Brain science|Connections were formed anew, especially in areas involving sense of time and place and self-awareness.
Psychedelic the substance psilocybin causes significant changes in the functioning of the cerebral cortex and the layer below it, says a new study.
In the journal Nature a published study found that psychedelics change the normal communication of the brain’s neural networks, among other things, in areas that create the basis for self-awareness.
The effect, possibly lasting for several weeks, indicates that psilocybin makes the connections of the brain more malleable, states In a Nature news article.
Psilocybin causes altered states of consciousness like other psychedelics. It occurs in nature, for example, in several mushrooms.
The possibilities of the substance in the treatment of mental health problems have been extensively re-examined in the 21st century.
“This study shows that this is a really hot research topic”, states the research director of the Neuroscience Research Center of the University of Helsinki Eero Castrén.
Promising results from psilocybin, for example in the treatment of depression, have been obtained that way Stateside than Also in Finland. Furthermore, it is estimated that the substance can help those with alcohol problems and drug addicts.
At the same time, the display is still considered insufficient.
“There are not enough human studies. There are already quite a lot of studies on mice, but it is difficult to get a clear picture of what a psychedelic experience is like,” says Castrén.
Modeling the psilocybin molecule.
New according to Castrén, the research confirms previous observations about what kind of changes psilocybin creates in the brain.
The substance strongly changes the typical connections of neural networks throughout the brain.
The changes in the experiments were significantly greater than those that normally occur in the brain from day to day.
Brain networks are the basis for a person’s so-called “higher thinking”, i.e. conscious reflection and self-reflection. The study found especially many changes in the connections of the brain’s resting state network.
A person’s perception of himself and of time and place is created in the hibernation network. Its closer connections with the hippocampus have also been linked to depression.
Psilocybin the effect was tested on seven healthy young adults who were given 25 milligrams of the substance. One of the test subjects vomited the drug, which is why only six people are included in the analysis.
Brain activity was investigated by brain imaging before and after taking psilocybin and during its effect. In total, each subject’s brain was imaged with functional magnetic resonance imaging about 18 times.
“This is a really considerable amount of footage, there is a lot of material about individual people,” says Castrén.
Castrén finds it confusing that only “veteran users” who had used psilocybin before were taken as subjects. The display could be different if there were first timers.
“One of the subjects is also the lead author of the study,” Castrén points out.
Eero Castrén, research director of the Neuroscience Research Center.
Psilocybin the effect on the neural networks was greater, the more strongly the individual experienced the effect of the psychedelic.
According to Castrén, even in previous studies it has been found that the experience varies a lot from person to person.
“In this study, the maximum effect in one person was equal to the maximum difference between two subjects,” states Castrén.
Different during the brain scans, the subjects either stared at a stationary dot or performed a perception task.
In the task, the subjects had to judge whether the picture matched the word they heard. During that time, the psychedelic effects were smaller. Castrén considers this logical.
“If you use your brain for an intellectual test and focus on it, it reduces the importance of ‘disruptive’ connection changes.”
The authors of the study also explain the result in the same way. It is known that by focusing on something external, a possible unpleasant psychedelic experience can be weakened.
The same is also seen the other way around, as the effect of psychedelics is usually strengthened with elements such as dim lighting.
In a new study, for example, about the long-term effects of psilocybin, a test subject was selected who showed changes in the brain for the longest time.
In research it is also mentioned that changes in brain connections may lead to continuous change.
According to it, there were fewer connections three weeks after one dose of psilocybin. However, Castrén points out that, for example, the one with the longest-lasting effect has been raised from the test subjects.
Evidence of long-term effects is therefore lacking – as in research in the field in general.
“The biggest disagreement in the field right now is whether this short-term state-of-consciousness-altering experience is directly related to the long-term effect, or whether they are independent of each other.”
According to Castrén, the research does not bring anything new.
Slightly in Castrén’s opinion, what was new about the study was that, in addition to psilocybin, the subjects were given methylphenidate.
In Finland, for example, a psychoactive substance sold under the name Concerta is used in the treatment of neuropsychiatric syndromes. Its effects were compared to the changes caused by psilocybin.
However, methylphenidate does not work as a placebo, especially for people who have previously used psilocybin.
“Yes, they can easily tell which one it is.”
According to Castrén, for possible medicinal use, placebo studies are needed with subjects who have no previous experience with the substances.
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