A complex systems perspective on psychedelic brain action.
Manesh Girn, Fernando E. Rosas, Richard E. Daws, Courtney L. Gallen, Adam Gazzaley, Robin Carhart-Harris
Trends in Cognitive Sciences February 3, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.01.003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Neuroplasticity |
| Keywords | Psychedelic compounds Hallucinogens Entheogens Mind-altering substances Brain flexibility Brain connectivity Brain adaptability Brain activity Brain signals Brain reset Psychedelics brain reorganization Psychedelics neural plasticity Mental health therapy Mental health treatment Psychiatric treatment Therapeutic promise Psychological benefits Mental well-being Psychedelics therapeutic potential |
| Citations | 76 |
| Key points | Proposes that psychedelics induce a mode of brain function that is more dynamically flexible, diverse, integrated, and tuned for information sharing, consistent with greater criticality. |
Abstract
Recent findings suggesting the potential transdiagnostic efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapy have fostered the need to deepen our understanding of psychedelic brain action. Functional neuroimaging investigations have found that psychedelics reduce the functional segregation of large-scale brain networks. However, beyond this general trend, findings have been largely inconsistent. We argue here that a perspective based on complexity science that foregrounds the distributed, interactional, and dynamic nature of brain function may render these inconsistencies intelligible. We propose that psychedelics induce a mode of brain function that is more dynamically flexible, diverse, integrated, and tuned for information sharing, consistent with greater criticality. This 'meta' perspective has the potential to unify past findings and guide intuitions toward compelling mechanistic models.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on neuroplasticity, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Dendrite-Focused Framework for Understanding the Actions of Ketamine and Psychedelics | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Does Psychedelic Therapy Have a Transdiagnostic Action and Prophylactic Potential? | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Critical Period Plasticity as a Framework for Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Therapeutic mechanisms of psychedelics and entactogens. | 2023 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| On the varieties of conscious experiences: Altered Beliefs Under Psychedelics (ALBUS). | 2025 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 60
- Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain. Nature August 1, 2024
- Psilocybin and Other Classic Psychedelics in Depression. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences 2024
- A role for the serotonin 2A receptor in the expansion and functioning of human transmodal cortex. Brain 2024
- Time-resolved network control analysis links reduced control energy under DMT with the serotonin 2a receptor, signal diversity, and subjective experience bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) May 12, 2023
- Network control energy reductions under DMT relate to serotonin receptors, signal diversity, and subjective experience. Communications Biology April 18, 2025
and 55 more in the library
Cites 64
- 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
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences April 11, 2016
- Homological scaffolds of brain functional networks Journal of the Royal Society, Interface October 29, 2014
and 59 more in the library