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Effects of amisulpride on human resting cerebral perfusion

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Abstract

Rationale

Quantitative neuroimaging studies show that different neuroleptics have similar effects on resting metabolism/perfusion in the basal ganglia, but vary in their effect on the cortex, especially in the prefrontal and temporal lobes. These differences may represent signatures of the action of medication on distinctive receptor combinations.

Objectives

This study seeks to determine the effect on cerebral perfusion at rest of low-dose amisulpride, a neuroleptic with a receptor profile relatively selective to dopaminergic D2-receptors and both antidepressant and antipsychotic efficacy.

Methods

Continuous arterial spin labelling in a placebo-controlled, double blind, crossover study at steady state of N = 20 healthy male adults.

Results

Relative to placebo, amisulpride was associated with extensive and significant cortical decrements in resting perfusion levels, particularly in the prefrontal lobes (p = 0.01, corrected). Decrements spared the basal ganglia, where perfusion was slightly increased.

Conclusions

In contrast to earlier reports on other neuroleptics, amisulpride was associated with intense cortical perfusion decrements at rest. These results are consistent with an existing model in which dopaminergic blockade is associated not only with metabolism/perfusion increases in the basal ganglia, but also with decreases in the cerebral cortex that in most neuroleptics are compensated by action on other receptor systems. The selective receptor profile of amisulpride may explain the extensive cortical decrements.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Prof. Jongjong Wang for granting the use of the continuous ASL sequence and Prof. Georg Grön for technical assistance. The authors declare no conflict of interest. This study was conducted without recourse to extramural sources of funding. Experiments complied with the current laws of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. This study was conducted without recourse to extramural sources of funding. We have full control of all primary data and we agree to allow the journal to review the data if requested.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, Leimgrubenweg 12, 89075, Ulm, Germany

    Roberto Viviani, Heiko Graf, Maike Wiegers & Birgit Abler

  2. Institute of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Roberto Viviani

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  1. Roberto Viviani
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  2. Heiko Graf
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Correspondence to Roberto Viviani.

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Viviani, R., Graf, H., Wiegers, M. et al. Effects of amisulpride on human resting cerebral perfusion. Psychopharmacology 229, 95–103 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-013-3091-z

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