Download PDF
Pharmacopsychiatry 2004; 37(5): 200-205
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-827244
Original Paper
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

The Impact of the Selective Monoamine Reuptake Inhibitors Reboxetine and Citalopram on Visually-Evoked Event-Related Potentials in Depressed Patients

G. Hetzel1 , O. Moeller1 , A. Erfurth1 , N. Michael1 , M. Rothermundt1 , V. Arolt1 , S. Evers2
  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
  • 2Department of Neurology, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 20.2.2003 Revised: 16.5.2003

Accepted: 3.7.2003

Publication Date:
10 September 2004 (online)

Also available at
    Permissions and Reprints

Objective: The aim of our study was to assess the possible relationship between event-related potentials (ERP) and serotonergic or noradrenergic activity in depression. Therefore, we were interested in the impact of different monoamine reuptake inhibitors on ERP.

Methods: Thirty-six inpatients with major depression were treated with either reboxetine (n = 17) or citalopram (n = 19) in a prospective randomized study. Before and after four weeks of treatment, visually-evoked ERP were investigated. Twenty-two patients completed the study. Monoaminergic function was determined by oral reboxetine and citalopram challenge tests.

Results: P3 latency significantly decreased after a four-week treatment with either drug. There was no significant difference in the decrease of P3 latency between both drugs. We detected a significant inverse correlation between serotonergic hypofunction before treatment and the P3 latency (r = -0.739, p = 0.001).

Conclusions: These results show that, in depressed patients, the P3 latency is decreased by antidepressive treatment. Furthermore, the results suggest that P3 latency might depend on the serotonergic rather than the noradrenergic system.

