Psilocybin shapes the slow, global propagation of brain activity over the cortical layout of 5HT2a receptors
Communications Biology March 26, 2026 Veronica Mäki-marttunen 1 citation
Psilocybin, a psychedelic compound that activates 5HT2a serotonin receptors, alters the speed and pattern of traveling waves of neural activity across the cortex. Using fMRI data from a publicly available dataset, researchers found that psilocybin increased the propagation speed of infraslow cortical activity, which was linked to greater overall functional connectivity and a contraction of the principal gradient—a measure of how brain regions are organized along a sensory-to-association axis. The distribution of 5HT2a receptors in the cortex may help explain these changes. The results connect large-scale brain activity patterns, global neural events, and receptor action, offering insights into how psychedelics produce their effects.