A single oral dose of citalopram increases interoceptive insight in healthy volunteers.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Interoception is the signalling, perception, and interpretation of internal physiological states. Many mental disorders associated with changes of interoception, including depressive and anxiety disorders, are treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However, the causative link between SSRIs and interoception is not yet clear.

Objectives

To ascertain the causal effect of acute changes of serotonin levels on cardiac interoception.

Methods

Using a within-participant placebo-controlled design, forty-seven healthy human volunteers (31 female, 16 male) were tested on and off a 20 mg oral dose of the commonly prescribed SSRI, citalopram. Participants made judgements on the synchrony between their heartbeat and auditory tones and then expressed

SUBMITTER: Livermore JJA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9205807 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature