Acute fluoxetine modulates emotional processing in young adult volunteers

Journal article

Background Fluoxetine is generally regarded as the first-line pharmacological treatment for young people, as it is believed to show a more favourable benefit:risk ratio than other antidepressants. However, the mechanisms through which fluoxetine influences symptoms in youth have been little investigated. This study examined whether acute administration of fluoxetine in a sample of young healthy adults altered the processing of affective information, including positive, sad and anger cues. Method A total of 35 male and female volunteers aged between 18 and 21 years old were randomized to receive a single 20 mg dose of fluoxetine or placebo. At 6 h after administration, participants completed a facial expression recognition task, an emotion-potentiated startle task, an attentional dot-probe task and the Rapid Serial Visual Presentation. Subjective ratings of mood, anxiety and side effects were also taken pre- and post-fluoxetine/placebo administration. Results Relative to placebo-treated participants, participants receiving fluoxetine were less accurate at identifying anger and sadness and did not show the emotion-potentiated startle effect. There were no overall significant effects of fluoxetine on subjective ratings of mood. Conclusions Fluoxetine can modulate emotional processing after a single dose in young adults. This pattern of effects suggests a potential cognitive mechanism for the greater benefit:risk ratio of fluoxetine in adolescent patients.

Authors: Capitão, L; Murphy, S; Browning, M; Cowen, P; Harmer, C

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Journal: Psychological Medicine
• Volume: 45
• Issue: 11
• Pages: 2295-2308
• Publication date: 2015-04-13
• Acceptance date: 2015-01-25
• DOI: 10.1017/S0033291715000240
• EISSN: 1469-8978
• ISSN: 0033-2917
• Pmid: 25864939
• Keywords: anger processing; adolescent depression; fluoxetine; selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors; anxiety; antidepressants