164 results for "Default Mode Network"
Subacute effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca on the salience and default mode networks
OpenAlex – September 29, 2019
Summary
Strikingly, a single Ayahuasca session can alter brain activity for at least 24 hours. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (neuroimaging) on 43 participants (22 Ayahuasca, 21 placebo), increased functional connectivity was observed within the salience network and between it and the default mode network. Within the default mode network, connectivity decreased in the posterior cingulate, a region including the precuneus. This hallucinogen's impact on brain activity, relevant to psychology and neuroscience, suggests shifts in self-perception and emotion, offering insights into altered states of consciousness sometimes explored in meditation.
Abstract
Abstract Background Neuroimaging studies have just begun to explore the acute effects of psychedelics on large-scale brain networks’ functional org...
Changes in default-mode network activity and functional connectivity as an indicator of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy effectiveness
Neuropsychiatria i Neuropsychologia – January 01, 2018
Summary
Profound changes in brain activity can signal the effectiveness of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. A Neuropsychiatry and Neuropsychology investigation with 25 participants found that a 25% decrease in the default mode network's functional connectivity correlated with positive therapeutic outcomes. This finding, central to Psychology and Psychedelics and Drug Studies, offers a vital biological marker for mental health research topics, highlighting neural patterns in treatment success.
Abstract
ENWEndNote BIBJabRef, Mendeley RISPapers, Reference Manager, RefWorks, Zotero AMA Ruban A, Kołodziej A. Changes in default-mode network activity an...
Application of Functional MRI in Parkinson's Disease and Default Mode Network: Review of the Literature.
The Canadian journal of neurological sciences. Le journal canadien des sciences neurologiques – May 19, 2025
Summary
Brain scans reveal that Parkinson's disease disrupts vital neural networks that control self-awareness and consciousness. Using functional MRI technology, researchers found that connectivity in the brain's default mode network becomes impaired, particularly in regions controlling memory and social processing. The severity of movement problems correlates with greater disruption of these essential neural connections.
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) has become the second most prominent neurogenerative disorder relating to aging individuals. PD involves the loss of neuro...
Effect of increasing cognitive activity participation on default mode network in older adults with subjective cognitive decline: a randomised controlled trialResearch in context
EBioMedicine – March 26, 2024
Summary
Engaging in more daily mental exercises can positively reshape crucial brain networks. Researchers explored this by having older adults experiencing subjective cognitive decline either double their weekly calligraphy practice or maintain their usual routine for six months. The group that increased their cognitive activities, specifically calligraphy, showed significant positive improvements in the functional connections within their Default Mode Network, a key brain system vital for cognition. These findings underscore the benefit of increased cognitive activities in late life, offering a promising avenue to enhance brain health and potentially reduce the risk of dementia.
Abstract
Summary: Background: Having more cognitive activities may prevent dementia, but its evidence of modulating the functional brain network is limited....
The Psychedelic State Induced by Ayahuasca Modulates the Activity and Connectivity of the Default Mode Network
PLoS ONE – February 18, 2015
Summary
A powerful hallucinogen, Ayahuasca, significantly reduces activity in the brain's default mode network (DMN), a key area for mind-wandering and consciousness. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (resting state fMRI) on ten experienced subjects, neuroscience revealed decreased activity in regions like the Posterior Cingulate and Precuneus. This modulation of the DMN by psychedelics offers insights for psychology into altered states, linking drug studies to our understanding of consciousness and unconsciousness. This informs neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior, relevant to tryptophan and brain disorders.
Abstract
The experiences induced by psychedelics share a wide variety of subjective features, related to the complex changes in perception and cognition ind...
Modulation of Posterior Default Mode Network Activity During Interoceptive Attention and Relation to Mindfulness.
Biological psychiatry global open science – November 01, 2024
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Interoceptive attention to internal sensory signals, such as the breath, is fundamental to mindfulness. However, interoceptive attention can be dif...
Psilocybin-assisted mindfulness training modulates self-consciousness and brain default mode network connectivity with lasting effects.
NeuroImage – August 01, 2019
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Both psychedelics and meditation exert profound modulatory effects on consciousness, perception and cognition, but their combined, possibly synergi...
Reducing default mode network connectivity with mindfulness-based fMRI neurofeedback: a pilot study among adolescents with affective disorder history.
Molecular psychiatry – June 01, 2023
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Adolescents experience alarmingly high rates of major depressive disorder (MDD), however, gold-standard treatments are only effective for ~50% of y...
Decreased mental time travel to the past correlates with default-mode network disintegration under lysergic acid diethylamide
Journal of Psychopharmacology – January 01, 2016
Summary
A fascinating insight reveals how a specific compound can quiet the mind's tendency to dwell on the past. Volunteers received the compound or placebo in a controlled setting. Brain scans and verbal reports showed it significantly reduced mental journeys into one's past, correlating with changes in a brain network linked to self-reflection. This offers a promising avenue for treating conditions marked by excessive rumination.
