Abstract
In the present study, we hypothesized that the REM-suppressing effects of 5-HT1A receptor stimulation would counteract the REM-disinhibiting effects of rapid tryptophan depletion (RTD), and vice versa. We administered RTD plus ipsapirone (10 mg, p.o.) or RTD plus placebo to 10 healthy men. In contrast to our previous findings but partially consistent with other studies, RTD in combination with placebo did not produce a significant enhancement of any REM sleep measure. The combination of RTD and ipsapirone produced a significant suppression of REM sleep that was remarkably similar to the effect of ipsapirone alone. These data appear to deepen the mystery of variable and inconsistent RTD-induced responses in healthy subjects. In the case of REM sleep measures, this differs markedly from the consistent RTD-induced REM-disinhibiting effect seen in medicated depressed patients.
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Acknowledgements
Research supported by grants from: the UCSD General Clinical Research Center's Program (Michael Ziegler, MD, Director, MOI RR00827); National Institutes of Health (MH 57134-01, MH 18825 and CA23100); UCSD Mental Health Clinical Research Center (MH 30914) and Department of Veterans Affairs; and the Stanley Foundation. ES is supported by Swiss National Foundation grant # 63-58040.99.
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Moore, P., Seifritz, E., Schlosser, A. et al. Rapid Tryptophan Depletion Plus a Serotonin 1A Agonist: Competing Effects on Sleep in Healthy Men. Neuropsychopharmacol 25 (Suppl 1), S40–S44 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0893-133X(01)00326-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0893-133X(01)00326-8
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