Depressive Relapse Following Acute Tryptophan Depletion in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder

Acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) lowers serotonin synthesis & elicits depressive symptoms in some remitted patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). In the present study, 8 medication-free remitted patients with MDD were tested twice, once following the ingestion of a tryptophan-containing mixture, once following ATD. The authors found that among 4 patients with a family history of psychiatric disorder (2 of whom also had a personal history of suicide attempts), the mood-lowering response was significantly greater than in those without such histories. (22 refs)