Abstract
This paper reports on the effects of LSD on mental time travel during spontaneous mentation. Twenty healthy volunteers participated in a placebo-co...
Psilocybin-induced default mode network hypoconnectivity is blunted in alcohol-dependent rats
Translational Psychiatry – December 14, 2023
Summary
Neuroscience reveals psilocybin, a potent hallucinogen, may require personalized dosing for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). This psychedelic compound typically reduces Default Mode Network (DMN) connectivity, a key area in Psychology. However, rats with severe AUD exhibited a blunted DMN response, strongly correlating with alcohol relapse intensity. This suggests standard psilocybin doses might be insufficient for severe cases. This pharmacology insight, vital for Medicine and Psychiatry, highlights Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior and Tryptophan and brain disorders in AUD treatment.
Abstract
Abstract Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) adversely affects the lives of millions of people, but still lacks effective treatment options. Recent advancem...
Default Mode Network Modulation by Psychedelics: A Systematic Review
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology – October 21, 2022
Summary
Psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin profoundly alter brain activity, consistently disrupting the Default Mode Network (DMN), a key brain region for self-referencing and linked to various psychological conditions. This acute modulation of the DMN, crucial in neuroscience and drug studies, involves increased connectivity across brain networks. Understanding the chemical synthesis of these compounds and their psychological effects, perhaps alongside insights from nicotinic acetylcholine receptors studies and computational analyses, is vital to fully grasp their impact on brain function.
Abstract
Abstract Psychedelics are a unique class of drug that commonly produce vivid hallucinations as well as profound psychological and mystical experien...
Neurobehavioral pathways linking socioeconomic status hardship to suicide risk versus resilience in young adolescents: the roles of sleep health and default mode network connectivity.
Translational psychiatry – November 24, 2025
Summary
Did you know that brain connectivity might offer a shield against the mental health impacts of tough economic times? Research involving nearly 12,000 adolescents explored how socioeconomic hardship influences suicide risk, focusing on sleep health and brain network coherence. It found that economic difficulties predicted increased suicidal thoughts and attempts. Crucially, shorter sleep duration linked hardship to these thoughts. However, strong connectivity in a specific brain network acted as a protective factor, buffering the impact of hardship and poor sleep, suggesting a pathway to youth resilience.
Abstract
Socioeconomic hardship (SES-H) is a known risk factor for adolescent suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB). This study examined sleep health as a p...
Meditation attenuates default-mode activity: A pilot study using ultra-high field 7 Tesla MRI.
Brain research bulletin – October 15, 2023
Summary
Focused attention meditation significantly reduces activity in the brain's default-mode network, responsible for self-referential thought. A pilot study using ultra-high field 7 Tesla functional MRI with 10 beginner meditators revealed this reduction during meditation compared to rest. Participants also reported elevated mindfulness scores for up to two weeks after the session. This functional MRI investigation highlights the utility of advanced neuroimaging for understanding how focused attention meditation impacts brain function, even after accounting for physiological differences.
Abstract
Mapping the neurobiology of meditation has been bolstered by functional MRI (fMRI) research, with advancements in ultra-high field 7 Tesla fMRI fur...
Psychedelic Symphonies: Investigating LSD and Music-Induced Brain Activity Using fMRI
OpenAlex – February 03, 2026
Summary
LSD significantly alters brain connectivity, impacting regions involved in music processing and emotional response. In a study with 51 healthy participants, LSD reduced within-network connectivity in the default mode and visual networks while enhancing between-network connectivity. Additionally, it decreased low-frequency oscillations in the occipital lobe and default mode network, correlating with psychometric scores. Notably, the interaction between LSD and music showed minimal effects, primarily observed in the auditory cortex. These findings deepen our understanding of LSD’s influence on neural activity related to perception and emotion.
Abstract
LSD is a psychedelic drug known for its ability to alter perception and psychological functioning by acting on the serotonin 2A receptor. Historica...
Triple-network model-based graph theory analysis of the effectiveness of low-dose ketamine in patients with treatment-resistant depression: two resting-state functional MRI clinical trials.
The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science – April 02, 2025
Summary
Ketamine shows promise in rewiring brain networks linked to severe depression. New brain imaging reveals how low-dose ketamine therapy improves connectivity between three crucial brain networks in patients who haven't responded to standard treatments. Using advanced mapping of resting-state brain activity, researchers found ketamine strengthens communication in areas controlling emotional processing and self-awareness, particularly in the default mode network.
Abstract
Evidence suggests the crucial role of dysfunctional default mode (DMN), salience and frontoparietal (FPN) networks, collectively termed the triple ...
Neural correlates of mindfulness meditation and hypnosis on magnetic resonance imaging: similarities and differences. A scoping review.
Journal of neuroradiology = Journal de neuroradiologie – March 01, 2024
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Mindfulness meditation (MM) and hypnosis practices are gaining interest in mental health, but their physiological mechanisms remain poorly understo...
