Receptor-Enriched Analysis of functional connectivity by targets (REACT): A novel, multimodal analytical approach informed by PET to study the pharmacodynamic response of the brain under MDMA
NeuroImage April 4, 2019 Ottavia Dipasquale, Pierluigi Selvaggi, Mattia Veronese et al. 79 citations
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study combined resting-state fMRI with a molecular atlas of serotonin receptors to examine how MDMA alters functional connectivity. Using the REACT method, the researchers found that MDMA-induced connectivity changes were specifically linked to brain regions rich in the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) and the 5-HT1A receptor, the drug's primary targets. Changes in 5-HT1A-enriched maps correlated with MDMA blood levels, while changes in 5-HT2A-enriched maps correlated with spiritual experiences reported by participants. The approach shows that MDMA's effects on brain connectivity can be explained by the distribution of its serotonergic targets, offering a new way to characterize psychoactive compounds.