Using psilocybin to investigate the relationship between attention, working memory and the serotonin 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors
Olivia Carter, David C. Burr, John D. Pettigrew, Franz X. Vollenweider
Journal of Vision March 17, 2010 DOI: 10.1167/5.8.683 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Within-subjects pharmacological challenge Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 8 |
| Population | Healthy human volunteers |
| Interventions | Psilocybin Ketanserin |
| Topics | Psilocybin Serotonin |
| Keywords | Ketanserin Working memory Prefrontal cortex Agonist 5-HT Receptor Hallucinogen Cognitive psychology |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key points | Psilocybin significantly reduced attentional tracking ability but had no significant effect on spatial working memory, and ketanserin pretreatment did not attenuate this attentional deficit. |
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests a link between attention, working memory, serotonin (5-HT) and prefrontal cortex activity. In an attempt to tease out the relationship between these elements, this study tested the effects of the hallucinogenic 5-HT1A/2A receptor agonist psilocybin alone and after pretreatment with the 5-HT2A antagonist ketanserin on multiple object tracking and spatial working memory, in eight healthy human volunteers. Psilocybin significantly reduced attentional tracking ability, but had no significant effect on spatial working memory, suggesting a functional dissociation between the two tasks. In line with the 5-HT1A receptor's known role in modulating prefrontal activity, pretreatment with ketanserin did not attenuate the effect of psilocybin on attentional performance, suggesting a primary involvement of the 5-HT1A receptor in the observed deficit. Based on physiological and pharmacological data, we propose that this impaired attentional performance may reflect reduced ability to suppress or ignore distracting stimuli rather than reduced attentional capacity.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on serotonin, 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 | |
| Amphetamine-type central nervous system stimulants release norepinephrine more potently than they release dopamine and serotonin | 2000 | Experimental study | |
| Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) cause selective ablation of serotonergic axon terminals in forebrain: immunocytochemical evidence for neurotoxicity Rat brain | 1988 | Experimental study | |
| The molecular mechanism of "ecstasy" [3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA)]: serotonin transporters are targets for MDMA-induced serotonin release. Human platelet plasma membrane vesicles and bovine adrenal chromaffin granule membrane... | 1992 | Laboratory study | |
| 5-HT2AReceptor-Mediated Regulation of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor mRNA in the Hippocampus and the Neocortex Rat brain | 1997 | Experimental study |