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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2008 Aug;199(2):151-60.
doi: 10.1007/s00213-008-1125-8. Epub 2008 Jun 13.

Effects of acute tryptophan depletion on affective processing in first-degree relatives of depressive patients and controls after exposure to uncontrollable stress

Christine Firk  1 , C Rob Markus
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of acute tryptophan depletion on affective processing in first-degree relatives of depressive patients and controls after exposure to uncontrollable stress

Christine Firk et al. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2008 Aug.

Abstract

Rationale: Individuals with a family history of depression may be more likely to develop depression due to an innate vulnerability of their serotonergic system. However, even though serotonergic vulnerability may constitute a risk factor in the development of depression, it does not seem to be sufficient to cause a depressive episode. Based on previous data, it is suggested that stress may be a mediating factor.

Objectives: This study examined the role of serotonin (5-HT) in stress coping in individuals with or without a family history of depression.

Materials and methods: Nineteen healthy first-degree relatives of depressive patients (FH+) and 19 healthy controls without a family history of depression (FH-) were tested in a double-blind placebo-controlled design for affective processing under acute stress exposure, following acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) or placebo.

Results: Significant negative effects were found of stress on affective processing in FH- and FH+. In addition, FH- responded slower to positive words after stress only following ATD, whereas FH+ responded marginally slower under stress already after placebo and before stress following ATD.

Conclusion: Acute stress exposure reduces positive affective bias; supporting the role of stress as an important predecessor in the development of depression. Furthermore, FH+ may be more susceptible than FH- to the negative effects of stress as well as to the negative effects of ATD. The results support the assumption that the 5-HT system is involved in stress resilience and may be more vulnerable in first-degree relatives of depression.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Plasma total tryptophan concentrations and TRP/LNAA ratio for the ATD and PLC condition
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Mean RTs (SE) for happy and sad targets before and after stress exposure collapsed over treatment and family history
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Mean RTs (SE) for happy non-shift targets for the FH+ group and the FH− group
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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