Translational Psychiatry
August 1, 2026
Patrick A. McConnell, Jackson Raffety, Andrew Li et al.
Abstract Psychedelic drugs exert rapid and profound effects on human consciousness [1–7] and are increasingly being investigated for their therapeutic potential [8–14]. Yet the transcriptional programs through which they may reshape brain function and structure remain incompletely understood, in part because the available evidence is heterogeneous and largely preclinical [15, 16]. In a...
Hum Brain Mapp
July 1, 2026
Lorenzo Pasquini, Jakub Vohryzek, Anira Escrichs et al.
Modeled Long-Term Effects of Psilocybin on Dynamic Activity and Effective Connectivity of Fronto-Striatal-Thalamic Circuits.
May 13, 2026
Robin Carhart-Harris, Richard J. Zeifman, Lorenzo Pasquini et al.
preprint
First-line dictionary definitions of ‘plasticity’ describe it as the ability (of a thing) to be shaped or molded; we call this ‘plasticity proper’. In neuroscience, however, ‘neural plasticity’ or ‘neuroplasticity’ is defined as an induced change in brain function or structure. These two plasticities are not the same. Several (but not all) popular biomarkers of neuroplasticity index part of an...
Philosophical Psychology
April 10, 2026
Eric Rundquist, Diego Nicolás Monasterio López, Juan Jonathan Oyarzo Alvarado et al.
This article presents the results of a Cognitive Linguistic analysis of metaphors used in a series of interviews by a single healthy volunteer following four moderate-to-high dosing sessions with psilocybin. The interviews were conducted by members of a human psychedelic research lab in a deep-sampling fMRI and EEG brain imaging study, allowing the participant to recount experiences under the...
Nature Medicine
April 1, 2026
Manesh Girn, Manoj K. Doss, Leor Roseman et al.
8 citations
Psychedelic drugs are re-emerging as promising scientific and clinical tools. However, despite a rapidly expanding literature on their therapeutic value, the neural mechanisms underlying psychedelic effects remain unclear. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of acute psychedelic effects, conducted independently by several research groups, have so far yielded fragmented...
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
November 21, 2025
Joseph C. C. Chen, Gabriella Mace, Avery Ostrand et al.
preprint
Abstract Awe is a positive emotion often accompanied by sensations of vastness and unity, with known benefits for well-being and social behavior. However, its neural underpinnings remain poorly understood. We recorded electroencephalography (EEG) and autonomic physiology in 23 healthy older participants while they watched a nature-based audiovisual film and subjectively rated awe events. Awe...
Research Square
October 3, 2025
Patrick A. McConnell, Jackson Raffety, Andrew Li et al.
Cross-species mapping of psychedelic gene expression reveals links to the 5HT2A receptor, cortical layers, and human accelerated regions
Imaging Neuroscience
April 16, 2025
Lorenzo Pasquini, Alexander J. Simon, Courtney L. Gallen et al.
4 citations
Abstract N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a serotonergic psychedelic, known to rapidly induce short-lasting alterations in conscious experience, characterized by a profound and immersive sense of physical transcendence alongside rich and vivid auditory distortions and visual imagery. Multimodal neuroimaging data paired with dynamic analysis techniques offer a valuable approach for identifying...
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
March 10, 2025
Shaun K.l. Quah, Cameron C. Glick, Leor Roseman et al.
preprint
Abstract Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is typically characterized by altered linear functional connectivity (FC) across large-scale brain networks. Yet, it is unclear whether similar alterations are observed when nonlinear FC is examined. This study investigated how antidepressant treatment (i.e., psilocybin and escitalopram) modulates both linear FC and nonlinear FC in individuals with MDD....
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
November 7, 2024
Lorenzo Pasquini, Jakub Vohryzek, Anira Escrichs et al.
4 citations
preprint
Abstract Psilocybin has been shown to induce fast and sustained improvements in mental well-being across various populations, yet its long-term mechanisms of action are not fully understood. Initial evidence suggests that longitudinal functional and structural brain changes implicate fronto-striatal-thalamic (FST) circuitry, a broad system involved in goal-directed behavior and motivational...
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry
September 26, 2024
Hannes Kettner, Leor Roseman, Adam Gazzaley et al.
Reply to Letter to the Editor: "Psychedelics in Older Adults: Difficulties of a Clear Therapeutic Evidence".
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry
May 19, 2024
Hannes Kettner, Leor Roseman, Adam Gazzaley et al.
18 citations
OBJECTIVE: Affective symptoms such as anxiety, low mood, and loneliness are prevalent and highly debilitating symptoms among older adults (OA). Serotonergic psychedelics are currently investigated as novel interventions for affective disorders, yet little is known regarding their effects in OA. We investigated the mental health effects and psychological mechanisms of guided psychedelic group...
Research Square
March 8, 2024
Hannes Kettner, Leor Roseman, Adam Gazzaley et al.
5 citations
Affective symptoms such as anxiety, low mood, and loneliness are prevalent and highly debilitating symptoms among older adults (OA). Serotonergic psychedelics are novel experimental interventions for affective disorders, yet little is known regarding their effects in OA. Using a prospective cohort design, we identified 62 OA (age ≥ 60 years) and 62 matched younger adults (YA) who completed...
medRxiv
September 29, 2019
Lorenzo Pasquini, Fernanda Palhano-Fontes, Draulio B Araujo
24 citations
preprint
Abstract Background Neuroimaging studies have just begun to explore the acute effects of psychedelics on large-scale brain networks’ functional organization. Even less is known on the neural correlates of subacute effects taking place days after the psychedelic experience. This study explores the subacute changes of primary sensory brain networks and networks supporting higher-order affective...
Robin Carhart-Harris, Will Alexander Lucas, Lorenzo Pasquini et al.
preprint
This article spotlights problematic assumptions and practices in clinical psychedelic research that together hamper the field’s ability to demonstrate causal identification, contributing to confusion and misunderstanding: (1) the main problematic assumption is that pretreatment expectancy causes therapeutic response; while expectancy predicts response to most treatments, it is becoming...