A comparison of the effects of acute tryptophan depletion and acute phenylalanine/tyrosine depletion in healthy women

Abstract

Acute tryptophan depletion (ATD), which is thought to lower serotonin levels, can result in a lowering of mood. In the present study we compared the effect of ATD with acute phenylalanine/tyrosine depletion (APTD) in healthy women. Although considerable evidence relates catecholamines to the regulation of anxiety, there was no difference in anxiety responses in the ATD and APTD groups when the women underwent a mildly stressful psychological challenge. Both ATD and APTD caused a similar lowering of mood. Both depletions also increased heart rate. These results suggest that APTD is a useful method for studying the effect of low catecholamine levels in humans, and that catecholamines are involved in the regulation of mood.