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Neuronal effects of acute citalopram detected by pharmacoMRI

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Abstract

Rationale

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is implicated in the aetiology and treatment of a variety of psychiatric disorders. A limitation of research has been the necessity to use indirect measures of 5-HT function.

Method

We describe a method of analysing pharmacoMRI data using SPM and apply it to the direct i.v. infusion of selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor, citalopram, in 12 healthy volunteers. Scanning took place on a 1.5-T Philips MRI scanner.

Results

Areas implicated in depression and its treatment were observed to have increasing signal with respect to time. These areas included the caudate, the amygdala, the hippocampus, the striatum and the thalamus.

Conclusion

Direct pMRI using i.v. citalopram opens new ways of investigating 5-HT mechanism in depression and its treatment.

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Acknowledgements

The project was funded by an unrestricted Freedom to Discover Award from Bristol Myers Squibb to JFWD.

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Correspondence to J. F. W. Deakin.

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McKie, S., Del-Ben, C., Elliott, R. et al. Neuronal effects of acute citalopram detected by pharmacoMRI. Psychopharmacology 180, 680–686 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-005-2270-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-005-2270-y

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