Nature
August 1, 2024
Joshua S Siegel, Subha Subramanian, Demetrius Perry et al.
241 citations
A single high dose of psilocybin (25 mg) massively disrupts functional connectivity in the human brain, causing more than threefold greater change than methylphenidate (40 mg). These changes are driven by desynchronization across spatial scales, dissolving network distinctions by reducing correlations within and anticorrelations between networks. The strongest effects occur in the default mode network, which is connected to the anterior hippocampus and is thought to create the sense of space, time, and self. Individual differences in connectivity changes are strongly linked to the subjective psychedelic experience. A persistent decrease in connectivity between the anterior hippocampus and default mode network lasts for weeks, suggesting a neuroanatomical correlate of the therapeutic and proplasticity effects of psychedelics.
medRxiv
August 24, 2023
Subha Subramanian, Demetrius Perry, Caterina Gratton et al.
14 citations
preprint
Psilocybin disrupts connectivity across cortical networks and subcortical structures, producing more than three-fold greater acute changes in functional networks than methylphenidate. These changes are driven by desynchronization of brain activity across spatial scales, strongest in the default mode network (DMN), which is connected to the anterior hippocampus and thought to create our sense of self. Performing a perceptual task reduces psilocybin-induced network changes, suggesting a neurobiological basis for grounding during psychedelic therapy. Psilocybin induces a persistent decrease in functional connectivity between the anterior hippocampus and cortex (and DMN in particular), lasting for weeks but normalizing after six months. This persistent suppression of hippocampal-DMN connectivity represents a candidate neuroanatomical and mechanistic correlate for psilocybin's pro-plasticity and anti-depressant effects.
Scientific Data
June 5, 2025
Subha Subramanian, Travis Rick Renau, Demetrius Perry et al.
4 citations
A psychedelic drug, psilocybin, and a comparison drug, methylphenidate, produce distinct acute and persistent changes in brain networks measurable with precision functional mapping, a technique that improves signal detection by repeatedly scanning individuals. Seven healthy adults underwent extensive baseline brain imaging, imaging shortly after drug intake, and follow-up scans for up to two weeks. Four participants repeated the psilocybin protocol months later. The dataset includes resting-state and task-based functional MRI, structural scans, and subjective experience reports. The authors release this resource to help researchers study how psilocybin and methylphenidate alter brain network organization over time.