Altered network hub connectivity after acute LSD administration
This study (n=20) found that LSD decreased functional connectivity (FC) within visual, sensorimotor, and auditory networks and the default-mode network (DMN), and increased functional connectivity between networks.
Authors
- Stefan Borgwardt
- Patrick Dolder
- Matthias Liechti
Published
Abstract
LSD is an ambiguous substance, said to mimic psychosis and to improve mental health in people suffering from anxiety and depression. Little is known about the neuronal correlates of altered states of consciousness induced by this substance. Limited previous studies indicated profound changes in functional connectivity of resting state networks after the administration of LSD. The current investigation attempts to replicate and extend those findings in an independent sample. In a double-blind, randomized, cross-over study, 100 μg LSD and placebo were orally administered to 20 healthy participants. Resting state brain activity was assessed by functional magnetic resonance imaging. Within-network and between-network connectivity measures of ten established resting state networks were compared between drug conditions. Complementary analysis were conducted using resting state networks as sources in seed-to-voxel analyses. Acute LSD administration significantly decreased functional connectivity within visual, sensorimotor and auditory networks and the default mode network. While between-network connectivity was widely increased and all investigated networks were affected to some extent, seed-to-voxel analyses consistently indicated increased connectivity between networks and subcortical (thalamus, striatum) and cortical (precuneus, anterior cingulate cortex) hub structures. These latter observations are consistent with findings on the importance of hubs in psychopathological states, especially in psychosis, and could underlay therapeutic effects of hallucinogens as proposed by a recent model.
Research Summary of 'Altered network hub connectivity after acute LSD administration'
Introduction
Research interest in classic hallucinogens such as psilocybin, DMT and LSD has increased because their acute effects resemble some features of psychosis and because single or few administrations have shown promising, sometimes long-lasting, therapeutic effects in conditions such as anxiety and depression. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have begun to probe the neuronal correlates of these altered states by assessing functional connectivity (FC) within and between resting state networks (RSNs). Earlier reports found that LSD and psilocybin reduce coactivation within several RSNs while increasing connectivity between networks, but those studies were limited by small samples, differences in head motion between conditions, and a lack of independent replications. Müller and colleagues set out to replicate and extend prior findings by testing the acute effects of oral LSD (100 μg) versus placebo on resting-state FC in a double-blind, randomized, cross-over sample of healthy volunteers. The study used independent component analysis (ICA) to identify ten well-established RSNs and compared within-network and between-network connectivity across drug conditions. Exploratory seed-to-voxel analyses probed whole-brain changes in RSN connectivity, with particular attention to whether hub structures (for example thalamus and striatum) showed altered coupling. The investigators also explored associations between FC changes, subjective drug effects (5D-ASC), plasma LSD levels and physiological measures.
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Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Journal
- Compound
- Topics
- Authors
- APA Citation
Müller, F., Dolder, P. C., Schmidt, A., Liechti, M. E., & Borgwardt, S. (2018). Altered network hub connectivity after acute LSD administration. NeuroImage: Clinical, 18, 694-701. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2018.03.005
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