title: 'Can you look me in the face?' Short-term SSRI administration reverts avoidant ocular face exploration in subjects at risk for psychopathology.
abstract: Anxiety and depression are associated with altered ocular exploration of facial stimuli, which could have a role in the misinterpretation of ambiguous emotional stimuli. However, it is unknown whether a similar pattern is seen in individuals at risk for psychopathology and whether this can be modified by pharmacological interventions used in these disorders. In Study 1, eye gaze movement during face discrimination was compared in volunteers with high vs low neuroticism scores on the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Facial stimuli either displayed a neutral, happy, or fearful expression. In Study 2, volunteers with high neuroticism were randomized in a double-blind design to receive the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram (20 mg) or placebo for 7 days. On the last day of treatment, eye gaze movement during face presentation and the recognition of different emotional expressions was assessed. In Study 1, highly neurotic volunteers showed reduced eye gaze towards the eyes vs mouth region of the face compared with low neurotic volunteers. In Study 2, citalopram increased gaze maintenance over the face stimuli compared with placebo and enhanced recognition of positive vs negative facial expressions. Longer ocular exploration of happy faces correlated positively with recognition of positive emotions. Individuals at risk for psychopathology presented an avoidant pattern of ocular exploration of faces. Short-term SSRI administration reversed this bias before any mood or anxiety changes. This treatment effect may improve the capacity to scan social stimuli and contribute to the remediation of clinical symptoms related to interpersonal difficulties.
authors.affiliation: 1] MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, UK [2] Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Simplicio
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doallo
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Department, Psychiatry Section, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Costoloni
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology and Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rohenkohl
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology and Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Anna C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Nobre
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Catherine J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Harmer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015283:Citalopram / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000187:drug effects*; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D064232:Visual Analog Scale; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015283:Citalopram; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors