Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment retunes emotional valence in primate ventral striatum.

ABSTRACT: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely used to treat psychiatric disorders with affective biases such as depression and anxiety. How SSRIs exert a beneficial action on emotions associated with life events is still unknown. Here we ask whether and how the effectiveness of the SSRI fluoxetine is underpinned by neural mechanisms in the ventral striatum. To address these issues, we studied the spiking activity of neurons in the ventral striatum of monkeys during an approach-avoidance task in which the valence assigned to sensory stimuli was manipulated. Neural responses to positive and negative events were measured before and during a 4-week treatment with fluoxetine. We conducted PET scans to confirm that fluoxetine binds within the ventral striatum at a therapeutic dose.

SUBMITTER: Pasquereau B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8505611 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature