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Acute treatment with the antidepressants bupropion and sertraline do not influence memory retrieval in man

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Abstract

Objective

Several evidences implicate that monoamines play a modulatory role in the brain mechanisms underlying encoding and retrieval of emotional memories. Recent experiments demonstrate that acute monoaminergic potentiation with the antidepressants bupropion or sertraline enhance the retrieval of longterm emotional memory in rodents. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that acute monoaminergic re–uptake inhibition with these antidepressants might enhance retrieval of emotional memory in man.

Methods

The central monoaminergic system was stimulated with either bupropion or sertraline in a doubleblind, randomized, placebo–controlled design with 105 healthy adult subjects divided in three groups (placebo, 150 mg–bupropion and 50 mg–sertraline). Memory was evaluated with a ‘surprise’ memory test 7 days after the presentation of an emotional story and with a wordcued autobiographical memory test.

Results

A total of 99 volunteers completed the experimental procedures. Contrasting to our prediction, we found no memory enhancing effect for either drug in both memory tests. All groups showed the expected heightened memory performance to the middle ‘emotive’phase of the story.

Conclusion

Stimulation of the central monoaminergic system with the antidepressants bupropion and sertraline did not enhance the retrieval of long–term emotional memories in man.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Memória, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    A. F. Carvalho MD, E. P. Cruz, P. L. Stürmer, B. P. Reichman & B. M. Barea

  2. Memory Center, Institute of Biomedical Research, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    C. A. Köhler & I. Izquierdo MD, PhD

  3. Neurology Service Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    M. L. F. Chaves MD, PhD

Authors
  1. A. F. Carvalho MD
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  2. C. A. Köhler
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  3. E. P. Cruz
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  4. P. L. Stürmer
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  5. B. P. Reichman
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  6. B. M. Barea
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  7. I. Izquierdo MD, PhD
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  8. M. L. F. Chaves MD, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. F. Carvalho MD.

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Carvalho, A.F., Köhler, C.A., Cruz, E.P. et al. Acute treatment with the antidepressants bupropion and sertraline do not influence memory retrieval in man. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 256, 320–325 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-006-0640-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-006-0640-z

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