NeuroImage
July 12, 2017
Candace R. Lewis, Katrin H. Preller, Rainer Kraehenmann et al.
105 citations
Psilocybin, the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms, acts on serotonin receptors. In a placebo-controlled, double-blind study with 58 healthy participants, two oral doses of psilocybin (0.160 mg/kg and 0.215 mg/kg) were given. After adjusting for global brain perfusion, psilocybin increased relative perfusion in right frontal and temporal regions and the anterior insula, while decreasing it in left parietal and temporal cortices and left subcortical regions. However, absolute perfusion was reduced across frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes, and in bilateral amygdalae, anterior cingulate, insula, striatal regions, and hippocampi. The findings show consistency with both the hyperfrontal hypothesis and recent studies showing decreased perfusion, depending on analysis method.
Frontiers in Physiology
February 11, 2020
Thomas A. W. Bolton, Diana Wotruba, Roman Buechler et al.
83 citations
Altered coordination between the default mode, central executive, and salience networks is linked to schizophrenia, but its role in earlier at-risk stages is unclear. Using dynamic functional connectivity and co-activation pattern analysis of resting-state fMRI, this study examined right anterior insula interactions in 19 individuals with subthreshold delusions and hallucinations (UHR), 28 with basic symptoms of self-experienced subclinical disturbances (BS), and 29 healthy controls. The right anterior insula governs transitions from the central executive to default mode network, which become dysfunctional before psychosis onset, especially when attenuated psychotic symptoms emerge.
Scientific reports
March 26, 2024
Berit Singer, Daniel Meling, Matthias Hirsch-Hoffmann et al.
15 citations
Brain activity patterns during meditation shift after a psilocybin-assisted retreat, especially when open-monitoring meditation is practiced. Using functional MRI and a topological data analysis method (Mapper), researchers compared experienced meditators who received psilocybin or placebo over five days. The psilocybin group showed a link between positive derealization—an altered perception that can foster insight—and a greater geometric distance between open-monitoring meditation and resting-state brain activity, as measured by optimal transport distance. This suggests that combining psilocybin with open-monitoring practice enhances meta-awareness and insight. The findings point to possible brain markers for synergistic effects between mindfulness and psychedelics.
Scientific reports
October 14, 2023
Nathalie M Rieser, Ladina P Gubser, Flora Moujaes et al.
14 citations
Psilocybin alters cerebral blood flow in the brain, and the magnitude of these changes depends on individual baseline psychological and neurobiological characteristics. In a placebo-controlled study of 70 healthy participants given one of three oral doses of psilocybin, reductions in relative cerebral blood flow correlated with both baseline traits and the intensity of the subjective psychedelic experience. The findings demonstrate that inter-individual heterogeneity in the neural response to psilocybin is linked to pre-existing differences, helping to identify biomarkers for a personalized medicine approach in psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Scientific Reports
April 23, 2024
Berit Singer, Daniel Meling, Matthias Hirsch-Hoffmann et al.
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