Has tryptophan any anticonvulsive effect?

In an an intra-individual crossover trial depressed patients were treated with the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) precursor L-tryptophan (L-TP) and unilateral ECT, or with unilateral ECT alone. The oral dose of L-TP was 6 g the day before ECT and 3 g on the day of ECT, 4 hours before the treatment. The seizure duration was measured on EEG records. The time of the electrical stimulation needed to induce generalized seizures was similar for both treatment alternatives. Thus L-TP seems not to elevate the threshold to ECT-induced convulsions. The mean duration of a seizure was significantly shorter when the patients were treated with L-TP + ECT than when treated with ECT alone. It is suggested that L-TP exerts an inhibitory influence on the ability to sustain epileptic activity.