Women more depressed and men more impulsive with reduced serotonin functioning

September 17, 2007

Women and men appear to respond differently to the same biochemical manipulation. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common mental disorders, and it is also one of the most studied. It is already known that reduced serotonin transmission contributes to the pathophysiology, or functional changes, associated with MDD and most of today’s most popular antidepressants block the serotonin “uptake site”, also known as the transporter, in the brain. It is also known that people with MDD are frequently found to have impaired impulse control.

A new study being published in the September 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry now reports on important sex and genetic differences in the way that men and women react to reductions in serotonin function, specifically in terms of their mood and impulsivity.

Using a technique in healthy participants called acute tryptophan depletion, which decreases serotonin levels in the brain, Walderhaug and colleagues found that men became more impulsive, but did not experience any mood changes in response to the induced chemical changes. However, women in this study reported a worsening of their mood and they became more cautious, a response commonly associated with depression. The researchers also discovered that the mood lowering effect in women was influenced by variation in the promotor region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR).

One of the study’s authors, Dr. Espen Walderhaug, explains, “We were surprised to find such a clear sex difference, as men and women normally experience the same effect when the brain chemistry is changed… Although we have the same serotonergic system in the brain, it is possible that men and women utilize serotonin differently.”

These findings highlight the complexity of studying and treating these disorders, as the interactive effects of gender and genetic coding impacted the outcomes in the men and women when their serotonergic functions were disrupted. Dr. Walderhaug comments that their study’s findings “might be relevant in understanding why women show a higher prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders compared to men, while men show a higher prevalence of alcoholism, ADHD and impulse control disorders.”

John H. Krystal, M.D., Editor of Biological Psychiatry and affiliated with both Yale University School of Medicine and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, adds that the response patterns that have emerged in these findings are “the beginnings of an understanding for these sex-related effects.” Ultimately, it is hoped that these findings further advance the ability to quickly and more accurately treat patients.

Source: Elsevier


Rank 5 /5 (2 votes)
Tags

Relevant PhysicsForums posts
  • Is Everyday Technology Killing Us?
    createdFeb 08, 2012
  • Exercise and weight loss
    createdFeb 08, 2012
  • Why do we have head aches? Our brains can't feel anything.
    createdFeb 07, 2012
  • "The end of diseases" by David Agus, interview from Daily Show with Jon Stewart
    createdFeb 04, 2012
  • Oncolytic adenovirus
    createdFeb 04, 2012
  • Nutrition label stuffs and diets
    createdFeb 02, 2012
  • More from Physics Forums - Medical Sciences

More news stories

Researchers make breakthrough in stem cell research

(Medical Xpress) -- University of Queensland scientists have developed a world-first method for producing adult stem cells that will substantially impact patients who have a range of serious diseases.

Medicine & Health / Research

created 50 minutes ago | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Georgia Tech develops software for the rapid analysis of foodborne pathogens

2011 brought two of the deadliest bacterial outbreaks the world has seen during the last 25 years. The two epidemics accounted for more than 4,200 cases of infectious disease and 80 deaths. Software developed at Georgia Tech ...

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created 42 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Can Viagra treat childhood lymphatic disorder?

(Medical Xpress) -- A surprising potential therapy for severe, hard-to-treat malformations of the lymphatic system is now being studied at the Stanford School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital: researchers ...

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created 17 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Don't ignore kids' snores

(Medical Xpress) -- Your ears aren’t playing tricks on you – that is the sound of snoring you hear from the bedroom of your preschooler. Snoring is common in children, but in some cases it can be a symptom of a ...

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created 7 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

WHO calls for stepped-up fight against leprosy

The World Health Organization called Monday for greater efforts to fight leprosy, warning the disfiguring disease was defying efforts to wipe it out across many countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created 13 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


New molecule has potential to help treat genetic diseases and HIV

(PhysOrg.com) -- Chemists at The University of Texas at Austin have created a molecule that's so good at tangling itself inside the double helix of a DNA sequence that it can stay there for up to 16 days before ...

With climate change, today's '100-year floods' may happen every three to 20 years: research

Last August, Hurricane Irene spun through the Caribbean and parts of the eastern United States, leaving widespread wreckage in its wake. The Category 3 storm whipped up water levels, generating storm surges ...

Researchers make better heat sensor based on butterfly wings

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have long known that butterfly wings produce their iridescent colors by bouncing light around and between tiny ridges in structures made of chitin. More recently they’ve discovered ...

Social psychologist: Lust makes you smarter and evidence that seven deadly sins are good for you

(Medical Xpress) -- Good news for lovers on Valentine’s Day - the seven deadly sins, including Lust, are good for you. University of Melbourne social psychologist Dr Simon Laham uses modern research to make a compelling ...

The joy of cheques

An electronic cheque which eliminates the need for costly processing by banks but preserves the simplicity and ease of a traditional cheque book has been designed by a team of academics in the UK.

Research shows promise in converting camelina oil into jet fuel

(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Montana State University-Northern have developed a process to convert camelina oil to jet fuel and other high-value chemicals. MSU has applied for a U.S. patent and research is ongoing.