Alterations in brain network connectivity and subjective experience induced by psychedelics: a scoping review
Frontiers in Psychiatry May 14, 2024 Zijia Yu, Lisa Burback, Olga Winkler et al. 38 citations
A scoping review of 24 articles found that four psychedelic drugs—ayahuasca, psilocybin, LSD, and the entactogen MDMA—consistently alter brain functional connectivity in healthy individuals. The drugs decreased connectivity within the default mode network and increased sensory and thalamocortical connectivity. These neurophysiological changes correlated with subjective experiences such as altered consciousness, mood elevation, and mystical experiences, suggesting a brain network basis for the drugs' psychological effects. The review provides a potential neural mechanism for psychedelics' subjective effects but notes that direct clinical evidence is needed to advance therapeutic outcomes.