Effects of tryptophan depletion on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-remitted patients with obsessive compulsive disorder

Abstract

Acute tryptophan depletion caused a significant decrease in perceived control and increase in interfering thoughts at the time of provocation. Acute tryptophan depletion had no effect on the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory or Visual Analogue Scale Anxiety measures, which suggests that the mechanism of action of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may be different to that seen in panic, social anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Successful selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder may involve the ability of serotonin to switch habitual responding to goal-directed behaviour.

Untargeted metabolomics analysis in drug-naïve patients with severe obsessive–compulsive disorder

“…In parallel to existing studies, we found lower but inapparent plasma Trp levels in OCD than HCs (Lucca et al, 1992). Furthermore, acute Trp depletion, which might lead to a short-term increase in presynaptic 5-HT availability, fails to improve the core impulsive-compulsive symptom in a short time (Berney et al, 2006;Külz et al, 2007), but cause a significant decrease perceived control and increase in interfering thoughts at the time of provocation (Hood et al, 2017).…”