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Tryptophan disposition in psychiatric patients before and after stress

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

G. Curzon ,
B. D. Kantamaneni ,
M. H. Lader  and
M. H. Greenwood
G. Curzon*
Affiliation:
Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Neurology, London, and The Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London
B. D. Kantamaneni
Affiliation:
Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Neurology, London, and The Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London
M. H. Lader
Affiliation:
Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Neurology, London, and The Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London
M. H. Greenwood
Affiliation:
Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Neurology, London, and The Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London
*
1Address for correspondence: Professor G. Curzon, Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Neurology, 33 John's Mews, London WC1N 2NS.
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Synopsis

Non-esterified fatty acid and total and free tryptophan were determined in the plasma of psychiatric patients unselected with respect to psychiatric diagnosis and in the plasma of normal subjects before and after physiological and psychiatric tests. Retarded patients had significantly low total and free tryptophan values which correlated negatively with agitation. Total tryptophan fell significantly after testing in the non-retarded subjects. The only biochemical abnormality significantly associated with a diagnosis of primary depression was the rise of plasma non-esterified fatty acid after testing. Thus, tryptophan abnormalities were associated more with psychiatric rating scores than with diagnoses.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 9 , Issue 3 , August 1979 , pp. 457 - 463
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1979

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