title: Spatiotemporal brain dynamics of emotional face processing modulations induced by the serotonin 1A/2A receptor agonist psilocybin.
abstract: 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. 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. 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. 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.
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich 8050, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Fosco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bernasconi
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich 8050, Switzerland.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich 8050, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pokorny
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich 8050, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kometer
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, University Hospital of Psychiatry, Zurich 8050, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Erich
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seifritz
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich 8050, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Franz X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Vollenweider
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects*; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000187:drug effects; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000187:drug effects; D011562:Psilocybin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D011562:Psilocybin
keywords: 5-HT1A/2A receptors; EEG; emotional face processing; psilocybin; source estimation