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Increased low-frequency brain responses to music after psilocybin therapy for depression.

Matthew B. Wall, Cynthia Lam, Natalie Ertl, Mendel Kaelen, Leor Roseman, David Nutt, Robin Carhart-Harris

Journal of Affective Disorders July 15, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.04.081 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Open-label trial Peer reviewed
Sample size 19
Population Patients with treatment-resistant depression
Intervention Psilocybin
Duration MRI data acquired one week prior and the day after completion of psilocybin dosing sessions
Topics Depression Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy
Keywords FMRI Psychedelic-therapy psychedelic treatment Hallucinogenic therapy Neuroscience brain research Neurology Brain imaging Music-perception music processing Musical response
Citations 36
Key findings Psilocybin therapy increased brain activity in the superior temporal cortex during music listening, and this increase correlated with the intensity of subjective drug effects during dosing.

Abstract

Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy with psilocybin is an emerging therapy with great promise for depression, and modern psychedelic therapy (PT) methods incorporate music as a key element. Music is an effective emotional/hedonic stimulus that could also be useful in assessing changes in emotional responsiveness following PT. Brain responses to music were assessed before and after PT using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and ALFF (Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuations) analysis methods. Nineteen patients with treatment-resistant depression underwent two treatment sessions involving administration of psilocybin, with MRI data acquired one week prior and the day after completion of psilocybin dosing sessions. Comparison of music-listening and resting-state scans revealed significantly greater ALFF in bilateral superior temporal cortex for the post-treatment music scan, and in the right ventral occipital lobe for the post-treatment resting-state scan. ROI analyses of these clusters revealed a significant effect of treatment in the superior temporal lobe for the music scan only. Voxelwise comparison of treatment effects showed relative increases for the music scan in the bilateral superior temporal lobes and supramarginal gyrus, and relative decreases in the medial frontal lobes for the resting-state scan. ALFF in these music-related clusters was significantly correlated with intensity of subjective effects felt during the dosing sessions. Open-label trial. Relatively small sample size. These data suggest an effect of PT on the brain's response to music, implying an elevated responsiveness to music after psilocybin therapy that was related to subjective drug effects felt during dosing.

Comparable studies

Other non-randomized and open-label trials on psilocybin and psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Patients with severe, unipolar, treatment-resistant major depression 2017 Open-label trial n = 20
Psilocybin therapy increases cognitive and neural flexibility in patients with major depressive disorder. Patients with major depressive disorder 2021 Open-label study n = 24
HOPE: A Pilot Study of Psilocybin Enhanced Group Psychotherapy in Patients With Cancer. Cancer patients with a DSM-5 depressive disorder (major depressive disorder or... 2023 Open-label feasibility and safety pilot study n = 12
Group psychedelic therapy: empirical estimates of cost-savings and improved access Adults with PTSD or major depressive disorder eligible for psychedelic-assisted therapy... 2023 Comparative cost analysis using trial data and published estimates
Group format psychedelic-assisted therapy interventions: Observations and impressions from the HOPE trial Patients with a DSM-5 depressive disorder associated with a cancer diagnosis 2023 Open-label feasibility and safety pilot study

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Depression Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy

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Psilocybin and psychedelic-assisted therapy Psilocybin for depression