Short-term antidepressant treatment modulates amygdala response to happy faces.
BACKGROUND
We have previously demonstrated that antidepressant medication facilitates the processing of positive affective stimuli in healthy volunteers. These early effects of antidepressants may be an important component in the therapeutic effects of antidepressant treatment in patients with depression and anxiety.


OBJECTIVE
Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging in a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled between-groups design to investigate the effects of short-term (7-10 days) treatment with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, citalopram, on the amygdala response to positive and negative facial expressions in healthy volunteers.


RESULTS
Citalopram was associated with increased amygdala activation to happy faces relative to placebo control, without changes in levels of mood or anxiety.


CONCLUSIONS
These early, direct effects of antidepressant administration on emotional processing are consistent with a cognitive neuropsychological model of antidepressant action.
Norbury
Ray
R
Psychopharmacology Research Unit (PPRU), Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Neurosciences Building, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK. raymond.norbury@psych.ox.ac.uk
Taylor
Matthew J
MJ
Selvaraj
Sudhakar
S
Murphy
Susannah E
SE
Harmer
Catherine J
CJ
Cowen
Philip J
PJ
D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D015283:Citalopram / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005145:Face; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011932:Reading; D055815:Young Adult
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D015283:Citalopram; D010100:Oxygen