Treatment with Tyrosine, a Neurotransmitter Precursor, Reduces Environmental Stress in Humans
Abstract
Acutely stressful situations can disrupt behavior and deplete brain norepinephrine and dopamine, catecholaminergic neurotransmitters. In animals, administration of tyrosine, a food constituent and precursor of the catecholamines, reduces these behavioral and neurochemical deficits. We invested whether tyrosine (100 mg/kg) would protect humans from some of the adverse consequences of a 4.5 hour exposure to cold and hypoxia, conditions experienced in high mountainous regions. Tyrosine significantly decreased symptoms, adverse moods, and performance impairments in subjects who exhibited average or greater responses to these environmental conditions. This suggests that treatment with tyrosine should be evaluated in these and other acutely stressful situations for beneficial behavioral effects.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 25, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA199199
Entities
People
- Harris R Lieberman
- Louis E. Banderet
Organizations
- United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine