Psilocybin’s Potential Therapeutic Impact on Brain Communication.
Collectively, we can take one step forward in the exploration of psychedelics’ therapeutic benefits. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis discovered that psilocybin dramatically changes how different regions of the brain communicate with each other. Understanding how psychedelics like psilocybin alter the interactions between different parts of the brain is crucial for unlocking how these compounds can help treat mental health problems.
Scientists studied a small group of people using functional MRI (fMRI) to observe changes in brain activity. They first scanned participants while they were at rest and sober, then again after they took psilocybin to examine its effects. For comparison, the participants also took methylphenidate (Ritalin) on another day. The scans revealed intriguing results.
In the psilocybin scans, scientists observed a noticeable change in how different brain regions interact with the default mode network (DMN). This is the area creating our sense of self, or where self-reflection occurs, and it’s the area which stays active when the brain rests. (Think of the DMN as the idling engine of a parked car.). It’s also a part of the brain often linked with mental health disorders.
The study showed that psilocybin reduced the separation between typically discrete or opposing brain regions, causing them to interact more closely. This increased connectivity and altered communication patterns resemble a “reset,” akin to rebooting a computer, meaning a new way of operating which can temporarily change perception, thoughts, and emotions.
(Left): Network Integration: Blue shows where parts of the same brain network which regularly interacts are connecting less with each other on psilocybin. (Right) Network Segregation (right): Blue shows where brain networks that usually stay separate are connecting more with other networks on psilocybin.
(The enhanced communication of the DMN with other brain regions might explain why people often feel a loss of ego or a sense of oneness with the world during psychedelic experiences.)
When the brain experiences something new or different, it quickly increases the production and activity of certain proteins and genes related to brain plasticity (the brain’s ability to change and adapt). These include BDNF, MTOR, and EEF2, which are believed to play a significant role in how these drugs can help with depression. Fascinatingly, this change in brain activity is something psilocybin shares with other drugs like ketamine. Both engage the brain’s homeostatic plasticity mechanisms, which is the brain’s way of trying to balance itself when there’s a big change.
This suggests that psilocybin’s ability to disrupt and “reset” the default mode network (DMN) could have significant implications for understanding and treating mental health disorders. By temporarily altering the brain’s usual communication patterns, psilocybin may offer a new way to approach conditions like depression and anxiety.
It should be noted that early attempts to see how brain connections change in the weeks after taking psilocybin have shown different and sometimes unclear results. This means that, as yet, we still don’t have a clear picture of how psilocybin’s long-lasting effects influence important brain circuits related to human mental health.
As scientists continue to explore these effects, they hope to uncover more about how these fascinating compounds can be used to promote mental well-being and develop innovative therapies that harness the brain’s natural capacity for change and healing.
Read the “Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain” study here.
Written by Walter Juan
