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Effect of low-dose acute tryptophan depletion on the specificity of autobiographical memory in healthy subjects with a family history of depression

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Abstract

Rationale

Low-dose acute tryptophan depletion (LD-ATD), while having no effect on mood, has been shown to reduce specificity of autobiographical memory in patients who have recovered from a depressive episode.

Objectives

This study aimed to explore if reduced specificity of autobiographical memory with LD-ATD is common to other groups of individuals at risk of depression, specifically a healthy population with a family history of depression.

Methods

Nineteen healthy young adults with at least one first-degree relative with a history of major depression were recruited. LD-ATD drinks containing 1.15 g of tryptophan (T+) or no tryptophan (T−) were administered on two separate occasions, in a double blind random order crossover design. The Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) was administered 5 h after drink administration.

Results

Analysis of variance revealed a significant difference in the effects of LD-ATD drinks on plasma free tryptophan with no mood change with either drink. There was no within-subject main effect of LD-ATD on the memory task. However, there was a main effect of order of drink. Exploratory analysis of visit 1 data indicated a large between-subject effect (d = 1.4) of LD-ATD on AMT with T− associated with less specificity in response to negative cue words (F(1, 17) = 8.71, p = 0.009).

Conclusions

Similar to findings following recovery from depression, LD-ATD can reduce specificity of AMT in the absence of lowered mood in healthy individuals with a strong family history of depression. These findings may reflect a 5-HT-dependent cognitive vulnerability to depression in different populations and warrant further research.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Prof. Abdulla A.B. Badawy for assistance in performing the amino acid assays. The study was supported by Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    Hamid A. Alhaj, Matthew Selman, Victoria Jervis, Jacqui Rodgers, Stephen Barton & R. Hamish McAllister-Williams

  2. Academic Psychiatry, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 6BE, UK

    R. Hamish McAllister-Williams

Authors
  1. Hamid A. Alhaj
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  2. Matthew Selman
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  3. Victoria Jervis
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  4. Jacqui Rodgers
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  5. Stephen Barton
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  6. R. Hamish McAllister-Williams
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Correspondence to R. Hamish McAllister-Williams.

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Alhaj, H.A., Selman, M., Jervis, V. et al. Effect of low-dose acute tryptophan depletion on the specificity of autobiographical memory in healthy subjects with a family history of depression. Psychopharmacology 222, 285–292 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-012-2644-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-012-2644-x

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