Reduced Brain Responsiveness to Emotional Stimuli With Escitalopram But Not Psilocybin Therapy for Depression
Matthew B Wall, Lysia Demetriou, Bruna Giribaldi, Leor Roseman, Natalie Ertl, David Erritzøe, David J Nutt, Robin L Carhart-Harris
American Journal of Psychiatry May 7, 2025 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20230751 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPsilocybin therapy greatly improved depressive symptoms but had only a small effect on how the brain responds to emotional stimuli. This contrasts with SSRIs, which often reduce emotional responsiveness alongside their antidepressant action. The findings suggest that psychedelic therapy may work through different neural mechanisms than conventional antidepressants.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Psilocybin therapy |
| Keywords | Cognitive neuroscience Depressive disorders Psychopharmacology Psychedelics hallucinogens Entheogens |
| Citations | 16 |
| Key finding | Psilocybin therapy had a minor effect on brain responsiveness to emotional stimuli despite large improvements in depressive symptoms, unlike SSRIs which typically reduce emotional responsiveness. |
Abstract
Despite large improvements in depressive symptoms in the psilocybin group, psilocybin therapy had only a minor effect on brain responsiveness to emotional stimuli. These results are consistent with prior findings that the antidepressant action of SSRIs is often accompanied by a reduction in emotional responsiveness, but this effect may not occur in psychedelic therapy.