Randomised trial, 2001
Does reducing serotonin increase aggression in women during the late luteal phase?
Yes. Women given a drink designed to lower serotonin showed more aggressive behavior during a competitive task in the late luteal phase, suggesting serotonin affects aggression in women as well as men.
What they did
Healthy women were randomly assigned to drink either an amino acid drink depleted of tryptophan (which lowers serotonin) or a balanced amino acid drink. Four and a half hours later, they played a competitive reaction time game designed to measure behavioral aggression in response to provocation.
What they found
Women who received the tryptophan-depleted drink showed more behavioral aggression in response to provocation compared to those who received the balanced drink.
What it means for you
Serotonin appears to play a role in controlling aggression in women during the late luteal phase. The study is limited because sample size is not reported, only healthy women were tested (not women with PMDD), and aggression was measured once during a single task.
4.5
hours between drink and aggression test
About the study
- Original title
- Tryptophan depletion increases aggression in women during the premenstrual phase
- Authors
- Bond AJ, Wingrove J, Critchlow DG
- Journal
- Psychopharmacology
- Year
- 2001
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- What was tested
- Tryptophan-depleted drink versus balanced amino acid drink
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1007/s002130100795
Topics
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