Spatiotemporal Brain Dynamics of Emotional Face Processing Modulations Induced by the Serotonin 1A/2A Receptor Agonist Psilocybin
This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (n=30) investigated the effects of psilocybin (12mg/70kg) on emotional face processing as measured with EEG and found a reduced neural response to both neutral and emotional faces induced by psilocybin due to a psilocybin-induced increase in top-down control.
Authors
- Erich Seifritz
- Franz Vollenweider
- Matthias Kometer
Published
Abstract
Introduction
Emotional face processing is critically modulated by the serotonergic system. For instance, emotional face processing is impaired by acute psilocybin administration, a serotonin (5-HT) 1A and 2A receptor agonist. However, the spatiotemporal brain mechanisms underlying these modulations are poorly understood.
Methods
Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal brain dynamics underlying psilocybin-induced modulations during emotional face processing. Electrical neuroimaging analyses were applied to visual evoked potentials in response to emotional faces, following psilocybin and placebo administration.
Results
Our results indicate a first time period of strength (i.e., Global Field Power) modulation over the 168-189 ms poststimulus interval, induced by psilocybin. A second time period of strength modulation was identified over the 211-242 ms poststimulus interval. Source estimations over these 2 time periods further revealed decreased activity in response to both neutral and fearful faces within limbic areas, including amygdala and parahippocampal gyrus, and the right temporal cortex over the 168-189 ms interval, and reduced activity in response to happy faces within limbic and right temporo-occipital brain areas over the 211-242 ms interval.
Discussion
Our results indicate a selective and temporally dissociable effect of psilocybin on the neuronal correlates of emotional face processing, consistent with a modulation of the top-down control.
Research Summary of 'Spatiotemporal Brain Dynamics of Emotional Face Processing Modulations Induced by the Serotonin 1A/2A Receptor Agonist Psilocybin'
Introduction
Facial expressions are central to social behaviour, and accurate emotional face processing is disrupted in mood disorders. Previous work has implicated the brain's serotonergic system in these processes: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and receptor-directed manipulations alter behavioural recognition of emotional faces and neural responses in regions such as the amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus and prefrontal cortex. Acute administration of psilocybin, a serotonin 5-HT1A/2A receptor agonist, has been reported to impair aspects of emotional face processing, particularly affecting the fine-grained, structural encoding of facial features occurring around 170 ms after stimulus onset, but the detailed spatiotemporal brain mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Bernasconi and colleagues set out to characterise those mechanisms by applying electrical neuroimaging to visual evoked potentials (VEPs) elicited by neutral, fearful and happy faces under placebo and psilocybin. The study aimed to disentangle whether psilocybin-induced changes reflect alterations in overall response strength versus changes in topography (generator configuration) and to localise those effects with a distributed source model (LAURA). This approach allows separation of amplitude (Global Field Power), topographic (global dissimilarity) and latency effects across time, providing a temporally precise picture of psilocybin's impact on emotional face processing.
Expert Research Summaries
Go Pro to access AI-powered section-by-section summaries, editorial takes, and the full research toolkit.
Full Text PDF
Full Paper PDF
Create a free account to open full-text PDFs.
Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Journal
- Compound
- Topic
- Authors
- APA Citation
Bernasconi, F., Schmidt, A., Pokorny, T., Kometer, M., Seifritz, E., & Vollenweider, F. X. (2014). Spatiotemporal Brain Dynamics of Emotional Face Processing Modulations Induced by the Serotonin 1A/2A Receptor Agonist Psilocybin. Cerebral Cortex, 24(12), 3221-3231. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bht178
References (11)
Papers cited by this study that are also in Blossom
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Erritzoe, D., Williams, T. et al. · PNAS (2012)
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Leech, R., Williams, T. M. et al. · British Journal of Psychiatry (2018)
Carter, O., Burr, D. C., Pettigrew, J. D. et al. · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (2006)
Kometer, M., Cahn, B. R., Andel, D. et al. · Biological Psychiatry (2011)
Kometer, M., Schmidt, A., Bachmann, R. et al. · Biological Psychiatry (2012)
Quednow, B. B., Kometer, M., Geyer, M. A. et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2011)
Schmidt, A., Kometer, M., Bachmann, R. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2012)
Studerus, E., Gamma, A., Vollenweider, F. X. · PLOS ONE (2010)
Vollenweider, F. X., Csomor, P. A., Knappe, B. et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2007)
Vollenweider, F. X., Kometer, M. · Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2010)
Show all 11 referencesShow fewer
Vollenweider, F. X., Leenders, K. L., Maguire, P. et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology (1997)
Cited By (29)
Papers in Blossom that reference this study
Lewis-Healey, E., Pallavicini, C., Cavanna, F. et al. · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (2025)
Haggarty, C. J., Molla, H. M., Glazer, J. et al. · Psychedelic Medicine (2024)
Stoliker, D., Novelli, L., Vollenweider, F. X. et al. · Biological Psychiatry (2024)
Solaja, I., Haldane, K., Mason, N. et al. · Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews (2024)
Whelan, T. P., Daly, E., Puts, N. A. et al. · MedRvix (2023)
Stoliker, D., Novelli, L., Vollenweider, F. X. et al. · Biological Psychiatry (2023)
Prugger, J., Derdiyok, E., Dinkelacker, J. et al. · Scientific Data (2022)
Glazer', J., Murray, C. H., Nusslock', R. et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2022)
Balaet, M. · Frontiers in Neuroscience (2022)
Rucker, J. J., Marwood, L., Ajantaival, R. L. J. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2022)
Show all 29 papersShow fewer
Marschall, J., Fejer, G., Lempe, P. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2021)
Rocha, J. M., Rossi, G. N., de Lima Osório, F. et al. · Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology (2021)
Hirschfeld, T., Schmidt, T. T. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2021)
Vollenweider, F. X., Preller, K. H. · Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2020)
Preller, K. H., Vollenweider, F. X. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2019)
Rocha, J. M., Osório, F. L., Crippa, J. A. et al. · Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology (2019)
Milliere, R., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Roseman, L. et al. · Frontiers in Psychology (2018)
Grimm, O., Kraehenmann, R., Preller, K. H. et al. · European Neuropsychopharmacology (2018)
Lewis, C. R., Preller, K. H., Kraehenmann, R. et al. · NeuroImage (2017)
Kraehenmann, R. · Current Neuropharmacology (2017)
Pokorny, T., Preller, K. H., Kometer, M. et al. · International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (2017)
Preller, K. H., Vollenweider, F. X. · Behavioral Neurobiology of Psychedelic Drugs (2016)
Preller, K. H., Pokorny, D., Hock, A. et al. · PNAS (2016)
Pokorny, T., Preller, K. H., Kraehenmann, R. et al. · European Neuropsychopharmacology (2016)
Nichols, D. E. · Pharmacological Reviews (2016)
McKenna, D., Riba, J. · Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences (2016)
Kometer, M., Vollenweider, F. X. · Behavioral Neurobiology of Psychedelic Drugs (2016)
Kraehenmann, R., Preller, K. H., Scheidegger, M. et al. · Biological Psychiatry (2015)
Halberstadt, A. L. · Behavioural Brain Research (2014)
Your Personal Research Library
Go Pro to save papers, add notes, rate studies, and organize your research into custom shelves.