References

  • 1 Attenburrow M J, Mitter P R, Whale R, Terao T, Cowen P J. Low-dose citalopram as a 5-HT neuroendocrine probe.  Psychopharmacology. 2001;  155 323-326
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Bange F, Bathien N. Visual cognitive dysfunction in depression: an event-related potential study.  Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1998;  108 472-481
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Bergmann J F, Laneury J P, Duchene P. Pharmacokinetics of reboxetine in healthy, elderly volunteers.  Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet. 2000;  25 195-198
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Blackwood D H, Whalley L J, Christie J E, Blackburn I M, St Clair D M, McInnes A. Changes in auditory P3 event-related potential in schizophrenia and depression.  Br J Psychiatry. 1987;  150 154-160
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Bruder G E, Towey J P, Stewart J W, Friedman D, Tenke C, Quitkin F M. Event-related potentials in depression: influence of task, stimulus hemifield and clinical features on P3 latency.  Biol Psychiatry. 1991;  30 233-246
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 D’Ardhuy X L, Boeijinga P H, Renault B, Luthringer R, Rinaudo G, Soufflet L, Toussaint M, Macher J. Effects of serotonin-selective and classical antidepressants on the auditory P300 cognitive potential.  Neuropsychobiology. 1999;  40 207-213
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Debener S, Strobel A, Kurschner K, Kranczioch C, Hebenstreit J, Maercker A, Beauducel A, Brocke B. Is auditory-evoked potential augmenting/reducing affected by acute tryptophan depletion?.  Biol Psychol. 2002;  59 121-133
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Dierks T, Frolich L, Ihl R, Maurer K. Event-related potentials and psychopharmacology. Cholinergic modulation of p 300.  Pharmacopsychiatry. 1994;  27 72-74
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Ehlers C L, Wall T L, Chaplin R I. Long latency event-related potentials in rats: effects of dopaminergic and serotonergic depletions.  Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1991;  38 789-793
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Evers S, Böckermann I, Nyhuis P W. The impact of transcranial magnetic stimulation on cognitive processing: an event-related potential study.  Neuroreport. 2001;  12 2915-2918
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Evers S, Quibeldey F, Grotemeyer K H, Suhr B, Husstedt I W. Dynamic changes of cognitive habituation and serotonin metabolism during the migraine interval.  Cephalalgia. 1999;  19 485-491
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Evers S, Suhr B, Grotemeyer K H. Effects of sumatriptan on visually evoked event-related potentials. In: Olesen J, Moskowitz MA, editors Experimental headache models. Philadelphia; Lippincott-Raven 1995: 289-292
    Google Scholar
  • 13 Gallinat J, Bottlender R, Juckel G, Munke-Puchner A, Stolz G, Kuss H J. The Loudness dependency of the auditory-evoked N1/P2-component as a predictor of the acute SSRI response in depression.  Psychopharmacology. 2000;  148 404-411
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Gangadhar B N, Ancy J, Janakiramaiah N, Umapathy C. P300 amplitude in nonbipolar, melancholic depression.  J Affect Disord. 1993;  28 57-60
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Halgren E, Squires N K, Wilson C L, Rohrbaugh J W, Babb T L, Crandall P H. Endogenous potentials generated in the Human hippocampal formation and amygdala by infrequent events.  Science. 1980;  210 803-805
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Hansenne M, Ansseau M. P300 event-related potential and serotonin-1A activity in depression.  Eur Psychiatry. 1999;  14 143-147
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Hegerl U, Juckel G. Intensity dependence of auditory-evoked potentials as an indicator of central serotonergic neurotransmission: a new hypothesis.  Biol Psychiatry. 1993;  33 173-187
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Hegerl U, Juckel G. Auditory-evoked dipote source activity: indicator of central serotonergic dysfunction in psychiatric patients?.  Pharmacopsychiatry. 1994;  27 75-78
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Hegerl U, Juckel G, Möller H J. Ereigniskorrelierte Hirnpotentiale als Indikatoren neurochemischer Dysfunktion bei psychiatrischen Patienten. Nervenarzt 1996 67: 360-368
    Google Scholar
  • 20 Hegerl U, Gallinat J, Juckel G. Event-related potentials: Do they reflect central serotonergic neurotransmission and do they predict clinical response to serotonin agonists?.  J Affect Disord. 2001;  62 93-100
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Heinz A, Jones D W, Bissette G, Hommer D, Ragan P, Knable M, Wellek S, Linnoila M, Weinberger D R. Relationship between Cortisol and Serotonin Metabolites and Transporters in Alcoholism.  Pharmacopsychiatry. 2002;  35 127-134
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Hennig J, Lange N, Haag A. Reboxetine in a neuroendocrine challenge paradigm: evidence for high cortisol responses in healthy volunteers scoring high on subclinical depression.  Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2000;  3 193-201
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Himani A, Tandon O P, Bhatia M S. A study of P300 event-related evoked potential in the patients of major depression.  Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1999;  43 367-372
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Humbert T. Neuroendocrine effects of benzodiazepines.  Ann Med Psychol (Paris). 1994;  152 161-171
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Ito J, Yamos S, Fukuda H, Mimori Y, Nakamura S. The P300 event-related potentials in depression of the Alzheimer type. Correlations between P300 and monoamine metabolites.  Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1990;  77 178