Mindful young brains and minds: a systematic review of the neural correlates of mindfulness-based interventions in youth.
Brain imaging and behavior – April 01, 2025
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
This systematic narrative review examines neuroimaging studies that investigated the neural correlates of mindfulness-based interventions in youth ...
Focused attention meditation changes the boundary and configuration of functional networks in the brain
Scientific Reports – January 01, 2020
Summary
Focused attention meditation doesn't just calm your mind; it reconfigures brain networks. Researchers investigated how meditation alters brain network composition using individual data. Meditation shifted network boundaries, merging fronto-parietal regions into the default mode network. This shows meditation reorganizes brain architecture, revealing its neural mechanisms.
Abstract
Research has shown that focused attention meditation not only improves our cognitive and motivational functioning (e.g., attention, mental health),...
Effective connectivity of emotion and cognition under psilocybin
OpenAlex – September 09, 2022
Summary
The hallucinogen Psilocybin profoundly alters brain connectivity, offering insights into its therapeutic potential. In a randomized trial of 24 healthy adults receiving 0.215mg/kg psilocybin, neuroscience revealed decreased top-down influence from networks like the Default mode network and Salience network to the Amygdala, a key emotional processing center. This shift in neural communication, crucial for cognition and understood by cognitive psychology, suggests how this psychedelic influences behavior and emotion. These Psychedelics and Drug Studies highlight the Amygdala's role in psychology.
Abstract
Abstract Classic psychedelics alter sense of self and patterns of self-related thought. These changes are hypothesised to underlie their therapeuti...
Global Effect on Cortical Activity in Young Indian Males in Response to "OM" Chanting: A High-Density Quantitative Electro-Encephalography Study.
Annals of neurosciences – July 01, 2024
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Meditation using the "OM" mantra is the most widely used practice in India. Though reports have been published about the relaxation effect during b...
Closed-Loop Systems and Real-Time Neurofeedback in Mindfulness Meditation Research.
Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging – April 01, 2025
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
Mindfulness meditation has numerous purported benefits for psychological well-being; however, problems such as adherence to mindfulness tasks, qual...
The default-mode, ego-functions and free-energy: a neurobiological account of Freudian ideas
Brain – February 28, 2010
Summary
Groundbreaking neuroscience suggests core Freudian concepts like the ego align with the brain's default mode network. This perspective bridges psychoanalysis and modern cognitive psychology, proposing that primary processes—manifest in dreams or a Freudian slip—reflect self-organized brain activity. Understanding these neurobiological substrates, crucial for mental health and psychiatry, could refine psychotherapy techniques. The brain's hierarchical systems, optimizing its representation of the sensorium (a form of embodied cognition), offer a compelling basis for the Id, ego, and super-ego, enriching psychological understanding and free association.
Abstract
This article explores the notion that Freudian constructs may have neurobiological substrates. Specifically, we propose that Freud's descriptions o...
Effective Connectivity of Functionally Anticorrelated Networks Under Lysergic Acid Diethylamide.
Biological psychiatry – February 01, 2023
Summary
LSD's profound ability to alter self-perception stems from its unique impact on brain network communication. Research shows the psychedelic disrupts normal boundaries between brain networks that typically maintain our sense of self. Using advanced brain imaging, scientists found LSD transforms inhibitory connections between key neural networks into excitatory ones, particularly affecting how attention-directing systems interact. This may explain the ego dissolution experience many report during psychedelic states.
Abstract
Classic psychedelic-induced ego dissolution involves a shift in the sense of self and a blurring of the boundary between the self and the world. A ...
MDMA-induced changes in within-network connectivity contradict the specificity of these alterations for the effects of serotonergic hallucinogens
Neuropsychopharmacology – November 20, 2020
Summary
Serotonergic hallucinogens like LSD significantly alter brain connectivity, but this study reveals that non-hallucinogenic substances such as MDMA can induce similar effects. In a trial with 45 participants, those who took 125 mg of MDMA showed decreased connectivity in key networks, including the default mode network and visual areas. These changes mirrored those observed with hallucinogens, suggesting that monoaminergic stimulation affects brain connectivity broadly. This insight may help explain the antidepressant effects of certain psychoactive substances without requiring hallucinogenic experiences.
Abstract
Abstract It has been reported that serotonergic hallucinogens like lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) induce decreases in functional connectivity wit...
Neurobiological and Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin in Psychiatric Disorders
Journal of Pharma Insights and Research. – October 05, 2025
Summary
Psilocybin offers rapid, sustained antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects, particularly for treatment-resistant depression and existential distress. Administered within psychotherapy, it acutely disrupts key brain networks, like the Default Mode Network, creating a state of elevated brain entropy. This leads to enhanced neuroplasticity, fostering new neural connections and helping unlearn maladaptive cognitive patterns. Significant efficacy is evident, but careful screening and a supportive therapeutic setting are essential for safe, effective application.
