Brain dynamics predictive of response to psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression
Research Square September 20, 2022 Jakub Vohryzek, Joana Cabral, Louis-David Lord et al. 10 citations
Psilocybin therapy for depression shows promise, but how it works is unclear. By comparing responders (those with >50% reduction in symptoms) to non-responders after 10mg and 25mg doses, whole-brain modeling identified specific brain regions whose dynamics shift from a depressive to a healthy state. These regions overlap with maps of serotonin 5-HT2A and 5-HT1A receptors, which psilocin—the active metabolite of psilocybin—activates. The findings provide causal evidence linking serotonergic transmission and recovery from depression via psilocybin.