Psilocybin-induced default mode network hypoconnectivity is blunted in alcohol-dependent rats
Translational Psychiatry December 14, 2023 Ivan Skorodumov, Rainer Spanagel, Jonathan Reinwald et al. 25 citations
Psilocybin, a psychedelic compound, may help treat alcohol use disorder (AUD), but its brain effects in AUD are not well understood. In a placebo-controlled crossover study with healthy rats and a rat model of alcohol relapse, psilocybin broadly decreased functional connectivity across the brain while increasing connectivity between serotonin-related core regions and cortical areas. It also reduced connectivity within the default mode network (DMN), mirroring human findings. However, in rats with a history of alcohol relapse, this DMN hypoconnectivity was blunted, and the blunting correlated with relapse intensity. The results suggest that a standard psilocybin dose may be insufficient for severe AUD, a consideration for future clinical trials.