1 Emotion Neuroimaging (EGG) Lab, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
2 Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
3 International Max Planck Research School NeuroCom, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
4 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Methods & Development Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
5 Department of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
6 Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, Canada.
7 Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Rudolf-Boehm-Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
8 Centre for Cognition and Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia.
9 Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, Leipzig, Germany.
10 MindBrainBody Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

The contribution of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors to motor learning by inducing motor cortical plasticity remains controversial given diverse findings from positive preclinical data to negative findings in recent clinical trials. To empirically address this translational disparity, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging in a double-blind, randomized controlled study to assess whether 20?mg escitalopram improves sequence-specific motor performance and modulates cortical motor response in 64 healthy female participants. We found decreased left premotor cortex responses during sequence-specific learning performance comparing single dose and steady escitalopram state. Escitalopram plasma levels negatively correlated with the premotor cortex response. We did not find evidence in support of improved motor performance after a week of escitalopram intake. These findings do not support the conclusion that one week escitalopram intake increases motor performance but could reflect early adaptive plasticity with improved neural processing underlying similar task performance when steady peripheral escitalopram levels are reached.

PMID: 33148103 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]