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The effect of acute tryptophan depletion on mood and impulsivity in polydrug ecstasy users

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Abstract

Rationale

Several studies suggest users of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) have low levels of serotonin. Low serotonin may make them susceptible to lowered mood.

Objective

This work aims to study the acute effects on mood and impulsivity of lowering serotonin levels with acute tryptophan depletion in polydrug ecstasy users and to determine whether effects were different in men and women.

Methods

In a double-blind cross-over study, participants who had used ecstasy at least 25 times (n = 13) and nonuser controls (n = 17) received a tryptophan-deficient amino acid mixture and a control amino acid mixture containing tryptophan, at least 1 week apart. Mood was measured using the profile of mood states, and impulsivity was measured with the Go/No-Go task.

Results

The main result shows that a lowering of mood after acute tryptophan depletion occurred only in female polydrug ecstasy users (n = 7), relative to controls (n = 9). Results from the Go/No-Go task suggested that impulsivity was not increased by acute tryptophan depletion in polydrug ecstasy users.

Limitation

The group sizes were small, when males and females were considered separately.

Conclusions

Women polydrug ecstasy users appear to be more susceptible than men to the effects of lowered serotonin levels. If use of ecstasy alone or in conjunction with other drugs causes progressive damage of serotonin neurons, women polydrug ecstasy users may become susceptible to clinical depression.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grant MOP42502 from the Canadian Institute of Health Research. The authors thank Elizabeth Cawley for her help with the figures and statistical analyses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 1033 Pine Avenue West, Montréal, Québec, H3A 1A1, Canada

    Simon N. Young, Martine Regoli, Marco Leyton & Chawki Benkelfat

  2. Department of Psychology, McGill University, 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1B1, Canada

    Robert O. Pihl

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  1. Simon N. Young
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  2. Martine Regoli
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  3. Marco Leyton
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  4. Robert O. Pihl
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Correspondence to Simon N. Young.

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Young, S.N., Regoli, M., Leyton, M. et al. The effect of acute tryptophan depletion on mood and impulsivity in polydrug ecstasy users. Psychopharmacology 231, 707–716 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-013-3287-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-013-3287-2

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