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Cited by 298Psychedelics and Drug StudiesNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorSchizophrenia research and treatment

Psilocybin Biases Facial Recognition, Goal-Directed Behavior, and Mood State Toward Positive Relative to Negative Emotions Through Different Serotonergic Subreceptors

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Kometer, Michael, Schmidt, André, Bachmann, Rosilla, Studerus, Erich, Seifritz, Erich, Vollenweider, Franz X.·2012·Biological Psychiatry
DOI 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.04.005
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Abstract

Background Serotonin (5-HT) 1A and 2A receptors have been associated with dysfunctional emotional processing biases in mood disorders. These receptors further predominantly mediate the subjective and behavioral effects of psilocybin and might be important for its recently suggested antidepressive effects. However, the effect of psilocybin on emotional processing biases and the specific contribution of 5-HT2A receptors across different emotional domains is unknown.Methods In a randomized, double-blind study, 17 healthy human subjects received on 4 separate days placebo, psilocybin (215 μg/kg), the preferential 5-HT2A antagonist ketanserin (50 mg), or psilocybin plus ketanserin. Mood states were assessed by self-report ratings, and behavioral and event-related potential measurements were used to quantify facial emotional recognition and goal-directed behavior toward emotional cues.Results Psilocybin enhanced positive mood and attenuated recognition of negative facial expression. Furthermore, psilocybin increased goal-directed behavior toward positive compared with negative cues, facilitated positive but inhibited negative sequential emotional effects, and valence-dependently attenuated the P300 component. Ketanserin alone had no effects but blocked the psilocybin-induced mood enhancement and decreased recognition of negative facial expression.Conclusions This study shows that psilocybin shifts the emotional bias across various psychological domains and that activation of 5-HT2A receptors is central in mood regulation and emotional face recognition in healthy subjects. These findings may not only have implications for the pathophysiology of dysfunctional emotional biases but may also provide a framework to delineate the mechanisms underlying psylocybin's putative antidepressant effects.

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  • Psilocybin at 0.215 mg/kg decreased the recognition of negative emotions on the RMET.

    “Psilocybin (0.215 mg/kg) decreased the recognition of negative emotions on the RMET (60).”

    From Modulation of Social Cognition via Hallucinogens and “Entactogens” (2019) · cites this paper as [60]

  • LSD decreased the correct interpretation of ecologically valid stimuli, and psilocybin decreased the ability to infer negative emotions from the eye region.

    “In contrast to psilocybin and MDMA, LSD decreased the correct interpretation of ecologically valid stimuli (33) and psilocybin decreased the ability to infer negative emotions from the eye region (60).”

    From Modulation of Social Cognition via Hallucinogens and “Entactogens” (2019) · cites this paper as [60]

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Authors
Kometer, M., Schmidt, A., Bachmann, R., Studerus, E., Seifritz, E., & Vollenweider, F. X.
Affiliations
  • University of Zurich (CH)
  • Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik Zürich (CH)
Corresponding author
Kometer, Michael
ORCID
Venue
Biological Psychiatry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2012-12
Volume
72
Issue
11
Pages
898-906
ISSN
0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.04.005
OpenAlex
W1974074998
Cited by
298
References
17
Citations by year
2026: 19 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 37 · 2023: 37 · 2022: 33 · 2021: 34 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 2
FWCI
10.88
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • edoc (University of Basel) (acceptedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion)
  • edoc (University of Basel)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychedelics and Drug Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
Keywords
psilocybin, 5-HT2A receptor, 5-HT1A receptor, ketanserin, goal-directed behavior, mood regulation, P300, antidepressant effects, serotonin
MeSH terms
Adult, Affect, Cerebral Cortex, Double-Blind Method, Electroencephalography, Emotions, Evoked Potentials, Female, Goals, Hallucinogens, Humans, Ketanserin, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Psilocybin, Receptors, Serotonin, Recognition, Psychology, Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Antagonists

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