Alterations in brain network connectivity and subjective experience induced by psychedelics: a scoping review
Zijia Yu, Lisa Burback, Olga Winkler, Lujie Xu, Liz Dennett, Eric Vermetten et al. · 2024 · 40 citationsRead the paper
Intense interest surrounds current research on psychedelics, particularly regarding their potential in treating mental health disorders. Various studies suggest a link between the subjective effects produced by psychedelics and their therapeutic efficacy. Neuroimaging evidence indicates an association of changes in brain functional connectivity with the subjective effects of psychedelics. We conducted a review focusing on psychedelics and brain functional connectivity. The review focused on four psychedelic drugs: ayahuasca, psilocybin and LSD, and the entactogen MDMA. We conducted searches in databases of MEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycInfo and Scopus from inception to Jun 2023 by keywords related to functional connectivity and psychedelics. Using the PRISMA framework, we selected 24 articles from an initial pool of 492 for analysis. This scoping review and analysis investigated the effects of psychedelics on subjective experiences and brain functional connectivity in healthy individuals. The studies quantified subjective effects through psychometric scales, revealing significant experiences of altered consciousness, mood elevation, and mystical experiences induced by psychedelics. Neuroimaging results indicated alterations in the functional connectivity of psychedelics, with consistent findings across substances of decreased connectivity within the default mode network and increased sensory and thalamocortical connectivity. Correlations between these neurophysiological changes and subjective experiences were noted, suggesting a brain network basis of the psychedelics' neuropsychological impact. While the result of the review provides a potential neural mechanism of the subjective effects of psychedelics, direct clinical evidence is needed to advance their clinical outcomes. Our research serves as a foundation for further exploration of the therapeutic potential of psychedelics.
What the full text shows
Shown in the lab- Consistent decrease in functional connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) across multiple psychedelic substances. (Healthy individuals; ayahuasca, LSD, psilocybin, MDMA)
- Increase in global functional connectivity, specifically within sensory and somatomotor regions (occipital cortex, superior temporal gyrus, postcentral gyrus). (Acute LSD administration vs. placebo)
- Increase in thalamocortical connectivity associated with altered states of consciousness, including blissful states and audio-visual synesthesia. (LSD and psilocybin)
- Correlation between decreased DMN functional connectivity and higher volition scores (HRS scale) and lower frequency of mental time travel to the past. (Ayahuasca and LSD)
- Correlation between increased global connectivity and subjective reports of ego dissolution. (LSD)
- Increased connectivity between the amygdala and right middle frontal gyrus correlates with positive mood enhancement. (Low-dose LSD (13 micrograms))
- Setup
- 24 selected articles from an initial pool of 492; participants were primarily healthy individuals.
- How
- Scoping review of 24 peer-reviewed clinical studies using the PRISMA-ScR framework. The analysis focused on resting-state fMRI data to measure functional connectivity and psychometric scales to quantify subjective effects.
- Limitations
- Small sample sizes in the original studies. · Potential for sample reuse across studies. · Findings based on healthy individuals may not extrapolate to clinical populations with psychiatric disorders. · Lack of direct clinical evidence linking acute neural changes to long-term therapeutic outcomes.
Summarized by Gemma 4 from the open-access full text · 8 Oct 2026. Read it