A single dose of escitalopram blunts the neural response in the thalamus and caudate during monetary loss

By: Lewis C.A., Mueller K., Zsido R.G., Reinelt J., Regenthal R., Okon-Singer H., Forbes E.E., Villringer A., Sacher J.
Published in: Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
SDGs : SDG 03  |  Units: Social Sciences  | Time: 2021 |  Link
Description: Background: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) show acute effects on the neural processes associated with n egative affective bias in healthy people and people with depression. However, whether and how SSRIs also affect reward and punishment processing on a similarly rapid time scale remains unclear. Methods: We investigated the effects of an acute and clinically relevant dose (20 mg) of the SSRI escitalopram on brain response during reward and punishment processing in 19 healthy participants. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study using functional MRI, participants performed a well-established monetary reward task at 3 time points: at baseline; after receiving placebo or escitalopram; and after receiving placebo or escitalopram following an 8-week washout period. Results: Acute escitalopram administration reduced blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) response during punishment feedback in the right thalamus (family-wise error corrected [FWE] p = 0.013 at peak level) and the right caudate head (pFWE = 0.011 at peak level) compared to placebo. We did not detect any significant BOLD changes during reward feedback. Limitations: We included only healthy participants, so interpretation of findings are limited to the healthy human brain and require future testing in patient populations. The par-adigm we used was based on monetary stimuli, and results may not be generalizable to other forms of reward. Conclusion: Our findings extend theories of rapid SSRI action on the neural processing of rewarding and aversive stimuli and suggest a specific and acute effect of escitalopram in the punishment neurocircuitry. © 2021 CMA Joule Inc. or its licensors.