Trial Parameters
Brief Summary
The goal of this study is to investigate how a common antidepressant citalopram (which increases the levels of the chemical messenger serotonin), affects how a key area of the brain involved in depression (the amygdala) responds to emotional information. Healthy participants will undergo medical and psychiatric health screening, after which they will be assigned to receive either a single dose of citalopram (20mg) or placebo, and undergo brain scanning (7T fMRI) whilst viewing emotional faces. Since the scan uses high field strength, the investigators will be able to see effects of citalopram on different subfields within the amygdala which will help to understand how citalopram might be working.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Participant is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the research * Sufficiently fluent English to understand and complete the task Exclusion Criteria: * Participants with ferromagnetic objects in their bodies (e.g. metal implants, vessel clips, shrapnel injuries) or with implanted devices which may be damaged by the magnet (e.g. heart pacemakers) * Any other MRI contraindication following MRI safety screening * History or current significant psychiatric illness (like major depressive disorder) * Current or past diagnosis of any significant personality disorder (e.g. borderline personality disorder) according to self-report * Diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactive disorder or autistic spectrum disorder that impairs daily functioning, requires pharmacotherapy or in the opinion of the study medic would affect the scientific integrity of the study * Currently or within last 3 months taking psychoactive medications (requires further discus