Deep CANALs: a deep learning approach to refining the canalization theory of psychopathology
Neuroscience of Consciousness – January 01, 2024
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Psychedelic therapy helps treat various psychopathologies. Cognitive psychology and science posit psychedelics relax rigid, maladaptive beliefs. Refining this via artificial intelligence, a new model identifies two distinct ways beliefs are represented, revealing four specific pathologies from either excessive or insufficient rigidity in these constructs. This expanded epistemology guides psychotherapists toward tailored psychedelic interventions. Understanding neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior and the biochemical landscape promises a greater variety of therapeutic approaches, moving beyond simplistic representations.
Abstract
Abstract Psychedelic therapy has seen a resurgence of interest in the last decade, with promising clinical outcomes for the treatment of a variety of psychopathologies. In response to this success, several theoretical models have been proposed to account for the positive therapeutic effects of psychedelics. One of the more prominent models is “RElaxed Beliefs Under pSychedelics,” which proposes that psychedelics act therapeutically by relaxing the strength of maladaptive high-level beliefs encoded in the brain. The more recent “CANAL” model of psychopathology builds on the explanatory framework of RElaxed Beliefs Under pSychedelics by proposing that canalization (the development of overly rigid belief landscapes) may be a primary factor in psychopathology. Here, we make use of learning theory in deep neural networks to develop a series of refinements to the original CANAL model. Our primary theoretical contribution is to disambiguate two separate optimization landscapes underlying belief representation in the brain and describe the unique pathologies which can arise from the canalization of each. Along each dimension, we identify pathologies of either too much or too little canalization, implying that the construct of canalization does not have a simple linear correlation with the presentation of psychopathology. In this expanded paradigm, we demonstrate the ability to make novel predictions regarding what aspects of psychopathology may be amenable to psychedelic therapy, as well as what forms of psychedelic therapy may ultimately be most beneficial for a given individual.