Modeling psilocybin’s effects on brain activity

Theoretical modeling of interactions between neuronal and neurotransmitter systems at the whole-brain level may help explain how psilocybin affects brain activity, according to a study. The psychedelic drug psilocybin has received considerable interest as a potential treatment for depression, anxiety, and addiction. To uncover the drug’s mechanisms, Morten Kringelbach, Nikos Logothetis, Gustavo Deco, and colleagues analyzed diffusion MRI data from 16 healthy participants, PET data from 210 participants, and functional MRI data from nine healthy participants who received intravenous infusions of either psilocybin or saline. The authors developed a biophysically realistic whole-brain model that integrates the concentration levels of signaling molecules called neurotransmitters with the activity of excitatory and inhibitory neurons in different brain regions. Simulations revealed that coupling the neuronal and neurotransmitter systems at the whole-brain level is important for fully explaining the effects of psilocybin on brain activity, specifically via the 5-HT2A receptor. Overall, the high flexibility of human brain function crucially depends on whole-brain interactions between the neuronal and neurotransmitter systems. According to the authors, this approach may illuminate human brain function and lead to the development of treatments for neuropsychiatric diseases.

Article #19-21475: “Dynamic coupling of whole-brain neuronal and neurotransmitter systems,” by Morten L. Kringelbach et al.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Morten Kringelbach, University of Oxford, UNITED KINGDOM; e-mail: <

[email protected]

>; Gustavo Deco, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, SPAIN; e-mail:

[email protected]

; Nikos Logothetis, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tu?bingen, GERMANY; e-mail:

[email protected]

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This part of information is sourced from https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-04/potn-mpe040820.php

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