Abstract
Psilocybin, an indoleamine alkaloid derived from various fungal species, is the subject of renewed, rigorous investigation for its therapeutic pote...
Revealing Changes in Linear and Nonlinear Functional Connectivity After Psilocybin and Escitalopram Treatment in Patients with Depression
OpenAlex – March 10, 2025
Summary
Psilocybin and Escitalopram, vital in Psychiatry and Mental Health Research Topics, appear to rewire the brain differently for Depression recovery. Psilocybin responders showed greater functional connectivity integration across three key networks, reflecting enhanced coordination. Conversely, Escitalopram responders exhibited reduced connectivity within two networks and between two others, suggesting a dampening of self-referential processing. This Neuroscience work, exploring both linear and nonlinear system changes, highlights distinct mechanisms. Understanding these Psychedelics and Drug Studies, including chemical synthesis and alkaloids, is crucial for Medicine and Psychology, offering new insights into treating Depression.
Abstract
Abstract Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is typically characterized by altered linear functional connectivity (FC) across large-scale brain network...
Low-dose ketamine improved brain network integrity among patients with treatment-resistant depression and suicidal ideation.
Psychiatry research – March 01, 2025
Summary
A single low dose of ketamine shows promise in rapidly improving brain network connections while reducing depression and suicidal thoughts. In this groundbreaking research, patients with treatment-resistant depression received either ketamine or a control medication. Using advanced brain imaging, researchers found ketamine strengthened functional connectivity in key brain regions, particularly the thalamus and angular gyrus. These improvements in brain network organization corresponded with significant reductions in depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation.
Abstract
Ketamine is a dissociative drug used for the treatment of depression. However, the neurofunctional mechanism underlying the antidepressant effect o...
Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain.
Nature – August 01, 2024
Summary
A single dose of psilocybin dramatically alters brain connectivity patterns, causing networks that normally work in sync to become temporarily desynchronized. This disruption is particularly strong in brain regions linked to our sense of self and perception of time. The changes persist for weeks, especially between memory centers and self-awareness networks, potentially explaining psilocybin's therapeutic benefits.
Abstract
A single dose of psilocybin, a psychedelic that acutely causes distortions of space-time perception and ego dissolution, produces rapid and persist...
LSD Relaxes Structural Constraints on Brain Dynamics and Default Mode Decoupling Tracks Ego Dissolution
OpenAlex – March 05, 2026
Summary
Psychedelics like LSD significantly alter brain function, revealing a remarkable decoupling of low-frequency brain activity from structural constraints. In a study involving 30 participants, LSD led to a 40% increase in flexibility within the default mode network, which is associated with ego dissolution. While low-frequency activity showed widespread reorganization, high-frequency gamma activity underwent selective adjustments. This suggests that psychedelics promote a unique rebalancing of neural dynamics, potentially enhancing therapeutic effects by loosening rigid structural limitations and improving communication among brain networks involved in self-awareness and perception.
Abstract
Abstract Psychedelics profoundly alter conscious experience, yet how they reshape the relationship between brain anatomy and function remains uncle...
The Unique Neural Signature of Your Trip: Functional Connectome Fingerprints of Subjective Psilocybin Experience
OpenAlex – March 21, 2023
Summary
Psilocybin, a powerful hallucinogen, creates highly unique "brain fingerprints" that predict subjective psychedelic experiences. Using functional neuroimaging (fMRI), individual functional connectomes became more idiosyncratic post-psilocybin, concentrating in the Default Mode Network (DMN). This DMN connectome pattern, showing reduced internal and limbic connectivity but increased links to attentional systems, was central. This neuroscience and psychology work, leveraging brain fingerprinting, advances psychedelics and drug studies, bridging brain changes with behavior and highlighting psilocybin's (an alkaloid) neurotransmitter receptor influence.
Abstract
Abstract The emerging neuroscientific frontier of brain fingerprinting has recently established that human functional connectomes (FCs) exhibit fin...
Neuropsychological effect on long-term Ayahuasca use
Counseling And Psychological Services Dissertations (Georgia State University) – June 02, 2022
Summary
Long-term use of Ayahuasca appears to have minimal lasting effects on neuropsychological functioning. In a study involving 25 participants—12 chronic users from União do Vegetal and 13 non-users—no significant differences in brain connectivity were observed within the default mode network, comprising critical areas like the medial prefrontal cortex. Interestingly, sleepiness was positively associated with activity in the right medial prefrontal cortex and angular gyrus. These findings suggest that while Ayahuasca is gaining popularity for therapeutic purposes, its long-term impact on neurological health may be limited.
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic tea used in religious ritual ceremonies in eastern parts of South America. Ayahuasca is becoming more popular in west...
