The Role of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Ego Dissolution and Emotional Arousal During the Psychedelic State.
Human brain mapping April 1, 2025 Clayton R Coleman, Kenneth Shinozuka, Robert Tromm et al. 4 citations
LSD alters consciousness by changing connectivity between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), thalamus, and visual areas. In healthy participants, stronger functional connectivity between the left and right DLPFC, thalamus, and fusiform face area correlated with greater ego dissolution. Emotional arousal was linked to increased connectivity between the right DLPFC, intraparietal sulcus, and salience network. A confirmatory reverse analysis supported these findings. Magnetoencephalography data showed that LSD increased theta-band information flow from the thalamus to the DLPFC, supporting the idea that disrupted thalamic gating underlies ego dissolution. The results clarify the DLPFC's role in LSD-induced altered states.