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Kapitany T, Schindl M, Schindler S D. The citalopram challenge test in patients with major depression and in healthy controls.  Psychiatry Res. 1999;  88 75-88
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 27 Kragh-Sorensen P, Overo K F, Petersen O L, Jensen K, Parnas W. The kinetics of citalopram: single and multiple dose studies in man.  Acta Pharmacol Toxicol. 1981;  48 53-60
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 28 Kühn K U, Quednow B B, Bagli M, Meyer K, Feuchtl A, Westheide J, Frahnert C, Maier W, Rao M L. Allelic Variants of the Serotonin2c Receptor and Neuroendocrinological Responses to the Serotonin2c Receptor Agonist m-Chlorophenylpiperazine in Healthy Male Volunteers.  Pharmacopsychiatry. 2002;  35 226-230
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Meador K J, Hendricks N, Nichols M E, Oberzan R, Moore E E, Loring D W. Combined cholinergic and serotonergic effects on the P3 cognitive potential.  Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1993;  87 110
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 30 Moeller O, Hetzel G, Rothermundt M, Michael N, Nyhuis P W, Suslow T, Arolt V, Erfurth A. Oral citalopram and reboxetine challenge tests before and after selective antidepressant treatment.  J Psychiatr Res. 2003;  37 261-262
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 31 Montgomery S A, Asberg M. A new depression scale designed to be sensitive to change.  Br J Psychiatry. 1979;  134 382-389
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 32 Mulert C, Juckel G, Augustin H, Hegerl U. Comparison between the analysis of the loudness dependency of the auditory N1/P2 component with LORETA and dipole source analysis in the prediction of treatment response to the selective reuptake inhibitor citalopram in major depression.  Clin Neuropysiol. 2002;  113 1566-1572
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 33 Nelson C A, Collins P F, Torres F. P300 brain activity in seizure patients preceding temporal lobectomy.  Arch Neurol. 1991;  48 141-147
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 34 Okada Y C, Kaufman L, Williamson S J. The hippocampal formation as a source of the slow endogenous potentials.  Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1983;  55 417-426
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 35 Paige S R, Fitzpatrick D F, Kline J P, Balogh S E, Hendricks S E. Event-related potential amplitude/intensity slopes predict response to antidepressants.  Neuropsychobiology. 1994;  30 197-201
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 36 Paige S R, Hendricks S E, Fitzpatrick D F, Balogh S, Burke W J. Amplitude/intensity functions of auditory event-related potentials predict resposiveness to bupropion in major depression disorder.  Psychopharmacol Bull. 1995;  31 243-248
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 37 Pascual-Leone A, Rubio B, Pallardo F, Catala M D. Rapid-rate transcranial magnetic stimulation of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in drug-resistant depression.  Lancet. 1996;  348 233-237
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 38 Pineda J A, Foote S L, Neville H J. Effects of locus coeruleus lesions on auditory, long-latency, event-related potentials in monkey.  J Neurosci. 1989;  9 81-93
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 39 Proietti-Cecchini A, Afra J, Schoenen J. Intensità dependence of the cortical auditory evoked potentials as a surrogate marker of central nervous system serotonin transmission in man.  Cephalalgia. 1997;  17 849-854
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 40 Sanz M, Molina V, Martin-Loeches M, Calcedo A, Rubia F J. Auditory P300 event related potential and serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder patients.  Psychiatry Res. 2001;  101 75-81
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 41 Simson R, Vaughn H G, Ritter W. The scalp topography of potentials in auditory and visual discrimination tasks.  Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1977;  42 528-535
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 42 Szabo S, Blier P. Effect of the selective noradrenergic reuptake inhibitor reboxetine on the firing activity of noradrenaline and serotonin neurons.  Eur J Neurosci. 2001;  13 2077-2087
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 43 Szabo S, Blier P. Effects of the selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor reboxetine on norepinephrine and serotonin transmission in the rat hippocampus.  Neuropsychopharmacology. 2001;  25 845-857
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 44 Ueda N, Yoshimura R, Shinkai K, Nakamura J. Plasma Levels of Catecholamine Metabolites Predict the Response to Sulpiride or Fluvoxamine in Major Depression.  Pharmacopsychiatry. 2002;  35 175-181
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 45 Vandoolaeghe E, van Hunsel F, Nuyten D, Maes M. Auditory event related potentials in major depression: prolonged P300 latency and increased P200 amplitude.  J Affect Disord . 1998;  48 105-113
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 46 Von Knorring L, Perris C. Biochemistry of the augmenting/reducing response in visual evoked potentials.  Neuropsychology. 1981;  7 1-8
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 47 Wittchen H -O, Pfister H. Diagnostisches Expertensystem für psychische Störungen DIA-X. Frankfurt; SWETS Test Services 1997
    Google Scholar
  • 48 Yanai I, Fujikawa T, Osada M, Yamawaki S, Touhouda Y. Changes in auditory P300 in patients with major depression and silent cerebral infarction.  J Affect Disord . 1997;  46 263-271
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 49 Yingling C D, Hosobuchi Y. A subcortical correlate of P300 in man.  Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1984;  59 72-76
    PubMedGoogle Scholar

Guenter Hetzel, MD

Department of Psychiatry

University of Muenster

Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 11

48129 Muenster

Germany

Phone: +49 251/8356678

Fax: +49 251/8356612

Email: hetzelg@uni-muenster.de