Summary
It has been suggested that phenylethylamine (PEA) may play a role in the modulation of affective behavior. The aim of the present study was to test this hypothesis. Urinary PEA excretion was determined in 32 drug-free healthy volunteers, and the MMPI was used for personality assessment. In support of this hypothesis, a significant positive correlation between PEA and hypomania (r = 0.50; P < 0.05) and a significant negative correlation between PEA and depression (r = −0.58; P < 0.01) was observed in the female subgroup. Furthermore, PEA correlated significantly negatively with hypochondriasis (r = −0.65; P < 0.01), paranoia (r = 0.49; P < 0.05), and social introversion (r = −0.60; P < 0.05). These results are the first evidence in normal individuals either that PEA itself might play a role in the modulation of affective behaviour, or alternatively that PEA could be related to mechanisms responsible for the modulation of affective behavior.
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Moises, H.W., Waldmeier, P. & Beckmann, H. Urinary phenylethylamine correlates positively with hypomania, and negatively with depression, paranoia, and social introversion on the MMPI. Eur Arch Psychiatr Neurol Sci 236, 83–87 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00454016
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00454016