Cited by 230Psychedelics and Drug StudiesTreatment of Major DepressionTryptophan and brain disorders

Increased amygdala responses to emotional faces after psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression

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Roseman, Leor, Demetriou, Lysia, Wall, Matthew B., Nutt, David J., Carhart-Harris, Robin L.·2018·Neuropharmacology

Abstract

Recent evidence indicates that psilocybin with psychological support may be effective for treating depression. Some studies have found that patients with depression show heightened amygdala responses to fearful faces and there is reliable evidence that treatment with SSRIs attenuates amygdala responses (Ma, 2015). We hypothesised that amygdala responses to emotional faces would be altered post-treatment with psilocybin. In this open-label study, 20 individuals diagnosed with moderate to severe, treatment-resistant depression, underwent two separate dosing sessions with psilocybin. Psychological support was provided before, during and after these sessions and 19 completed fMRI scans one week prior to the first session and one day after the second and last. Neutral, fearful and happy faces were presented in the scanner and analyses focused on the amygdala. Group results revealed rapid and enduring improvements in depressive symptoms post psilocybin. Increased responses to fearful and happy faces were observed in the right amygdala post-treatment, and right amygdala increases to fearful versus neutral faces were predictive of clinical improvements at 1-week. Psilocybin with psychological support was associated with increased amygdala responses to emotional stimuli, an opposite effect to previous findings with SSRIs. This suggests fundamental differences in these treatments' therapeutic actions, with SSRIs mitigating negative emotions and psilocybin allowing patients to confront and work through them. Based on the present results, we propose that psilocybin with psychological support is a treatment approach that potentially revives emotional responsiveness in depression, enabling patients to reconnect with their emotions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN, number ISRCTN14426797. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Psychedelics: New Doors, Altered Perceptions'.

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  • Greater amygdala responsiveness to fearful versus neutral faces was related to improved depressive symptoms 1 week post-intervention.

    “The amygdala has been found to show greater responsiveness to emotional faces 1 day after psilocybin consumption and greater responsiveness to fearful versus neutral faces was related to improved depressive symptoms 1 week post-intervention [36].”
  • The amygdala has been found to show greater responsiveness to emotional faces 1 day after psilocybin consumption.

    “The amygdala has been found to show greater responsiveness to emotional faces 1 day after psilocybin consumption and greater responsiveness to fearful versus neutral faces was related to improved depressive symptoms 1 week post-intervention [36].”
  • Increased amygdala reactivity toward fearful faces was measured prior to any psychological integration work.

    “However, increased amygdala reactivity toward fearful faces was measured prior to any psychological integration work (31).”
  • Amygdala reactivity was increased in response to fearful faces in treatment-resistant depressed patients the morning after psilocybin administration.

    “amygdala reactivity was increased in response to fearful faces in treatment-resistant depressed patients the morning after psilocybin administration (31).”

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  1. Spielberger, C.D., Gorsuch, R.L., Lushene, R.E., 1970. STAI Manual for the Stait-trait Anxiety Inventory (" Self-evaluation Questionnaire"). Consulting Psychologists Press Palo Alto, Calif.

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Authors
Roseman, L., Demetriou, L., Wall, M. B., Nutt, D. J., & Carhart-Harris, R. L.
Affiliations
Imperial College London (GB)
Corresponding author
Roseman, Leor
Venue
Neuropharmacology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2018-11
Volume
142
Pages
263-269
ISSN
0028-3908 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2781340150
Cited by
230
References
57
Citations by year
2026: 30 · 2025: 34 · 2024: 38 · 2023: 30 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 1
FWCI
12.42
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuropharmacology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Spiral (Imperial College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • Imperial College Scholarship Scheme
  • Imanova
  • Edmund J Safra Foundation (P17264)
  • Alex Mosely Charitable Trust (G30444)
  • MRC clinical development scheme (MR/J00460X/1)
  • Alex Mosley Charitable Trust
  • COMPASS group (I30006)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychedelics and Drug Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
Keywords
psilocybin, treatment-resistant depression, amygdala, emotional face processing, fearful faces, happy faces, psychological support, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antidepressant mechanism, emotional responsiveness
MeSH terms
Facial Recognition, Adult, Amygdala, Antidepressive Agents, Brain Mapping, Combined Modality Therapy, Emotions, Female, Hallucinogens, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Prognosis, Psilocybin, Psychotherapy, Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant

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