The Role of Serotonin in Compulsive Behavior in Humans: Underlying Brain Mechanisms

Summary

The aim of this project is to investigate: * The status of the central serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) system in compulsive behaviour and how it is affected by sub-chronic escitalopram administration * The mechanisms underlying how sub-chronic administration of escitalopram affects the central 5-HT system * How changes in cognitive performance, including the balance between habitual and goal-directed mechanisms, are affected in compulsive behaviour by boosting 5-HT function * How functional brain changes in cognitive function measured with magnetic resonance imaging relate to altered 5-HT function following escitalopram administration.

Timeline

Start

2020-04-01

Primary completion

2027-12-31

Completion

2027-12-31

Publications

• Background Clarke HF, Dalley JW, Crofts HS, Robbins TW, Roberts AC. Cognitive inflexibility after prefrontal serotonin depletion. Science. 2004 May 7;304(5672):878-80. doi: 10.1126/science.1094987.
• Background Dayan P, Huys QJ. Serotonin in affective control. Annu Rev Neurosci. 2009;32:95-126. doi: 10.1146/annurev.neuro.051508.135607.
• Background Palminteri S, Clair AH, Mallet L, Pessiglione M. Similar improvement of reward and punishment learning by serotonin reuptake inhibitors in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Biol Psychiatry. 2012 Aug 1;72(3):244-50. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.12.028. Epub 2012 Feb 10.
• Background Pelloux Y, Dilleen R, Economidou D, Theobald D, Everitt BJ. Reduced forebrain serotonin transmission is causally involved in the development of compulsive cocaine seeking in rats. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2012 Oct;37(11):2505-14. doi: 10.1038/npp.2012.111. Epub 2012 Jul 4.
• Background Groman SM, James AS, Seu E, Crawford MA, Harpster SN, Jentsch JD. Monoamine levels within the orbitofrontal cortex and putamen interact to predict reversal learning performance. Biol Psychiatry. 2013 Apr 15;73(8):756-62. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.12.002. Epub 2013 Jan 16.
• Background Worbe Y, Palminteri S, Savulich G, Daw ND, Fernandez-Egea E, Robbins TW, Voon V. Valence-dependent influence of serotonin depletion on model-based choice strategy. Mol Psychiatry. 2016 May;21(5):624-9. doi: 10.1038/mp.2015.46. Epub 2015 Apr 14.
• Background el Mansari M, Bouchard C, Blier P. Alteration of serotonin release in the guinea pig orbito-frontal cortex by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Relevance to treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology. 1995 Oct;13(2):117-27. doi: 10.1016/0893-133X(95)00045-F.
• Background Lissemore JI, Sookman D, Gravel P, Berney A, Barsoum A, Diksic M, Nordahl TE, Pinard G, Sibon I, Cottraux J, Leyton M, Benkelfat C. Brain serotonin synthesis capacity in obsessive-compulsive disorder: effects of cognitive behavioral therapy and sertraline. Transl Psychiatry. 2018 Apr 18;8(1):82. doi: 10.1038/s41398-018-0128-4.
• Background Banca P, Voon V, Vestergaard MD, Philipiak G, Almeida I, Pocinho F, Relvas J, Castelo-Branco M. Imbalance in habitual versus goal directed neural systems during symptom provocation in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Brain. 2015 Mar;138(Pt 3):798-811. doi: 10.1093/brain/awu379. Epub 2015 Jan 6.
• Background Gillan CM, Papmeyer M, Morein-Zamir S, Sahakian BJ, Fineberg NA, Robbins TW, de Wit S. Disruption in the balance between goal-directed behavior and habit learning in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2011 Jul;168(7):718-26. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.10071062. Epub 2011 May 15.
• Background Apergis-Schoute AM, Gillan CM, Fineberg NA, Fernandez-Egea E, Sahakian BJ, Robbins TW. Neural basis of impaired safety signaling in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Mar 21;114(12):3216-3221. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1609194114. Epub 2017 Mar 6.
• Background Chamberlain SR, Fineberg NA, Blackwell AD, Robbins TW, Sahakian BJ. Motor inhibition and cognitive flexibility in obsessive-compulsive disorder and trichotillomania. Am J Psychiatry. 2006 Jul;163(7):1282-4. doi: 10.1176/ajp.2006.163.7.1282.
• Background Chamberlain SR, Fineberg NA, Menzies LA, Blackwell AD, Bullmore ET, Robbins TW, Sahakian BJ. Impaired cognitive flexibility and motor inhibition in unaffected first-degree relatives of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2007 Feb;164(2):335-8. doi: 10.1176/ajp.2007.164.2.335.
• Background Vaghi MM, Vertes PE, Kitzbichler MG, Apergis-Schoute AM, van der Flier FE, Fineberg NA, Sule A, Zaman R, Voon V, Kundu P, Bullmore ET, Robbins TW. Specific Frontostriatal Circuits for Impaired Cognitive Flexibility and Goal-Directed Planning in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Evidence From Resting-State Functional Connectivity. Biol Psychiatry. 2017 Apr 15;81(8):708-717. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.08.009. Epub 2016 Aug 11.
• Background Goodman WK, Price LH, Rasmussen SA, Mazure C, Delgado P, Heninger GR, Charney DS. The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. II. Validity. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1989 Nov;46(11):1012-6. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1989.01810110054008.
• Background Haahr ME, Fisher PM, Jensen CG, Frokjaer VG, Mahon BM, Madsen K, Baare WF, Lehel S, Norremolle A, Rabiner EA, Knudsen GM. Central 5-HT4 receptor binding as biomarker of serotonergic tonus in humans: a [11C]SB207145 PET study. Mol Psychiatry. 2014 Apr;19(4):427-32. doi: 10.1038/mp.2013.147. Epub 2013 Nov 5.
• Background Foa, E. B. et al. The validation of a new obsessive-compulsive disorder scale: The obsessive-compulsive inventory. Psychological Assessment 10(3), 206-214, 1998.

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Indications