Psilocybin-induced changes in brain network integrity and segregation correlate with plasma psilocin level and psychedelic experience.
European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology September 1, 2021 Martin K Madsen, Dea S Stenbæk, Albin Arvidsson et al. 132 citations
Psilocybin, a novel therapeutic, is metabolized to psilocin, which alters brain function by engaging serotonin receptors. In fifteen healthy individuals, a psychoactive dose (0.2-0.3 mg/kg) reduced the integrity and segregation of brain networks, including the default mode network, while increasing connectivity between networks like the executive control and dorsal attention networks. These changes correlated with plasma psilocin levels and subjective drug intensity. The findings link psilocin's time course to shifts in brain functional architecture and subjective experience, offering insight into the neurobiological mechanisms of psychedelic effects and consciousness.