Distinct brain responses to psilocybin and escitalopram in depression captured by the Fluctuation-Dissipation Theorem
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) June 16, 2026 Paulina Clara Dagnino, Irene Acero-Pousa, Gorka Zamora‐lópez et al. 1 citation
Psilocybin and the conventional antidepressant escitalopram produce opposite changes in the brain's hierarchical non-equilibrium dynamics when treating major depressive disorder. Using resting-state fMRI before and after treatment, researchers built whole-brain models and measured how much each patient's brain activity deviated from the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. Baseline measures distinguished treatment responders from non-responders within each group. The deviation from the fluctuation-dissipation theorem may serve as a marker to differentiate the brain effects of psilocybin and escitalopram, contributing to understanding how these treatments work for depression.