Tryptophan depletion and emotional processing in healthy volunteers at high risk for depression.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Studies in depressed patients have demonstrated the presence of emotional bias toward negative stimuli, as well as dysregulated brain serotonin function. The present study compared the effects of acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) on both an emotional processing and a planning task in never-depressed healthy volunteers at high and low familial risk for depression.

Methods

Young adults with no personal psychiatric history were stratified into two groups based on family history (n = 25). Participants were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover ATD study and completed the affective go/no-go and Tower of London tasks once during each condition.

Results

There was a significant treatment by valence by group interaction on the affective

SUBMITTER: Feder A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3941748 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature