects: delayed recall recognition sensitivity, reaction times significantly after relative placebo. Short-term perceptual psychomotor functions unchanged. There no differences between groups negative for depression. On basis these results, it concluded that impairs formation, presumably as result acute decrease brain.