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Twelve patients with obsessive—compulsive disorder were studied after the administration
of a mixture of amino acids devoid of tryptophan (TRP) or a mixture containing all
the essential amino acids, in a double-blind, crossover design. The TRP-free mixture
caused a marked depletion of plasma TRP. After TRP decrease, mean ratings of obsessions
and compulsions, measured by Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) ratings, did not worsen.
In contrast with other reports in literature, TRP depletion also failed to alter mood
in our subjects.
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Article info
Publication history
Received in revised form:
July 19,
1995
Received:
August 31,
1994
Identification
Copyright
© 1996 J. Benjamin. Published by Elsevier Inc.