Psilocybin Induces Aberrant Prediction Error Processing of Tactile Mismatch Responses—A Simultaneous EEG–FMRI Study
Patricia Duerler, Silvia Brem, Gorka Fraga González, Tiffany Neef, Micah Allen, Peter Zeidman, Philipp Stämpfli, Franz X. Vollenweider, Katrin H. Preller
Cerebral Cortex June 10, 2021 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab202 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study with pharmacological manipulation and simultaneous EEG-fMRI recording Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Electroencephalography EEG-FMRI Audiology Pattern recognition psychology Artificial intelligence Cognitive psychology Hallucinogen |
| Citations | 64 |
| Key findings | Psilocybin reduces tactile mismatch responses in frontal regions, visual cortex, and cerebellum, and alters body- and self-experience through aberrant prediction error processing. |
Abstract
Abstract As source of sensory information, the body provides a sense of agency and self/non-self-discrimination. The integration of bodily states and sensory inputs with prior beliefs has been linked to the generation of bodily self-consciousness. The ability to detect surprising tactile stimuli is essential for the survival of an organism and for the formation of mental body representations. Despite the relevance for a variety of psychiatric disorders characterized by altered body and self-perception, the neurobiology of these processes is poorly understood. We therefore investigated the effect of psilocybin (Psi), known to induce alterations in self-experience, on tactile mismatch responses by combining pharmacological manipulations with simultaneous electroencephalography–functional magnetic resonance imaging (EEG–fMRI) recording. Psi reduced activity in response to tactile surprising stimuli in frontal regions, the visual cortex, and the cerebellum. Furthermore, Psi reduced tactile mismatch negativity EEG responses at frontal electrodes, associated with alterations of body- and self-experience. This study provides first evidence that Psi alters the integration of tactile sensory inputs through aberrant prediction error processing and highlights the importance of the 5-HT2A system in tactile deviancy processing as well as in the integration of bodily and self-related stimuli. These findings may have important implications for the treatment of psychiatric disorders characterized by aberrant bodily self-awareness.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin induces schizophrenia-like psychosis in humans via a serotonin-2 agonist action Healthy human volunteers | 1998 | Experimental study | |
| Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin Participants in controlled laboratory experiments receiving a moderate to high oral... | 2015 | Validation study using pooled data from five laboratory experiments | n = 184 |
| Broadband Cortical Desynchronization Underlies the Human Psychedelic State Healthy human participants | 2013 | Experimental study | |
| Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for psychiatric and existential distress in patients with life-threatening cancer Participants with cancer-related psychiatric distress who completed a parent randomized... | 2020 | Long-term within-subjects follow-up analysis | n = 15 |
| Enzymatic Synthesis of Psilocybin | 2017 | Laboratory study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 40
- A neurophenomenological approach to non-ordinary states of consciousness: hypnosis, meditation, and psychedelics Trends in Cognitive Sciences December 22, 2022
- Classic Psychedelic Drugs: Update on Biological Mechanisms Pharmacopsychiatry January 25, 2022
- The Psychedelic Future of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment Current Neuropharmacology January 5, 2024
- Ketamine and serotonergic psychedelics: An update on the mechanisms and biosignatures underlying rapid-acting antidepressant treatment Neuropharmacology January 13, 2023
- Serotonergic Psychedelics: A Comparative Review of Efficacy, Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Binding Profile Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging February 1, 2024
and 35 more in the library
Cites 34
- Interoceptive inference, emotion, and the embodied self Trends in Cognitive Sciences October 12, 2013
- Pilot Study of Psilocybin Treatment for Anxiety in Patients With Advanced-Stage Cancer Archives of General Psychiatry September 7, 2010
- Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: A proof-of-concept study Journal of Psychopharmacology January 13, 2015
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- Psilocybin induces schizophrenia-like psychosis in humans via a serotonin-2 agonist action Neuroreport December 1, 1998
and 29 more in the library