The effects of a tryptophan-free amino acid mixture on Poggendorff illusion, corner Poggendorff illusion, and attention were investigated with 12 male subjects who ingested either a balanced amino acid mixture or a tryptophan-free mixture, the latter known to cause a marked depletion of brain tryptophan and serotonin. No significant difference between the two mixtures on the perceptual illusions was found.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BlakemoreC.CarpenterR. H. S.GeorgesonM. A. (1970) Lateral inhibition between orientation detectors in the human visual system. Nature, 228, 37–39.
2.
CorenS.GirgusJ. S. (1978) Seeing is deceiving: The psychology of visual illusion. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
3.
DelgadoP. L.CharneyD. S.PriceL. H.AghajanianG. K.LandisH.HeningerG. R. (1990) Serotonin function and the mechanism of antidepressant action. Archives of General Psychiatry, 47, 411–418.
4.
GanzL. (1966) Mechanisms of the figural after-effects. Psychological Review, 73, 128–150.
5.
GreeneE. (1988) The corner Poggendorff. Perception, 17, 65–70.
6.
HotopfW. H. N.OllerearnshawC.BrownC. (1974) The regression to right angles tendency and the Poggendorff illusion: III. British Journal of Psychology, 65, 213–231.
7.
MasiniR.AntoniettiA.MojaE. A. (1990) An increase in the strength of tilt aftereffect associated with tryptophan depletion. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 70, 531–539.
8.
MojaE. A.CipollaP.CastoldiD.TofanettiO. (1989) Dose response decrease in plasma tryptophan and in brain tryptophan and serotonin after tryptophan-free amino acid mixtures in rats. Life Sciences, 44, 971–976.
9.
MojaE. A.StoffD. M.GessaG. L.CastoldiD.AsseretoR.TofanettiO. (1988) Decrease in plasma tryptophan after tryptophan-free amino acid mixtures in man. Life Sciences, 42, 1551–1556.
10.
StuartG. V.DayR. H. (1980) The effect of blurring on intersecting-line illusions. Perception, 9, 537–548.
11.
TolhurstD. J.ThompsonP. J. (1975) Orientation illusions and aftereffects: Inhibition between channels. Vision Research, 15, 967–972.
12.
YoungS. N.ErvinF. R.PihlR. O.FinnP. (1989) Biochemical aspects of tryptophan depletion in primates. Psychopharmacology, 98, 508–511.