Vanicek, Thomas and Reed, Murray B. B. and Seiger, Rene and Godbersen, Godber M. M. and Klöbl, Manfred and Unterholzner, Jakob and Spurny-Dworak, Benjamin and Gryglewski, Gregor and Handschuh, Patricia and Schmidt, Clemens and Kraus, Christoph and Stimpfl, Thomas and Rupprecht, Rainer and Kasper, Siegfried and Lanzenberger, Rupert (2022) Increased left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex density following escitalopram intake during relearning: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in healthy humans. THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES IN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY, 12: 2045125322. ISSN 2045-1253, 2045-1261
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
Background: Serotonergic agents affect brain plasticity and reverse stress-induced dendritic atrophy in key fronto-limbic brain areas associated with learning and memory. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate effects of the antidepressant escitalopram on gray matter during relearning in healthy individuals to inform a model for depression and the neurobiological processes of recovery. Design: Randomized double blind placebo control, monocenter study. Methods: In all, 76 (44 females) healthy individuals performed daily an associative learning task with emotional or non-emotional content over a 3-week period. This was followed by a 3-week relearning period (randomly shuffled association within the content group) with concurrent daily selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (i.e., 10 mg escitalopram) or placebo intake. Results: Via voxel-based morphometry and only in individuals that developed sufficient escitalopram blood levels over the 21-day relearing period, an increased density of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was found. When investigating whether there was an interaction between relearning and drug intervention for all participants, regardless of escitalopram levels, no changes in gray matter were detected with either surfaced-based or voxel-based morphometry analyses. Conclusion: The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex affects executive function and emotional processing, and is a critical mediator of symptoms and treatment outcomes of depression. In line, the findings suggest that escitalopram facilitates neuroplastic processes in this region if blood levels are sufficient. Contrary to our hypothesis, an effect of escitalopram on brain structure that is dependent of relearning content was not detected. However, this may have been a consequence of the intensity and duration of the interventions.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS; MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER; FACE-NAME ASSOCIATIONS; CEREBRAL-BLOOD-FLOW; SYNAPTIC PLASTICITY; ANTIDEPRESSANT TREATMENT; TRYPTOPHAN DEPLETION; MEMORY; BRAIN; NEUROPLASTICITY; associative learning; relearning; depression model; escitalopram; neuroplasticity; selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors |
| Subjects: | 600 Technology > 610 Medical sciences Medicine |
| Divisions: | Medicine > Lehrstuhl für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 16 Feb 2024 08:01 |
| Last Modified: | 16 Feb 2024 08:01 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/57981 |
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