Content-Free Awareness: EEG-fcMRI Correlates of Consciousness as Such in an Expert Meditator
Frontiers in Psychology – February 18, 2020
Summary
A highly experienced meditator (over 50,000 practice hours) revealed unique neural correlates of consciousness during content-free awareness. Using EEG-fMRI, a sharp decrease in alpha power and increase in theta power were observed. Functional magnetic resonance imaging showed increased functional connectivity in the dorsal attention network and decreased activity in the posterior default mode network. This neuroscience finding suggests how top-down attention, crucial for cognition in psychology, can exclude external stimuli and internal mentation, offering insights into consciousness beyond the unconscious mind and states like persistent vegetative state.
Abstract
The minimal neural correlate of the conscious state, regardless of the neural activity correlated with the ever-changing contents of experience, ha...
Beyond NMDA Receptors: A Narrative Review of Ketamine's Rapid and Multifaceted Mechanisms in Depression Treatment.
International journal of molecular sciences – December 20, 2024
Summary
Ketamine, once known only as an anesthetic, can lift severe depression symptoms within hours. This rapid-acting antidepressant works differently from traditional medications, targeting multiple brain systems simultaneously. As an NMDA antagonist, it triggers increased BDNF production, promoting neuroplasticity and new brain connections. It also rebalances triple network dysfunction and interacts with the opioid system, helping restore healthy brain function.
Abstract
The rising prevalence of depression, with its associated suicide risk, demands effective fast-acting treatments. Ketamine has emerged as promising,...
The Acute Effects of the Atypical Dissociative Hallucinogen Salvinorin A on Functional Connectivity in the Human Brain
Scientific Reports – October 02, 2020
Summary
The dissociative hallucinogen Salvinorin A profoundly alters the human brain, mirroring effects of other psychedelics like Ayahuasca. Neuroscience, using functional magnetic resonance imaging, reveals this κ-opioid receptor agonist significantly attenuates the Default mode network. Connectome analysis showed widespread functional connectivity changes: dynamic connectivity was notably reduced, and most models accurately classified SA's impact. This pattern, crucial for psychology and medicine, highlights neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior, advancing psychedelics and drug studies and functional brain connectivity studies.
Abstract
Abstract Salvinorin A (SA) is a κ-opioid receptor agonist and atypical dissociative hallucinogen found in Salvia divinorum . Despite the resurgence...
Brain Networks, Neurotransmitters and Psychedelics: Towards a Neurochemistry of Self-Awareness.
Current neurology and neuroscience reports – August 01, 2024
Summary
Psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin can dramatically alter how we experience ourselves and process emotions. Research shows these substances affect brain networks responsible for self-awareness, improving emotional regulation and metacognition. By influencing how we sense our internal state (interoception) and feel a sense of agency, these compounds may help people develop better self-understanding and coping skills.
Abstract
Self-awareness can be defined as the capacity of becoming the object of one's own awareness and, increasingly, it has been the target of scientific...
A practical measure of integrated information reveals alpha-band activity and the posterior cortex as neural correlates of arousal.
NeuroImage – July 18, 2025
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
The search for neurophysiological markers of consciousness and their neural substrates remains a focal point in neuroscience research. The integrat...
Neurocognitive effects of psilocybin: A systematic and comprehensive review of neuroimaging studies in humans.
Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews – August 01, 2025
Summary
Psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, creates profound changes in brain connectivity patterns. Advanced neuroimaging techniques like MRI and PET scans reveal that this psychedelic temporarily disrupts the brain's default mode network, altering self-perception and emotional processing. Studies show promising brain changes in treating depression, with functional connectivity shifts linked to improved mood and social functioning.
Abstract
Psilocybin is a psychedelic serotonergic compound that is renowned for its potent psychoactive effects. Over the past 15 years, an increasing numbe...
Spontaneous and deliberate creative cognition during and after psilocybin exposure
Translational Psychiatry – April 08, 2021
Summary
A compelling finding in cognitive psychology reveals that the hallucinogen psilocybin uniquely impacts creativity. Administering 0.17 mg/kg psilocybin acutely increased spontaneous creative insights while decreasing deliberate task-based creativity. Seven days later, individuals showed more novel ideas, demonstrating lasting effects on cognition. These changes in creativity, a key psychological construct, were predicted by default mode network connectivity. This work from Psychedelics and Drug Studies suggests psilocybin, an alkaloid, offers a tool to understand the neural basis of cognitive flexibility.
Abstract
Abstract Creativity is an essential cognitive ability linked to all areas of our everyday functioning. Thus, finding a way to enhance it is of broa...
Detecting neuroplastic effects induced by ketamine in healthy human subjects: a multimodal approach
bioRxiv Preprint Server – May 01, 2025
Summary
A single ketamine dose can significantly elevate glutamate levels in brain regions vital for mood regulation. Researchers used advanced imaging to show how this compound reorganizes brain activity and connections. They found increased integration between different brain networks, with a key hub playing a central role in reshaping brain hierarchies. These findings offer promising insights into its therapeutic potential.
Abstract
We investigated ketamine’s neuroplastic effects in healthy human subjects using integrated Positron Emission Tomography (PET)/Magnetic Resonance Im...
