Abstract
Previous research has indicated that laboratory aggression in men increases after temporarily reducing the synthesis and neurotransmission of serotonin (5-HT) in the brain using the plasma L-tryptophan (Trp) depletion technique. Further research indicates that male subjects selected for high trait hostility are particularly prone to increased aggression following plasma Trp depletion. In a recent study of laboratory aggression in male control subjects, we demonstrated that laboratory aggression increased following ingestion of a Trp-depleting beverage, but not after ingestion of a Trp-containing beverage nor under food-restricted conditions. We report here that the increases in aggression under Trp-depleted conditions were specific to men who scored the highest on the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. These preliminary data support earlier findings that compared to non-hostile men, hostile men may be more prone to behavior change induced by the perturbation of the 5-HT neurotransmitter system. Copyright (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 227-232 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Psychiatry Research |
Volume | 88 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 29 1999 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Aggression
- Behavior
- Hostility
- Human
- Serotonin
- Tryptophan
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Biological Psychiatry