LSD-induced changes in the functional connectivity of distinct thalamic nuclei.
Stefano Delli Pizzi, Piero Chiacchiaretta, Carlo Sestieri, Antonio Ferretti, Maria Giulia Tullo, Stefania Della Penna, Giovanni Martinotti, Marco Onofrj, Leor Roseman, Christopher Timmermann, David J Nutt, Robin L Carhart-Harris, Stefano L Sensi
NeuroImage December 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120414 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractLSD selectively alters the functional connectivity between specific thalamic nuclei and sensory and associative cortical areas. Using structural and resting-state functional MRI in healthy volunteers under acute LSD administration, researchers found increased coupling of the ventral complex, pulvinar, and non-specific thalamic nuclei with somatosensory and auditory cortices, as well as with associative cortex regions rich in serotonin 2A receptors. At subcortical levels, LSD increased connectivity among these thalamic nuclei but decreased striatal-thalamic connectivity. These nucleus-specific changes help explain LSD's modulation of subcortical-cortical circuits and associated behavioral effects.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Placebo-controlled study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Healthy volunteers |
| Intervention | Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) |
| Topics | LSD Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Striatum Thalamo-cortical connectivity Thalamus Neuroscience Psychedelics LSD |
| Citations | 27 |
| Key finding | LSD selectively increases thalamocortical functional connectivity of the ventral complex, pulvinar, and non-specific nuclei with sensory and associative cortices while decreasing striatal-thalamic connectivity. |
Abstract
The role of the thalamus in mediating the effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) was recently proposed in a model of communication and corroborated by imaging studies. However, a detailed analysis of LSD effects on nuclei-resolved thalamocortical connectivity is still missing. Here, in a group of healthy volunteers, we evaluated whether LSD intake alters the thalamocortical coupling in a nucleus-specific manner. Structural and resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data were acquired in a placebo-controlled study on subjects exposed to acute LSD administration. Structural MRI was used to parcel the thalamus into its constituent nuclei based on individual anatomy. Nucleus-specific changes of resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) connectivity were mapped using a seed-based approach. LSD intake selectively increased the thalamocortical functional connectivity (FC) of the ventral complex, pulvinar, and non-specific nuclei. Functional coupling was increased between these nuclei and sensory cortices that include the somatosensory and auditory networks. The ventral and pulvinar nuclei also exhibited increased FC with parts of the associative cortex that are dense in serotonin type 2A receptors. These areas are hyperactive and hyper-connected upon LSD intake. At subcortical levels, LSD increased the functional coupling among the thalamus's ventral, pulvinar, and non-specific nuclei, but decreased the striatal-thalamic connectivity. These findings unravel some LSD effects on the modulation of subcortical-cortical circuits and associated behavioral outputs.