A research article authored by associate professor Mathew Gendle and former Elon College Fellow Abbe Golding ’09 has been published in the August issue of the journal Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental.
The manuscript, “Oral administration of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) impairs decision making under ambiguity but not under risk: Evidence from the Iowa Gambling Task,” details research that demonstrated that low doses of the popular natural supplement 5-HTP can impair specific types of decision-making in adults.
This finding underscores the importance of increased FDA oversight regarding supplements, and also contributes to the limited scientific literature discussing the link between serotonin and planning abilities. This fall, Golding will be beginning her work toward a master’s degree in genetic counseling at Brandeis University.
Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental is a widely regarded international journal, and boasts a Thomson Reuters Impact Factor (2009) of 2.496.