Lasting effects of a single psilocybin dose on resting-state functional connectivity in healthy individuals
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Lasting effects of a single psilocybin dose on resting-state functional connectivity in healthy individuals. / McCulloch, Drummond E-Wen; Madsen, Martin Korsbak; Stenbaek, Dea Siggaard; Kristiansen, Sara; Ozenne, Brice; Jensen, Peter Steen; Knudsen, Gitte Moos; Fisher, Patrick MacDonald.
In: Journal of Psychopharmacology, Vol. 36, No. 1, 2022, p. 74-84.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Lasting effects of a single psilocybin dose on resting-state functional connectivity in healthy individuals
AU - McCulloch, Drummond E-Wen
AU - Madsen, Martin Korsbak
AU - Stenbaek, Dea Siggaard
AU - Kristiansen, Sara
AU - Ozenne, Brice
AU - Jensen, Peter Steen
AU - Knudsen, Gitte Moos
AU - Fisher, Patrick MacDonald
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Background: Psilocybin is a psychedelic drug that has shown lasting positive effects on clinical symptoms and self-reported well-being following a single dose. There has been little research into the long-term effects of psilocybin on brain connectivity in humans. Aim: Evaluate changes in resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) at 1 week and 3 months after one psilocybin dose in 10 healthy psychedelic-naive volunteers and explore associations between change in RSFC and related measures. Methods: Participants received 0.2-0.3 mg/kg psilocybin in a controlled setting. Participants completed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans at baseline, 1-week and 3-month post-administration and [11C]Cimbi-36 PET scans at baseline and 1 week. We examined changes in within-network, between-network and region-to-region RSFC. We explored associations between changes in RSFC and psilocybin-induced phenomenology as well as changes in psychological measures and neocortex serotonin 2A receptor binding. Results: Psilocybin was well tolerated and produced positive changes in well-being. At 1 week only, executive control network (ECN) RSFC was significantly decreased (Cohen's d = -1.73, pFWE = 0.010). We observed no other significant changes in RSFC at 1 week or 3 months, nor changes in region-to-region RSFC. Exploratory analyses indicated that decreased ECN RSFC at 1 week predicted increased mindfulness at 3 months (r = -0.65). Conclusions: These findings in a small cohort indicate that psilocybin affects ECN function within the psychedelic 'afterglow' period. Our findings implicate ECN modulation as mediating psilocybin-induced, long-lasting increases in mindfulness. Although our findings implicate a neural pathway mediating lasting psilocybin effects, it is notable that changes in neuroimaging measures at 3 months, when personality changes are observed, remain to be identified.
AB - Background: Psilocybin is a psychedelic drug that has shown lasting positive effects on clinical symptoms and self-reported well-being following a single dose. There has been little research into the long-term effects of psilocybin on brain connectivity in humans. Aim: Evaluate changes in resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) at 1 week and 3 months after one psilocybin dose in 10 healthy psychedelic-naive volunteers and explore associations between change in RSFC and related measures. Methods: Participants received 0.2-0.3 mg/kg psilocybin in a controlled setting. Participants completed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans at baseline, 1-week and 3-month post-administration and [11C]Cimbi-36 PET scans at baseline and 1 week. We examined changes in within-network, between-network and region-to-region RSFC. We explored associations between changes in RSFC and psilocybin-induced phenomenology as well as changes in psychological measures and neocortex serotonin 2A receptor binding. Results: Psilocybin was well tolerated and produced positive changes in well-being. At 1 week only, executive control network (ECN) RSFC was significantly decreased (Cohen's d = -1.73, pFWE = 0.010). We observed no other significant changes in RSFC at 1 week or 3 months, nor changes in region-to-region RSFC. Exploratory analyses indicated that decreased ECN RSFC at 1 week predicted increased mindfulness at 3 months (r = -0.65). Conclusions: These findings in a small cohort indicate that psilocybin affects ECN function within the psychedelic 'afterglow' period. Our findings implicate ECN modulation as mediating psilocybin-induced, long-lasting increases in mindfulness. Although our findings implicate a neural pathway mediating lasting psilocybin effects, it is notable that changes in neuroimaging measures at 3 months, when personality changes are observed, remain to be identified.
KW - Functional magnetic resonance imaging
KW - resting-state connectivity
KW - psilocybin
KW - psychedelic
KW - executive control network
KW - MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER
KW - DOUBLE-BLIND
KW - HUMAN BRAIN
KW - NETWORK
KW - MINDFULNESS
KW - EXPERIENCES
KW - METAANALYSIS
KW - PERSONALITY
KW - VALIDATION
KW - ADDICTION
U2 - 10.1177/02698811211026454
DO - 10.1177/02698811211026454
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 34189985
VL - 36
SP - 74
EP - 84
JO - Journal of Psychopharmacology
JF - Journal of Psychopharmacology
SN - 0269-8811
IS - 1
ER -
ID: 274388683