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The unique neural signature of your trip: Functional connectome fingerprints of subjective psilocybin experience

Juan Carlos Farah, Pablo Mallaroni, Enrico Amico, Hanna M. Tolle, Natasha L. Mason, Johannes G. Ramaekers

Network Neuroscience November 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00349 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational study Peer reviewed
Population Healthy volunteers
Intervention Psilocybin
Topics Default mode network Psilocybin
Keywords Functional connectivity Connectome Hallucinogen Functional neuroimaging
Citations 21
Key findings Psilocybin increases idiosyncrasy of functional connectomes, with a DMN-focused connectivity pattern that predicts subjective drug experience.

Abstract

Abstract The emerging neuroscientific frontier of brain fingerprinting has recently established that human functional connectomes (FCs) exhibit fingerprint-like idiosyncratic features, which map onto heterogeneously distributed behavioral traits. Here, we harness brain-fingerprinting tools to extract FC features that predict subjective drug experience induced by the psychedelic psilocybin. Specifically, in neuroimaging data of healthy volunteers under the acute influence of psilocybin or a placebo, we show that, post psilocybin administration, FCs become more idiosyncratic owing to greater intersubject dissimilarity. Moreover, whereas in placebo subjects idiosyncratic features are primarily found in the frontoparietal network, in psilocybin subjects they concentrate in the default mode network (DMN). Crucially, isolating the latter revealed an FC pattern that predicts subjective psilocybin experience and is characterized by reduced within-DMN and DMN-limbic connectivity, as well as increased connectivity between the DMN and attentional systems. Overall, these results contribute to bridging the gap between psilocybin-mediated effects on brain and behavior, while demonstrating the value of a brain-fingerprinting approach to pharmacological neuroimaging.

Comparable studies

Other observational and cohort studies on psilocybin, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms. Patients with treatment-resistant depression 2017 Observational cohort n = 19
Psychedelic effects of psilocybin correlate with serotonin 2A receptor occupancy and plasma psilocin levels Healthy volunteers 2019 Observational cohort n = 8
Increased spontaneous MEG signal diversity for psychoactive doses of ketamine, LSD and psilocybin Humans 2017 Observational study
Classic psychedelic use is associated with reduced psychological distress and suicidality in the United States adult population. USA adult respondents from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2008-2012) 2015 Observational cohort n = 190,000
Prediction of Psilocybin Response in Healthy Volunteers Healthy volunteers 2012 Observational cohort n = 409

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Default mode network Psilocybin