Increased Global Functional Connectivity Correlates with LSD-Induced Ego Dissolution.
Curr Biol April 13, 2016 Enzo Tagliazucchi, Leor Roseman, Mendel Kaelen et al. 531 citations
LSD, a potent serotonin-receptor agonist, increases global functional connectivity in the human brain, particularly in high-level association cortices and the thalamus, as shown by fMRI. These effects overlap with serotonin 2A receptor densities and correlate with subjective reports of ego dissolution. The drug also enhances communication between normally distinct brain networks, reducing the brain's modular and rich-club organization. This is the first modern human imaging study of LSD's acute effects on brain connectivity, demonstrating that LSD selectively expands global connectivity and blurs perceptual boundaries between self and environment.