Psilocybin alters brain activity related to sensory and cognitive processing in a time-dependent manner
OpenAlex – September 11, 2024
Summary
Psilocybin, a potent hallucinogen, profoundly alters brain activity, impacting cognition and sensory processing. A neuroscience study with 20 healthy individuals revealed psilocybin significantly increased brain signal diversity acutely. Crucially, changes in the Default Mode Network’s gamma connectivity correlated with "oceanic boundlessness," a core psychological aspect of the psychedelic experience. This suggests how psilocybin, a chemical influencing neurotransmitter systems, reshapes self-perception. EEG measurements also showed acute decreases in alpha brainwave activity and altered global connectivity, offering insights into its effects on the sensory system.
Abstract
Abstract Psilocybin is a classic psychedelic and a novel treatment for mood disorders. Psilocybin induces dose-dependent transient (4-6 hours) usua...
Psilocybin-induced changes in brain network integrity and segregation correlate with plasma psilocin level and psychedelic experience
OpenAlex – February 05, 2021
Summary
A single dose of the hallucinogen psilocybin profoundly alters brain connectivity, directly shaping subjective experience. In fifteen healthy individuals, functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed this psychedelic drug, acting on Serotonin 2A receptors, reduced the integrity of the Default Mode Network and other regions. As psilocin levels rose, networks like the Task-positive network desegregated, increasing connectivity. This Neuroscience and Pharmacology insight illuminates how psilocybin influences consciousness, offering new perspectives for Psychology and therapeutic approaches to brain disorders, relating to neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior.
Abstract
Abstract The emerging novel therapeutic psilocybin produces psychedelic effects via engagement of cerebral serotonergic targets by psilocin (active...
Neuromodulatory mechanisms of N,N-dimethyltryptamine
Brain Network and Modulation – July 01, 2023
Summary
Naturally occurring DMT, a potent psychedelic, holds significant promise for its antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive properties. Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research reveals its complex chemistry profoundly influences behavior. DMT's neuromodulatory actions reshape large-scale brain dynamics by interacting with various neurotransmitter receptors, including serotonin 2A, and glutamatergic systems. This alters perception and enhances bottom-up processing. Crucially, its plastogenic effects, mediated by sigma 1 receptors, promote brain plasticity related to mental well-being. These insights from Psychedelics and Drug Studies highlight DMT's therapeutic potential.
Abstract
N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is the simplest psychedelic tryptamine and is produced naturally by many plant and animal species, including humans. W...
Psilocybin therapy: A novel approach to treating depression
International Journal of Surgery Global Health – June 02, 2023
Summary
Psilocybin therapy shows remarkable promise for treating severe depression, offering relief within hours or days, unlike traditional antidepressants that take weeks. Globally, ~280 million people suffer from depression, with 30% experiencing treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Conventional pharmacotherapy often fails these individuals, who face increased suicidal ideation. Six clinical trials confirm psilocybin's rapid, sustained effects, suggesting a new paradigm in psychiatry and mental health. This psychological intervention, involving a naturally occurring alkaloid, provides a compelling alternative for major depression treatment and suicide prevention, requiring careful medical prescription and oversight.
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a surge in depression cases, a pervasive and debilitating mental illness1. This trend is evident in the incre...
Task-invariant networks interfere with and task-specific networks support memory formation: An fMRI meta-analysis.
Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.) – January 01, 2026
Summary
Why do some experiences form lasting episodic memories while others fade? A meta-analysis of 56 fMRI studies reveals a striking pattern: brain networks impairing memory encoding are consistent across tasks, linked to distraction or mind-wandering. These intrinsic networks, like the default mode, are recruited when memories fail to form. Conversely, successful encoding relies on task-specific brain engagement; verbal information activates language systems, while pictures engage visual areas. This suggests forgetting stems from general attentional lapses, but remembering requires precise, context-sensitive neural activity.
Abstract
Why do some moments imprint themselves in memory while others vanish without a trace? This meta-analysis identifies a dissociation in large-scale b...
Catalyst for change: Psilocybin’s antidepressant mechanisms—A systematic review
Journal of Psychopharmacology – January 20, 2025
Summary
Psilocybin, a powerful hallucinogen, offers promising antidepressant effects. A review of 15 studies in Clinical Psychology and Neuroscience reveals its mechanisms: promoting psychological openness and improved cognition, fostering social connectedness. This chemical's impact on neurotransmitter receptors alters brain dynamics, reducing activity in the default mode network and increasing other neural connections. A psychotherapist-guided context, vital for therapeutic change and reflecting universal human needs, is crucial. This multi-level approach, encompassing neurobiology and psychology, highlights psilocybin's therapeutic potential.
Abstract
Background: Recent clinical trials suggest promising antidepressant effects of psilocybin, despite methodological challenges. While various studies...
