All studies
Increased global integration in the brain after psilocybin therapy for depression
Key finding
Psilocybin therapy was associated with increased global integration between brain networks after treatment, and the degree of network change correlated with improvement in depression — a possible neural signature of the antidepressant effect.
- Institution
- Imperial College London
- Design
- Pooled analysis of two clinical-trial imaging datasets
- Sample size
- 59 participants
- Intervention
- fMRI before and after psilocybin therapy, across two trials
- Year
- 2022
- Condition
- Depression (brain imaging)
Limitations
Correlational; pooled from trials with different designs; imaging changes do not establish causation of clinical benefit.
A neuroimaging analysis linking psilocybin’s antidepressant effect to measurable increases in brain network integration, lending biological plausibility to the clinical findings.
Read the primary source Our breakdown: REBUS, Entropic Brain, and What Psychedelics Do to the Cortex
Summary written by MMI Editorial for clarity. Always consult the primary source for full methodology and results. Confidence rating reflects our assessment of evidence strength.