Multimodal Neuroimaging of the Effect of Serotonergic Psychedelics on the Brain.
Paloma C Frautschi, Ajay P Singh, Nicholas A Stowe, John-Paul J Yu
AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology February 15, 2024 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a8118 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Psilocybin Lysergic acid diethylamide N N-dimethyltryptamine |
| Topics | Serotonin |
| Keywords | Psychedelics Mental health Brain research Therapeutic medicine |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | Psychedelic compounds may induce neuroplastic effects and alter functional brain networks, but the mechanisms of treatment response remain obscure. |
Abstract
The neurobiological mechanisms underpinning psychiatric disorders such as treatment-resistant major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorders, remain unknown. Psychedelic compounds, such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, and N,N-dimethyltryptamine, have emerged as potential therapies for these disorders because of their hypothesized ability to induce neuroplastic effects and alter functional networks in the brain. Yet, the mechanisms underpinning the neurobiological treatment response remain obscure. Quantitative neuroimaging is uniquely positioned to provide insight into the neurobiological mechanisms of these emerging therapies and quantify the patient treatment response. This review aims to synthesize our current state-of-the-art understanding of the functional changes occurring in the brain following psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, or N,N-dimethyltryptamine administration in human participants with fMRI and PET. We further aim to disseminate our understanding of psychedelic compounds as they relate to neuroimaging with the goal of improved diagnostics and treatment of neuropsychiatric illness.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on serotonin, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Harnessing neuroplasticity with psychoplastogens: the essential role of psychotherapy in psychedelic treatment optimization. Frontiers in Psychiatry April 8, 2025
- What fMRI studies say about the nature of the psychedelic effect: a scoping review Frontiers in Neuroscience July 1, 2025
- Novel psychedelic interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder and their promise for precision medicine. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology December 4, 2025
- Effects of Psilocybin on Mouse Brain Microstructure. AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology June 3, 2025
- Psilocybin shapes the slow, global propagation of brain activity over the cortical layout of 5HT2a receptors Communications Biology March 26, 2026
Cites 55
- The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2014
- Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 23, 2012
- Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression. New England Journal of Medicine November 3, 2022
- Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences April 11, 2016
- Psilocybin induces rapid and persistent growth of dendritic spines in frontal cortex in vivo Neuron July 5, 2021
and 50 more in the library