PsiConnect: A Multimodal Neuroimaging Study of Psilocybin-Induced Changes in Brain and Behaviour
Leonardo Novelli, Devon Stoliker, Tamrin Barta, Matthew D. Greaves, Sidhant Chopra, James Jackson, Jessica Kwee, Bryan Williams, Adeel Razi
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) April 14, 2025 preprint DOI: 10.1101/2025.04.11.643415 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Longitudinal |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 62 |
| Population | Participants receiving a 19 mg dose of psilocybin, half of whom underwent an 8-week meditation training program |
| Interventions | Psilocybin Meditation training program |
| Dose | 19 mg |
| Duration | 8-week meditation training program, follow-ups extending to one year post-administration |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Neuroimaging Hallucinogen Cognitive psychology |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | PsiConnect provides a highly reusable resource for investigating psilocybin-induced changes in brain and behavior with unprecedented detail and reliability. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT PsiConnect is a large-scale neuroimaging study designed to investigate the neural and subjective effects of psilocybin using multimodal neuroimaging. It combines functional, structural, and diffusion-weighted MRI with EEG to examine brain activity in 62 participants before and after a 19 mg dose of psilocybin. The design includes resting-state scans and three naturalistic conditions: guided meditation, music listening, and movie watching. Half of the cohort underwent an 8-week meditation training program, enabling the exploration of interactions among meditation, psilocybin, and brain function. The fMRI data was obtained through multi-echo fMRI, which enhances the signal-to-noise ratio and reduces susceptibility artifacts, thereby improving the reliability of the analyses. A comprehensive battery of behavioural and self-report measures captured both acute and longitudinal cognitive and subjective effects, with follow-ups extending to one year post-administration. The large sample size, multimodal neuroimaging, diversity of contexts, and longitudinal behavioural follow-ups enable the study of psilocybin-induced changes in brain and behaviour with an unprecedented level of detail and reliability. Furthermore, the data is curated according to open science principles to ensure accessibility and interoperability with established neuroimaging processing pipelines. These factors make PsiConnect a valuable and highly reusable resource for researchers in cognitive and computational neuroscience.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms. Patients with treatment-resistant depression | 2017 | Observational cohort | n = 19 |
| Psychedelic effects of psilocybin correlate with serotonin 2A receptor occupancy and plasma psilocin levels Healthy volunteers | 2019 | Observational cohort | n = 8 |
| Increased spontaneous MEG signal diversity for psychoactive doses of ketamine, LSD and psilocybin Humans | 2017 | Observational study | |
| Classic psychedelic use is associated with reduced psychological distress and suicidality in the United States adult population. USA adult respondents from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2008-2012) | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 190,000 |
| Prediction of Psilocybin Response in Healthy Volunteers Healthy volunteers | 2012 | Observational cohort | n = 409 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Psilocybin Modulates TPJ Effective Connectivity during Out-of-Body Experiences medRxiv June 25, 2025
- Effective connectivity of the human claustrum: Triple networks, subcortical circuits, and psychedelic modulation bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) September 12, 2025
- Context-dependent structurally informed effective connectivity under psilocybin bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) August 22, 2025
Cites 5
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Psychometric Evaluation of the Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (OAV) PLoS One August 31, 2010
- Factor Analysis of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire: A Study of Experiences Occasioned by the Hallucinogen Psilocybin Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion December 1, 2012
- The hidden therapist: evidence for a central role of music in psychedelic therapy Psychopharmacology February 1, 2018
- Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain. Nature August 1, 2024