Psychedelics and fNIRS neuroimaging: exploring new opportunities

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Optical Imaging
• Psychopharmacology

Background:

• The resurgence of psychedelic research necessitates advanced neuroimaging tools.
• Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a rapidly progressing optical neuroimaging technique.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the potential of fNIRS for optical neuroimaging in psychedelic research.
• To advocate for the integration of fNIRS into the study of psychedelic-induced brain activity changes.

Main Methods:

• This paper is a theoretical outlook and review, not an experimental study.
• It synthesizes existing knowledge on fNIRS capabilities and psychedelic effects on the brain.

Main Results:

• fNIRS offers a promising, non-invasive method for real-time monitoring of brain activity.
• The technique is well-suited to investigate the neural correlates of psychedelic experiences.

Conclusions:

• Integrating fNIRS into psychedelic research can significantly enhance our understanding of how these substances alter brain function.
• This approach can capitalize on the current momentum in both fields to yield novel insights.