Connectome-harmonic decomposition of human brain activity reveals dynamical repertoire re-organization under LSD.
Selen Atasoy, Leor Roseman, Mendel Kaelen, Morten L. Kringelbach, Gustavo Deco, Robin Carhart-Harris
Scientific Reports December 15, 2017 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17546-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Human brain |
| Intervention | Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) |
| Topics | LSD Neuroplasticity |
| Keywords | Psychedelics Brain activity Neural activity Brain function Brain's dynamic repertoire Functional states Neurobiology Neural flexibility Brain flexibility Cognitive flexibility Brain re-organization Neural freedom Neural diversity Greater freedom Greater diversity |
| Citations | 225 |
| Key findings | LSD expands the repertoire of active brain states in a frequency-selective manner, reorganizing brain dynamics at the edge of criticality. |
Abstract
Recent studies have started to elucidate the effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) on the human brain but the underlying dynamics are not yet fully understood. Here we used 'connectome-harmonic decomposition', a novel method to investigate the dynamical changes in brain states. We found that LSD alters the energy and the power of individual harmonic brain states in a frequency-selective manner. Remarkably, this leads to an expansion of the repertoire of active brain states, suggestive of a general re-organization of brain dynamics given the non-random increase in co-activation across frequencies. Interestingly, the frequency distribution of the active repertoire of brain states under LSD closely follows power-laws indicating a re-organization of the dynamics at the edge of criticality. Beyond the present findings, these methods open up for a better understanding of the complex brain dynamics in health and disease.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on LSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging. Human participants | 2016 | Experimental study | |
| Crystal structure of an LSD-bound human serotonin receptor | 2017 | Experimental study with structural biology and molecular dynamics simulations | |
| Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: Sensitive Neuronal Units in the Midbrain Raphe Midbrain neurons containing serotonin | 1968 | Experimental study | |
| LSD-Assisted Psychotherapy in Patients with Terminal Cancer Cancer patients | 1973 | Experimental study | n = 60 |
| Alterations of consciousness and mystical-type experiences after acute LSD in humans Participants in a study on acute LSD effects | 2016 | Experimental study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 117
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- Quality of Acute Psychedelic Experience Predicts Therapeutic Efficacy of Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Frontiers in Pharmacology January 17, 2018
- Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness Frontiers in Psychology September 4, 2018
- Neural correlates of the DMT experience assessed with multivariate EEG. Scientific Reports November 19, 2019
- Me, myself, bye: regional alterations in glutamate and the experience of ego dissolution with psilocybin. Neuropsychopharmacology November 1, 2020
and 112 more in the library
Cites 21
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- 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
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety. Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2008
- Psilocybin induces schizophrenia-like psychosis in humans via a serotonin-2 agonist action Neuroreport December 1, 1998
and 16 more in the library