"Large-Scale and Local Functional Connectivity Changes Following Psilocybin Administration in Methamphetamine Use...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Addiction Research

Background:

• Methamphetamine (MA) use disorder disrupts brain networks crucial for cognitive control, attention, and salience.
• Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) can identify these disruptions, but network recovery after treatment is understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in large-scale and local functional connectivity after psilocybin administration in individuals with MA use disorder.

Main Methods:

• Prospective longitudinal study using rs-fMRI before and after psilocybin and psychotherapy.
• Assessed large-scale connectivity in default mode, salience, dorsal attention, and executive control networks.
• Evaluated local connectivity using regional homogeneity (ReHo) and correlated changes with clinical outcomes.

Main Results:

• Psilocybin administration led to significant reorganization within and between attentional, default mode, and salience networks.
• Increased network integration correlated with increased ReHo in frontal and sensorimotor regions.
• Reduced MA use linked to restored frontostriatal and attentional connectivity; reduced distress linked to strengthened attentional and prefrontal-striatal circuits.

Conclusions:

• Psilocybin administration induced measurable reorganization of brain connectivity and local coherence in MA use disorder.
• Findings suggest psilocybin may promote network plasticity, offering potential as an imaging biomarker for stimulant addiction treatment.