Me, myself, bye: regional alterations in glutamate and the experience of ego dissolution with psilocybin.
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology November 1, 2020 N L Mason, K P C Kuypers, F Müller et al. 261 citations
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study using ultra-high field brain imaging found that psilocybin (0.17 mg/kg) caused region-dependent changes in glutamate levels in the human brain. Higher medial prefrontal cortical glutamate was linked to negatively experienced ego dissolution, while lower hippocampal glutamate was linked to positively experienced ego dissolution. These results suggest a neurochemical basis for the therapeutic effects of psychedelics on disorders involving distortions of self-experience, such as depression.