Pindolol does not augment central serotonin function increases to citalopram in humans : an auditory evoked potential investigation

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Title: Pindolol does not augment central serotonin function increases to citalopram in humans : an auditory evoked potential investigation
Author(s): Segrave, Rebecca; Croft, Rodney J.; Illic, Susan; Luan Phan, K.; Nathan, Pradeep J.
Abstract: Animal studies have demonstrated that the co-administration of pindolol and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) potentiate serotonergic functioning to a greater degree than SSRIs alone. However, clinical trials of pindolol augmentation in patients with major depressive disorder have reported contradictory findings, and the central effects of this treatment regime on serotonin functioning in humans are unknown. The current double-blind placebo controlled repeated measures investigation used the loudness dependence auditory evoked potential (LDAEP) to assess central serotonin functioning in healthy participants across three acute treatment conditions: placebo, citalopram (20 mg), and pindolol (10 mg) + citalopram (20 mg). The current paper focuses on the effects of pindolol augmentation of citalopram as compared to the administration of citalopram alone. Enhancement of serotonin function with citalopram in comparison to placebo decreased the slope of the LDAEP (i.e. weaker LDAEP). However, there were no significant differences between the changes in the LDAEP induced by co-administration of pindolol and citalopram compared to citalopram. The present results indicate that, in healthy controls, pindolol augmentation of SSRIs does not potentiate central serotonin function to a greater degree than the administration of an SSRI alone. The findings may provide further support for why pindolol may not be an effective therapeutic strategy to augment serotonin function and antidepressant response.
Publication type: Journal article
Research centre: Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Life and Social Sciences. Brain Sciences Institute
Source: Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, Vol. 85, no. 1 (2006), p. 82-90
Publication year: 2006
Keyword(s): 5-HT1A receptor; Citalopram; Loudness dependence auditory evoked potentials; Pindolol; Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor; Serotonin
Publisher: Elsevier
Format: 82-90
ISSN: 0091-3057
Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pbb.2006.07.013
Peer reviewed