Brain Connectivity Pattern Changes Associated With Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy
May 2, 2024 Prince Patel, Samrat Gollapudi, Brian Joseph Mathew et al.
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy shows promise for treating psychiatric disorders, but how it works in the brain is not fully understood. A review of studies using fMRI found that psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin, and ayahuasca temporarily disrupt normal large-scale brain network patterns, reducing modular organization while increasing global connectivity—a state described as network disintegration and desegregation. This internal brain state relates to experiences like ego dissolution. One day after psilocybin treatment, changes in cerebral blood flow and resting-state connectivity were observed, including increased integrity and connectivity within the default mode network. The therapeutic benefits likely come from combining the drug with psychotherapy.