Acute SSRI administration affects the processing of social cues in healthy volunteers

Abstract

Enhancement of serotonin neurotransmission plays an important role in the antidepressant response to agents presently available to treat depression. This response forms the major evidence forthe role of serotonin in affective and socialbehaviour in humans. The presentstudy investigated the effects of acute administration ofthe selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSR1), citalopram (10mg, i.v.) upon ameasure of emotionalprocessing in healthy female volunteers. Subjects completed a facialexpression recognition task following infusionof citalopram or saline (between-subjects design, double-blind). Facialexpressions associated with five basic emotions—happiness, sadness, fearfulness, anger and disgust—were displayed. Each face had been ‘morphed' between neutral(0%) and each emotionalstandard (100%) in 10% steps, leading to a range of emotionalintensities. Mood and subjective experience were also monitoredthroughout the testing session. Volunteers receiving citalopram detected a higher number offacialexpressions of fear and happiness, withreduced response times, relative to those given the placebo. By contrast, changes in the recognition of other basic emotions were notobserved following citalopram. Notable differences in mood were also not apparent in these volunteers. These results suggest that acuteadministration of antidepressant drugs may affect neuralprocesses involved in the processing of socialinformation. This effect mayrepresent an early acute effect of SSRIs on socialandemotionalprocessing that is relevant to their therapeutic actions. © 2003 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.