New Delhi: Psilocybin, a psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms (hallucination-inducing mushrooms), puzzles brain networks, a new study has found. Brain networks refer to different regions in the organ connected via thousands of neurons that work in tandem to perform any given task or function. The study, led by Joshua S. Siegel of the Washington University School of Medicine, was published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
The consumption of high amounts of psilocybin affects a person’s ability to think about themselves because the compound distorts the brain’s default mode network, which refers to the brain network involved in perceiving self, space, and time, the study said.
Psychiatry experts believe that such psychedelic experiences under controlled conditions are capable of ameliorating several mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and existential distress, among others.
The findings of this study pave the way for developing future psilocybin-based therapies for several psychiatric illnesses by unveiling the core mechanisms behind how this drug transforms different states of the human brain.
Also read: Fossil of extinct human species Denisovan identified in Tibetan plateau, their diet pattern revealed
Scans show altered brain states
Siegel, an instructor at the Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, and his colleagues, investigated how brain networks are affected by psilocybin.
Based on functionality, brain networks are broadly classified as primary and association networks.
Primary brain networks control immediate sensory or motor responses such as sensing touch, processing sound, and managing body movements. Meanwhile, associated networks are involved in managing higher-order cognitive processes and require the integration of a group of primary networks.
Examples of two such networks are the default mode network, which processes introspection, or thoughts about oneself; and the frontoparietal network, which plays a role in decision-making and problem-solving.
In a statement released by the Washington University School of Medicine, Siegel said, “These days, we know a lot about the psychological effects and the molecular/cellular effects of psilocybin. But we don’t know much about what happens at the level that connects the two — the level of functional brain networks.”
To understand these functional networks, the activities of various brain regions in seven healthy young adults — before, during, and for three weeks after ingesting 25 milligrams of psilocybin — were measured under controlled conditions using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a brain imaging technique.
During every fMRI recording, participants were asked to stay still and stare at a single point for 15 minutes. During the three weeks, as many as 18 scans were recorded for each study participant.
Analysis of the fMRI renders information about neural activity across various brain regions at a given time, reflecting the brain’s overall functional condition. These neural activities are referred to as brain states.
The authors found that neural communications across the entire brain were disrupted in the participants a few days after psilocybin intake.
The study reported a profound and sustained impact on the default mode network that lasted for weeks after psilocybin administration. On a day-to-day basis, when the brain is not focused on anything in particular, all the different brain regions of the default brain network are activated in a coordinated fashion, enabling awareness of self within the confines of the world.
In contrast, coordination was lost in neural connections inside the participants’ default mode network after engulfing the psychoactive substance.
Wearing shades enhances psychedelic experience
The study also said that participants responding to audio-visual matching tasks during the fMRI scanning sessions had grounded psychedelic experiences owing to in-sync neural communications within the default mode network. In contrast, blocking external stimuli using shades led to more immersive psychedelic experiences.
Together, these provide a neurobiological explanation for the mind-bending effects of psilocybin, which acts by causing persistent changes in the neural activity of brain regions that are responsible for controlling a person’s sense of self, emotions, and life-narrative.
In the statement, Siegel said, “The idea is that you’re taking this system that’s fundamental to the brain’s ability to think about the self in relation to the world, and you’re totally desynchronizing it temporarily. In the short term, this creates a psychedelic experience. The longer-term consequence is that it makes the brain more flexible and potentially more able to come into a healthier state.”
Potential use of psilocybin in therapeutics
The authors emphasised that people should not interpret the study as a reason to self-medicate with psilocybin. This is because the drug is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment for depression or any other condition, and there are risks to taking it without the supervision of trained mental-health experts, the authors said.
The study’s findings, which have improved our understanding of the effects of psychedelics on human brain activity, have laid the foundation for exploring the possibility of using mind-altering drugs such as psilocybin as future treatment options for psychiatric disorders, the authors said.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
Also read: Much-searched-for black hole finally identified in Milky Way using fast-paced stars — Nature study