AMINO ACIDS AND BEHAVIOR IN ALCOHOLISM

我们打算对酒精和酒精之间的关系进行长期评估， 消耗，氨基酸的修饰，这是前体， 三种类型的行为，即，抑郁，自杀， 酗酒患者的攻击行为 我们最近观察到，与非抑郁的酗酒者相比， 与对照组相比，抑郁的酗酒者的 血浆色氨酸与氨基酸共用同一运输载体 进入大脑（色氨酸比率）。 这一比例被证明可以预测 大脑血清素浓度 目前尚不清楚氨基是否 酸修饰在禁欲一段时间后消失或持续存在。 我们 将进行旨在阐明这一问题的研究。 如果生物化学 变化持续存在，它们可能代表异常， 个人对抑郁症的脆弱性，并应提醒我们保持 在治疗这些病人时要提高警惕。 我们获得的初步数据显示， 色氨酸比率抑郁症和自杀企图。 因为协会 最近被发现存在自杀倾向和攻击倾向， 这两种行为都与脑脊液中血清素水平降低有关 主要代谢产物，我们研究了氨基酸修饰之间的关系 和酗酒者的攻击性表现。 患者表现出 暴力行为被观察到色氨酸比率低于 没有暴力史的病人 我们的研究需要扩大， 在大量患者中进行， 心理评估和长期随访评估。 确定导致抑郁症的生物因素，或 自杀和攻击性行为很重要，因为心理和 这种行为的社会代价是巨大的。 此外， 重要的是要知道，某些形式的精神疾病会导致 相对无创伤的氨基酸疗法 补充。

We intend to do long term assessments of relationships between alcohol consumption, modifications in amino acids which are the precursors of neutrotransmitters, and 3 types of behavior i.e., depression, suicide and aggression in alcoholic patients. We have recently observed that, when compared with non-depressed alcoholics and controls, depressed alcoholics had significantly decreased ratios of plasma tryptophan to amino acids sharing with it the same transport carrier into the brain (tryptophan ratio). This ratio has been shown to predict the brain serotonin concentration. It is not presently known whether amino acid modifications disappear after a period of abstinence or persist. We will conduct studies aimed at elucidating this question. If biochemical changes persisted they could represent anomalies increasing the affected individuals' vulnerability to depression and should alert us to maintain heightened vigilance when treating these patients. We obtained preliminary data showing an association between a low tryptophan ratio depression and suicide attempts. Because associations had been found recently between suicidal and aggressive tendencies and because both types of behavior have been linked to lowered CSF levels of serotonin main metabolite, we studied relationships between amino acid modifications and manifestations of aggression in alcoholics. Patients who had exhibited violent behavior were observed to have tryptophan ratios lower than patients with no history of violence. Our studies need to be expanded and carried out in larger number of patients subjected to more extensive psychiatric assessments and to long term follow-up evaluations. The identification of biological factors contributing to depression or suicidal and aggressive behavior is important because the psychological and social costs of these types of behavior are great. In addition, it would be important to know that certain forms of mental disease would lend themselves to the relatively atraumatic therapy of amino acid supplementation.