Changes in blood tryptophan level during sleep deprivation

Kühn, Eduard; Rysánek, K; Brodan, V.; Spánková, H

doi:10.1007/bf01927577

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Hartmann et al, 42 in a double-blind study of 24 hospitalized insomniac patients, demonstrated that doses of 4 or 5 g of L-tryptophan significantly increased sleep time, reduced sleep latency and reduced the number of awakenings. Sleep-inducing effects of L-tryptophan were also reported by Kuhn 43 and Hartmann and Chung. 44 …”

Section: Use As a Hypnoticmentioning

confidence: 58%

L-Tryptophan in Psychiatric Practice

Pakes¹

1979

Drug Intelligence & Clinical Pharmacy

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The amino acid L-tryptophan is being prescribed more and more for the treatment of depression. Since L-tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin and crosses the blood brain barrier, it is believed by some investigators to be most effective in depressions secondary to serotonin deficiency. Several studies using L-tryptophan with and without concomitant tryptophan pyrrolase inhibitors, decarboxylase and hydroxylase cofactors, or decarboxylase inhibitors, have indicated its usefulness in combatting depression, but other studies have found it to be of value only as an ancillary drug therapy with tricyclic antidepressants and especially with monoamine oxidase inhibitors. The drug's sedative side effect has prompted several studies which indicate it has some value as a hypnotic agent. L-tryptophan has also been reported to be useful in acute mania, although its mechanism of action in this condition is not well understood. Side effects to L-tryptophan use are minimal, but long-term adverse effects are in question, as certain tryptophan metabolites have been implicated as being in excess in bladder and breast cancers. The greatest utility of L-tryptophan is probably as a concomitant agent with MAO inhibitors, and in depressions that have not responded to tricyclic antidepressants, MAO inhibitors alone, or electroconvulsive therapy.

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Section: Use As a Hypnoticmentioning

confidence: 58%

L-Tryptophan in Psychiatric Practice

Pakes¹

1979

Drug Intelligence & Clinical Pharmacy

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“…Seven blood In a sleep deprivation study (12) six persons were kept sleep-deprived for 120 h. Plasma tryptophan was estimated at 06.00 and 18.00 h, and a small increase in total plasma tryptophan was found during the sleep deprivation period (significant for the first 2 days).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Diurnal variation of total plasma tryptophan in depressive patients

Dam

Mellerup

Rafaelsen

1984

Acta Psychiatr Scand

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Total plasma tryptophan was analysed during a 24-h period in 27 control persons and 42 patients with a diagnosis of endogenous depression. Total plasma tryptophan was unchanged in endogenously depressed patients compared with controls. The effect of one night's sleep reversal was investigated in control persons. During the following day, when the persons were asleep, plasma tryptophan concentration fell below control values. The normal diurnal variation with low values in the night and high values in the daytime disappeared when the persons were kept fasting.

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