BACKGROUND: @entity149 is frequently described in a number of @entity146 and may be a direct consequence of @entity409 . As impairments in executive functions are some of the most frequently described, the purpose of this study was to examine the performance of normal volunteers on a range of executive tasks following a transient reduction of central @entity750 ( @entity750 ) levels using the method of acute @entity2340 depletion (ATD). METHODS: Fifteen healthy male subjects participated in a within-subject, double-blind, counterbalanced crossover study. ATD was induced by ingestion of a 100 g @entity535 drink. Executive function was evaluated using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Stroop, Verbal Fluency and @entity2205 Making. Visual analogue scales were administered to assess mood. RESULTS: Plasma free and total @entity2340 concentrations were significantly reduced by the depleting drink (P < 0.001). ATD selectively improved motor speed/ attention on the Trails A test (P = 0.027), with no effect on subjective ratings of mood. Interaction effects between drink and the order of drink administration were observed on most neurocognitive tests. CONCLUSIONS: The improvement in simple motor speed/ attention following ATD is in keeping with the ascribed role of @entity750 in the cortex, however performance on tests of executive function is not robustly altered. The presence of interaction effects on most tasks suggests that subtle changes may occur but are masked, possibly by simple learning effects, in the context of a crossover design. This has implications for the design of future studies, particularly those examining executive functions.

Effects of acute XXXX depletion on executive function in healthy male volunteers.

@entity146 :: ('MESH:D001523', 'Disease') :: ['psychiatric disorders'] @entity535 :: ('CHEBI:33704', 'Chemical') :: ['amino-acid'] @entity2205 :: ('8743', 'Gene') :: ['Trail'] @entity409 :: ('MESH:D008107', 'Disease') :: ['serotonergic dysfunction'] @entity149 :: ('MESH:D002493', 'Disease') :: ['Neurocognitive impairment'] @entity2340 :: ('CHEBI:27897', 'Chemical') :: ['tryptophan'] @entity750 :: ('MESH:D012701', 'Chemical') :: ['serotonin', '5-HT']
@entity2340 :: (CHEBI:27897,Chemical) :: ['tryptophan']
