Psilocybin effects on brain functional connectivity: a systematic review of fMRI studies.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review of heterogeneous human experimental and clinical neuroimaging (fMRI) studies.
PubMed 41854988 · doi:10.1007/s44192-026-00384-w
What was done
Authors conducted a systematic review to identify functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies investigating the effects of psilocybin on brain functional connectivity. Two reviewers independently extracted study data using predefined data fields.
What was found
The review identified 20 unique datasets, 5 of which included patients diagnosed with depression. The abstract reports no quantitative meta-analytic effect sizes. Findings qualitatively converged on three primary brain regions showing functional connectivity alterations: the amygdala, the anterior cingulate cortex, and the prefrontal cortex.
Why it matters
Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy is critical for optimizing treatment protocols and identifying biomarkers of clinical response in depression.
Limits
The abstract notes high participant dropout rates, a widespread lack of longitudinal follow-up scanning timepoints, substantial inconsistency across study methods and designs, and a small clinical evidence base (only 5 of 20 datasets evaluated clinical depression).
Cited by
- context Brain imaging in studies of psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression consistently shows increased functional connectivity between previously uncommunicating brain areas.