title: Differential Effects of Single-Dose Escitalopram on Cognitive and Affective Interference during Stroop Task.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to study the regulatory role of serotonin [(5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] on two key nodes in the cognitive control networks - the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). We hypothesized that increasing the levels of 5-HT would preferentially modulate the activity in ACC during cognitive control during interference by negative affects compared to cognitive control during interference by a superimposed cognitive task.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging investigation on 11 healthy individuals, comparing the effects of the selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor escitalopram on brain oxygenation level dependent signals in the ACC and the DLPFC using affective and cognitive counting Stroop paradigms (aStroop and cStroop).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Escitalopram significantly decreased the activity in rostral ACC during aStroop compared to cStroop (p < 0.05). In the absence of escitalopram, both aStroop and cStroop significantly activated ACC and DLPFC (Z ≥ 2.3, p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that escitalopram in a region and task specific manner modified the cognitive control networks and preferentially decreased activity induced by affective interference in the ACC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Christoffer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rahm
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Benny
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kristoffersen-Wiberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aspelin
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Mussie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Msghina
keywords: 5-hydroxytryptamine; cognitive control; magnetic resonance imaging; prefrontal cortex; serotonin uptake inhibitors