Functional imaging studies of acute administration of classic psychedelics, ketamine, and MDMA: Methodological limitations and convergent results.
Sophia Linguiti, Jacob W Vogel, Valerie J Sydnor, Adam R Pines, Nick Wellman, Allan I. Basbaum, Claudia R Eickhoff, Simon B. Eickhoff, Robert R Edwards, Bart Larsen, Andrew McKinstry-Wu, J Cobb Scott, David R. Roalf, Vaishnavi Sharma, Eric C. Strain, Gregory Corder, Robert H. Dworkin, Theodore D. Satterthwaite
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews November 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105421 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 91 |
| Population | fMRI studies examining acute responses to experimentally administered psychedelics |
| Interventions | Psilocybin LSD Ketamine |
| Topics | Ketamine LSD MDMA Psilocybin Esketamine |
| Keywords | FMRI Psychedelics hallucinogens Entheogens Neuroscience brain research Neural activity Brain function Neurology Brain imaging |
| Citations | 15 |
| Key findings | Psilocybin and LSD consistently modulate connectivity along the sensorimotor-association cortical axis, and ketamine consistently increases activation in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. |
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is increasingly used to non-invasively study the acute impact of psychedelics on the human brain. While fMRI is a promising tool for measuring brain function in response to psychedelics, it also has known methodological challenges. We conducted a systematic review of fMRI studies examining acute responses to experimentally administered psychedelics in order to identify convergent findings and characterize heterogeneity in the literature. We reviewed 91 full-text papers; these studies were notable for substantial heterogeneity in design, task, dosage, drug timing, and statistical approach. Data recycling was common, with 51 unique samples across 91 studies. Fifty-seven studies (54%) did not meet contemporary standards for Type I error correction or control of motion artifact. Psilocybin and LSD were consistently reported to moderate the connectivity architecture of the sensorimotor-association cortical axis. Studies also consistently reported that ketamine administration increased activation in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Moving forward, use of best practices such as pre-registration, standardized image processing and statistical testing, and data sharing will be important in this rapidly developing field.