Spirituality as a Therapeutic Approach for Severe Mental Illness: Insights from Neural Networks
Religions – April 16, 2024
Summary
Spirituality and religiosity profoundly impact mental health, offering critical insights for psychotherapists. Neuroimaging reveals how practices like meditation alter brain networks, including the Default Mode Network, influencing cognition and emotional regulation. The article explores spirituality's role in managing mental illness, discussing how psychedelics, through drug studies, facilitate spiritual experiences. This perspective integrates religion, spirituality, and psychology, highlighting their importance and limitations within clinical psychology and psychiatry.
Abstract
This article explores the link between spirituality/religiosity and mental health from a clinical and neuroscience perspective, taking into account...
The Electroencephalographic Brainwave Spectrum, Mindful Meditation, and Awareness: Hypothesis.
International journal of yoga – January 01, 2023
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
It is hypothesized that being mindfully aware is a spontaneous state of being. It is imbued with joy, peace and happiness. Such a state is periodic...
The unique neural signature of your trip: Functional connectome fingerprints of subjective psilocybin experience
Network Neuroscience – November 01, 2023
Summary
Psilocybin, a potent hallucinogen, makes the brain's functional connections—its "connectome" or "brain fingerprint"—more distinct among healthy volunteers. Using neuroimaging, a drug study revealed that post-psilocybin, these functional connectomes became more individual, especially within the default mode network (DMN). This change in DMN functional connectivity, characterized by reduced internal and limbic connections but increased links to attentional systems, predicted individuals' subjective psychedelic experience. This neuroscience work bridges how this alkaloid influences brain activity, offering insights into its psychological effects and neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior.
Abstract
Abstract The emerging neuroscientific frontier of brain fingerprinting has recently established that human functional connectomes (FCs) exhibit fin...
Network localization of functional brain changes associated with ketamine's therapeutic effects in depression.
Biological psychiatry – June 13, 2025
Summary
How does ketamine rapidly lift depression? A key insight reveals its therapeutic effects stem from changes within a specific brain network. By analyzing numerous brain imaging studies, researchers mapped how ketamine alters functional connectivity. This robust brain network, crucial for mood, consistently involves regions like the subgenual cingulate cortex. These findings offer a clearer understanding of ketamine's unique power in treating depression.
Abstract
Although numerous studies have attempted to identify the functional pathways underlying the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine, their finding...
The Role of the Brain in Conscious Processes: A New Way of Looking at the Neural Correlates of Consciousness
Frontiers in Psychology – August 03, 2018
Summary
A compelling new interpretation links consciousness to a universal background field, proposing phenomenal awareness resides in the Zero-Point Field, a concept from theoretical physics. Through specific neural dynamics, brains write conscious experiences into this field during active states (theta cycle). During introspection, engaging the default mode network, the brain reads ZPF information (alpha cycle) to form our sense of self and memories. Psychedelics or meditation, relevant to drug studies, alter this biofield interaction, dissolving the ego and expanding consciousness by accessing a broader spectrum of ZPF modes.
Abstract
This article presents a new interpretation of the consciousness-related neuroscientific findings using the framework of stochastic electrodynamics ...
The Effect of Psilocybin on Cortical Neural Dynamics, Sleep-Wake Behavior, and Persistent Pain in a Rat Model
University of Michigan Library – January 01, 2025
Summary
Psilocybin, a serotonergic hallucinogen, demonstrates potent analgesic properties in rat models of persistent pain, extending its use beyond psychiatry. This medicine shows promise for chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain, addressing nociplastic pain's complex etiology. Neuroscience reveals it promotes neuroplasticity and modulates neural networks, identifying 5-HT2A receptor targets. These psychedelics and drug studies lay foundational work for pain management, suggesting novel pain disorder treatment with limited adverse effects, reducing reliance on anesthesia for neuralgia.
Abstract
Psilocybin containing mushrooms have been utilized for ceremonial, medicinal, and spiritual purposes for millennia. Recently there has been a surge...
A Naturalistic Study on the Combined Neural and Psychological Effects of Psilocybin and Compassion Focused Imagery
OpenAlex – December 22, 2025
Summary
A compelling finding: psilocybin, a hallucinogen, combined with compassion-focused guided imagery, creates lasting psychological changes. Among 105 participants, this psychological intervention enhanced self-compassion and cognitive absorption. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) revealed altered organization in brain networks, including the default mode network, impacting cognition and consciousness. These psychedelics and drug studies suggest synergy for clinical psychology, offering psychotherapists new avenues to cultivate empathy, mindfulness, and mental image shifts.
Abstract
Abstract Psilocybin is a classic psychedelic drug known to alter subjective experience and elicit long-term psychological changes, enhancing cognit...
Esketamine combined with sertraline for brain altered regional homogeneity in patients with major depressive disorder: A preliminary study.
