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Psilocybin-induced changes in cerebral blood flow are associated with acute and baseline inter-individual differences.

Nathalie M. Rieser, Ladina P Gubser, Flora Moujaes, Patricia Duerler, Candace R. Lewis, Lars Michels, Franz X. Vollenweider, Katrin H. Preller

Scientific Reports October 14, 2023 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44153-z (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed
Sample size 70
Population Healthy participants
Intervention Psilocybin
Dose 0.16 mg/kg, 0.2 mg/kg, 0.215 mg/kg
Topics Psilocybin
Keywords Psychedelics Personalized medicine Brain imaging Mental health
Citations 14
Key findings Individual baseline psychological and neurobiological characteristics are associated with psilocybin-induced reductions in relative cerebral blood flow and the subjective psychedelic experience.

Abstract

Research into the use of psilocybin for the treatment of psychiatric disorders is a growing field. Nevertheless, robust brain-behavior relationships linking psilocybin-induced brain changes to subjective drug-induced effects have not been established. Furthermore, it is unclear if the acute neural effects are dependent on individual heterogeneity in baseline characteristics. To address this, we assessed the effects of three oral doses of psilocybin vs. placebo on cerebral blood flow (CBF) using arterial spin labeling in healthy participants (N = 70; n = 31, 0.16 mg/kg; n = 10, 0.2 mg/kg; n = 29, 0.215 mg/kg). First, we quantified psilocybin-induced changes in relative and absolute CBF. Second, in an exploratory analysis, we assessed whether individual baseline characteristics and subjective psychedelic experience are associated with changes in CBF. Psychological and neurobiological baseline characteristics correlated with the psilocybin-induced reduction in relative CBF and the psilocybin-induced subjective experience. Furthermore, the psilocybin-induced subjective experience was associated with acute changes in relative and absolute CBF. The results demonstrated that inter-individual heterogeneity in the neural response to psilocybin is associated with baseline characteristics and shed light on the mechanisms underlying the psychedelic-induced altered state. Overall, these findings help guide the search for biomarkers, paving the way for a personalized medicine approach within the framework of psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Comparable studies

Other randomized controlled trials on psilocybin, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Cancer patients with life-threatening diagnoses and symptoms of depression and/or anxiety 2016 Randomized controlled trial n = 51
Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial Patients with cancer-related anxiety and depression 2016 Double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial n = 29
Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Hallucinogen-naïve adults reporting regular participation in religious or spiritual... 2006 Double-blind study n = 36
Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression Selected group of patients with depression 2021 Randomized controlled trial
Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder Adults aged 21 to 75 years with major depressive disorder, not currently using... 2020 Randomized controlled trial n = 24

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Psilocybin Addiction Psychedelic-assisted therapy