Zepf F D, Holtmann M, Stadler C, Demisch L, Schmitt M, Wöckel L, Poustka F
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, JW Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Pharmacopsychiatry. 2008 Mar;41(2):60-5. doi: 10.1055/s-2007-1004593.
Serotonergic (5-HT) functioning has been shown to account for a variety of behavioural characteristics, in particular aggressive and impulsive behaviour. This study explored the effects of rapid tryptophan depletion (RTD) and the ensuing reduction of brain 5-HT synthesis on behavioural inhibition in passive avoidance learning assessed in a computerized go/no-go task.
22 male patients with an ICD-10 diagnosis of ADHD were administered RTD within an amino acid drink lacking tryptophan, the natural precursor of 5-HT, thus lowering the central nervous 5-HT synthesis rate in a placebo-controlled double-blind within-subject crossover-design. 4 hours after RTD/placebo intake the patients were subjected to a go/no-go task for assessment of behavioural inhibition.
Highly hostile aggressive patients showed increased inhibition errors under RTD compared to placebo. Low hostile aggressive patients showed lower rates of inhibition errors and thus better performance under RTD compared to placebo.
The data suggest that in ADHD levels of trait-aggressive characteristics influence the susceptibility to changed behavioural inhibition after an acute 5-HT dysfunction. The detected influence of 5-HT could also be relevant as regards behavioural inhibition being subject to a developmental change in 5-HT functioning.
血清素能（5-羟色胺，5-HT）功能已被证明与多种行为特征有关，尤其是攻击性行为和冲动行为。本研究探讨了快速色氨酸耗竭（RTD）以及随之而来的大脑5-HT合成减少对在计算机化的“是/否”任务中评估的被动回避学习中的行为抑制的影响。
22名国际疾病分类第10版（ICD-10）诊断为注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）的男性患者在一种不含色氨酸（5-HT的天然前体）的氨基酸饮料中接受RTD，从而在安慰剂对照的双盲受试者内交叉设计中降低中枢神经系统5-HT合成率。在摄入RTD/安慰剂4小时后，患者接受“是/否”任务以评估行为抑制。
与安慰剂相比，高度敌对攻击性患者在RTD下的抑制错误增加。与安慰剂相比，低敌对攻击性患者在RTD下的抑制错误率较低，因此表现更好。
数据表明，在ADHD中，特质攻击性特征的水平会影响急性5-HT功能障碍后行为抑制变化的易感性。检测到的5-HT的影响在行为抑制受5-HT功能发育变化影响方面也可能具有相关性。
