@article{ref1,
title="Tryptophan depletion and aggressive responding in healthy males",
journal="Psychopharmacology",
year="1996",
author="Moeller, F. G. and Dougherty, D. M. and Swann, A. C. and Collins, D. and Davis, C. M. and Cherek, D. R.",
volume="126",
number="2",
pages="97-103",
abstract="In order to study the effect of decreasing plasma tryptophan levels on aggressive responding in a controlled laboratory setting, we administered two doses (25 g and 100 g) of a tryptophan-free amino acid mixture to ten healthy male subjects after 24 h of a low tryptophan diet. Subjects were screened for current or past psychiatric, or non-psychiatric medical illness. Aggressive responding on a free-operant laboratory measure of aggression (the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm) and plasma tryptophan levels were measured before and after drinking the amino acid mixture. There was a significant increase in aggressive responding 5 h after the 100 g mixture and a significant increase in aggressive responding 6 h after the 25 g mixture compared to a baseline day when no drink was administered. There was also a significant decrease in plasma tryptophan at 5 hours after ingestion compared to baseline for both doses of amino acid mixture. This study supports the hypothesis that tryptophan depletion increases aggressive responding in healthy males in a laboratory setting, probably by decreasing brain serotonin.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0033-3158",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}