Differential effects of the translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) ligand etifoxine and the benzodiazepine alprazolam on startle response to predictable threat in a NPU-threat task after acute and short-term treatment.

Autor: Brunner LM; Department of Medicine, Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany. lisa-marie.brunner@medbo.de.; Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. lisa-marie.brunner@medbo.de., Maurer F; Department of Medicine, Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany., Weber K; Department of Medicine, Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany., Weigl J; Department of Medicine, Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany., Milenkovic VM; Department of Medicine, Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany., Rupprecht R; Department of Medicine, Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany., Nothdurfter C; Department of Medicine, Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany., Mühlberger A; Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Psychopharmacology [Psychopharmacology (Berl)] 2022 Jul; Vol. 239 (7), pp. 2233-2244. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Mar 12.
DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06111-x
Abstrakt: Rationale: Benzodiazepines have been extensively investigated in experimental settings especially after single administration, which mostly revealed effects on unpredictable threat (U-threat) rather than predictable threat (P-threat). Given the need for pharmacological alternatives with a preferable side-effect profile and to better represent clinical conditions, research should cover also other anxiolytics and longer application times.
Objectives: The present study compared the acute and short-term effects of the translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) ligand etifoxine and the benzodiazepine alprazolam on P-threat and U-threat while controlling for sedation.
Methods: Sixty healthy male volunteers, aged between 18 and 55 years, were randomly assigned to receive a daily dose of either 150 mg etifoxine, 1.5 mg alprazolam, or placebo for 5 days. On days 1 and 5 of intake, they performed a NPU-threat task including neutral (N), predictable (P), and unpredictable (U) conditions, while startle responsivity and self-reports were studied. Sedative effects were assessed using a continuous performance test.
Results: Neither alprazolam nor etifoxine affected startle responsivity to U-threat on any of the testing days. While etifoxine reduced the startle response to P-threat on day 1 of treatment for transformed data, a contrary effect of alprazolam was found for raw values. No effects on self-reports and no evidence of sedation could be observed for either drug.
Conclusions: None of the anxiolytic substances had an impact on startle potentiation to U-threat even after several days of intake. The effects of the anxiolytics on startle responsivity to P-threat as well as implications for future studies are discussed.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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