Advances and challenges in neuroimaging studies on the effects of serotonergic hallucinogens: Contributions of the resting brain.
Felix Müller, Matthias E. Liechti, Undine E. Lang, Stefan Borgwardt
Progress in Brain Research 2018 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.08.004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ayahuasca DMT LSD Mescaline Psilocybin Serotonin |
| Keywords | Functional connectivity Hallucinogens Neuroimaging PET Psychedelics Resting state Spect FMRI |
| Citations | 32 |
| Key findings | Psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca consistently decrease cerebral blood flow and increase global functional connectivity in the precuneus and thalamus, while LSD also reduces functional connectivity within resting state networks. |
Abstract
The effects of hallucinogenic drugs on the human brain have been studied since the earliest days of neuroimaging in the 1990s. However, approaches are often hard to compare and results are heterogeneous. In this chapter, we summarize studies investigating the effects of hallucinogens on the resting brain, with a special emphasis on replicability and limitations. In previous studies, similarities were observed between psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca, with respect to decreases in cerebral blood flow and increases in global functional connectivity in the precuneus and thalamus. Additionally, LSD consistently decreased functional connectivity within distinct resting state networks. Little convergence was observed for connectivity between networks and for blood flow in other brain regions. Although these studies are limited by small sample sizes and might be biased by unspecific drug effects on physiological parameters and the vascular system, current results indicate that neuroimaging could be a useful tool to elucidate the neuronal correlates of hallucinogenic effects.
Comparable studies
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- Classic Psychedelic Drugs: Update on Biological Mechanisms Pharmacopsychiatry January 25, 2022
- A complex systems perspective on psychedelic brain action. Trends in Cognitive Sciences February 3, 2023
- Molecular and Functional Imaging Studies of Psychedelic Drug Action in Animals and Humans Molecules April 22, 2021
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Cites 31
- Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 23, 2012
- Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences April 11, 2016
- Increased Global Functional Connectivity Correlates with LSD-Induced Ego Dissolution. Current Biology April 13, 2016
- The Psychedelic State Induced by Ayahuasca Modulates the Activity and Connectivity of the Default Mode Network PLoS One February 18, 2015
- Acute psychological and physiological effects of psilocybin in healthy humans: a double-blind, placebo-controlled dose?effect study Psychopharmacology March 1, 2004
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