Information parity increases on functional brain networks under influence of a psychedelic substance
Journal of Physics Complexity March 1, 2023 Aline Viol, G. M. Viswanathan, Oleksandra Soldatkina et al. 4 citations
The physical basis of consciousness is a central open question in science. This work compares resting-state functional brain networks of individuals before and after ingesting the psychedelic brew Ayahuasca. Using a measure called pairwise information parity, which quantifies statistical symmetries between brain region connections across the entire network, the authors found an increase in average information parity under psychedelic influence. Notably, information parity between regions of the limbic system and frontal cortex was consistently higher for all individuals while under the influence. These findings suggest that the resemblance of statistical influences between pairs of brain region activities tends to increase under Ayahuasca, possibly as a mechanism to maintain network functional resilience.