Psilocybin modulates functional connectivity of the amygdala during emotional face discrimination
European Neuropsychopharmacology April 25, 2018 O. Grimm, Rainer Kraehenmann, Katrin H. Preller et al. 94 citations
Psilocybin, a psychedelic 5-HT2A receptor agonist, modulates emotion processing networks in the brain. In a double-blind crossover study with 18 healthy volunteers, psilocybin increased reaction time to emotional faces and decreased connectivity between the amygdala and the striatum during angry face discrimination, and between the amygdala and the frontal pole during happy face discrimination. No effect was seen during fearful face discrimination. These findings suggest psilocybin alters connectivity in key emotion-processing hubs, which may underlie its antidepressant effects, though further research is needed to link connectivity changes to therapeutic outcomes.