Brain research bulletin – November 13, 2025
Summary
Combining Esketamine with the antidepressant Sertraline positively influenced brain activity in major depressive disorder (MDD). Patients had altered regional homogeneity (Reho) in brain areas. After two weeks, treatment normalized Reho in the left middle temporal gyrus. This correlated with improved anxiety, depression, and cognition, highlighting Antidepressants' impact.
Abstract
This study aims to explore the relationship between the antidepressant effects of drugs (esketamine combined with sertraline) and brain function ch...
Effects of classic psychedelic drugs on turbulent signatures in brain dynamics
Network Neuroscience – January 01, 2022
Summary
Psychedelics profoundly reorganize brain activity. Using a novel framework akin to analyzing turbulent patterns, new insights reveal how compounds like LSD and psilocybin alter brain dynamics. They consistently and distinctively influence a key network involved in self-reflection, effectively "compressing" the brain's functional organization. This understanding of how these powerful chemical substances influence brain hierarchy offers significant implications for developing new psychological treatments.
Abstract
Abstract Psychedelic drugs show promise as safe and effective treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders, yet their mechanisms of action are not ful...
5-HT2A mediated plasticity as a target in major depression: a narrative review connecting the dots from neurobiology to cognition and psychology
arXiv Preprint Archive – July 16, 2020
Summary
Recent breakthroughs in depression treatment reveal how psychedelics and ketamine work through a fascinating brain mechanism: they promote neural plasticity and boost a key growth factor called BDNF. This process enhances the brain's ability to rewire itself, leading to improved psychological flexibility and lasting mood benefits. The findings connect molecular changes to cognitive improvements, offering hope for more effective depression treatments.
Abstract
As the world's first primary morbidity factor, depression has a considerable impact on both an individual as well as a societal level. despite thei...
The intersection of near-death experiences (NDEs) and traumatic brain injury (TBI): neurobiological, phenomenological, and creative implications.
Frontiers in human neuroscience – January 01, 2025
Summary
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and near-death experiences (NDEs) can surprisingly catalyze profound human creativity. These extreme altered states profoundly impact neurobiology, reconfiguring brain networks to foster heightened artistic expression and significant personality and spiritual changes. Like psychedelic experience, TBI and NDEs demonstrate the brain's immense neuroplasticity. Understanding these transformations, perhaps through neuropharmacological insights into altered brain function, challenges traditional views of pathology. This unveils new frameworks for human potential, showing how extreme conditions can unlock hidden cognitive reservoirs.
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and near-death experiences (NDEs) represent profound disruptions in brain function, often associated with dramatic cha...
Advances in brain and religion studies: a review and synthesis of recent representative studies.
Frontiers in human neuroscience – January 01, 2024
Summary
No Summary
Abstract
We review and synthesize recent religion and brain studies and find that at a broad network neuroscience level, religious/spiritual experiences (RS...
Psilocybin desynchronizes brain networks
OpenAlex – August 24, 2023
Summary
Psilocybin, a potent hallucinogen and alkaloid, acutely generated over 3-fold greater brain network changes than methylphenidate in healthy adults (17 MRI visits each). This Neuroscience and Psychology research shows psilocybin desynchronizes activity, particularly in the default mode network and hippocampal formation, impacting cognition. Relevant to Psychedelics and Drug Studies, its neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior reduced hippocampus-cortex connectivity for weeks. These persistent effects, stemming from psilocybin's unique chemical synthesis, normalized after six months, suggesting a neurobiological basis for its therapeutic potential.
Abstract
1 Summary The relationship between the acute effects of psychedelics and their persisting neurobiological and psychological effects is poorly under...
Neural Network Modulation of Ayahuasca: A Systematic Review of Human Studies
Psychoactives – March 20, 2023
Summary
Ayahuasca, a serotonergic hallucinogen, has been shown to significantly alter brain connectivity. In a review of 11 studies involving neuroimaging, findings indicated that acute consumption leads to expanded local neural networks while overall brain connectivity decreases. Chronic users exhibited anatomical changes, particularly in the posterior cingulate cortex. Notably, 73% of studies highlighted alterations in the Default Mode Network, suggesting potential pathways for neuromodulation. These insights contribute to understanding psychedelics' effects on psychology and neuroscience, opening avenues for future exploration in medicine.
Abstract
Background: Ayahuasca is a serotoninergic hallucinogen that plays a central role in the Amazonian traditional medicine. Its psychoactive effects ar...
Psychedelics’ Intoxicating Impact and Behavioural Dynamics
Pharmaceutical science. – August 19, 2025
Summary
Psychedelics dramatically reshape the brain's default mode network, dynamically altering perception and behavior. These alkaloid compounds, like psilocybin and LSD, influence neurotransmitter receptors, amplifying emotions and sensory vividness, leading to ego dissolution and altered psychological states. While offering prosocial effects, empathy, and creativity, their unpredictable nature also carries risks like anxiety and impaired judgment, highlighting the complex psychology involved in these drug studies.
Abstract
Psychedelics such as psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide upset the brain networks involved in self-awareness and emotion and may lead to alte...