Spectral signatures of psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and ketamine in healthy volunteers and persons with major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression: A systematic review.

A systematic review examined how serotonergic psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD) and ketamine affect brain wave patterns measured by EEG and MEG in people with major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression, and healthy controls. Ketamine and psychedelics both increase theta power in depressed individuals. In healthy controls and depressed persons, both drug classes decrease alpha, beta, and delta power. Ketamine also increases gamma power in both groups. Theta power specifically rises in those with major depressive disorder when given psychedelics. The studies varied in patient populations, dosing, and measurement devices. The findings support disease models involving altered network connectivity and may guide future treatment discovery.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Electrophysiologic measures provide an opportunity to inform mechanistic models and possibly biomarker prediction of response. Serotonergic psychedelics (SPs) (i.e., psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)) and ketamine represent new investigational and established treatments in mood disorders respectively. There is a need to better characterize the mechanism of action of these agents. We conducted a systematic review investigating the spectral signatures of psilocybin, LSD, and ketamine in persons with major depressive disorder (MDD), treatment-resistant depression (TRD), and healthy controls. Ketamine and SPs are associated with increased theta power in persons with depression. Ketamine and SPs are also associated with decreased spectral power in the alpha, beta and delta bands in healthy controls and persons with depression. When administered with SPs, theta power was increased in persons with MDD when administered with SPs. Ketamine is associated with increased gamma band power in both healthy controls and persons with MDD. The studies included in our review were heterogeneous in their patient population, exposure, dosing of treatment and devices used to evaluate EEG and MEG signatures. Our results were extracted entirely from persons who were either healthy volunteers or persons with MDD or TRD. Extant literature evaluating EEG and MEG spectral signatures indicate that ketamine and SPs have reproducible effects in keeping with disease models of network connectivity. Future research vistas should evaluate whether observed spectral signatures can guide further discovery of therapeutics within the psychedelic and dissociative classes of agents, and its prediction capability in persons treated for depression.