MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Single-dose psilocybin alters resting state functional networks in patients with body dysmorphic disorder

Summary

Researchers gave eight patients with body dysmorphic disorder (an excessive preoccupation with appearance flaws) a single dose of psilocybin and measured their brain activity before and after treatment. They found that psilocybin increased communication between key brain regions involved in decision-making and attention control. Patients whose brains showed these changes experienced significant symptom improvement within a week, suggesting psilocybin may help by enhancing mental flexibility and emotional regulation in BDD.

Background

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a severe psychiatric condition characterized by preoccupation with perceived appearance flaws. Psilocybin, a serotonin 2A receptor agonist with psychedelic properties, has shown promise for treating depression and other psychiatric disorders. Previous studies have not examined psilocybin’s effects on brain networks in BDD patients.

Objective

This study aimed to identify subacute neural changes in resting state functional connectivity that predict symptomatic response to single-dose psilocybin treatment in adults with moderate-to-severe nondelusional BDD. The research used both region of interest (ROI)-to-ROI analysis and multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) to analyze brain imaging data.

Results

BDD-YBOCS scores decreased significantly at week 1 and week 12 post-dosing. MVPA revealed significant increase in resting state functional connectivity within the Executive Control Network (ECN) at day 1. Increased connectivity within the ECN and between ECN and other networks (Default Mode Network, Salience Network) predicted improvement in BDD symptoms at week 1.

Conclusion

These are the first reported subacute brain effects of psilocybin in BDD patients, suggesting therapeutic effects may derive from enhanced functional integration of the Executive Control Network and its connections with other brain networks. Given the small sample size and uncontrolled design, larger controlled studies are necessary to validate these observations and establish clinical utility.
  • Published in:Psychedelics (N Y),
  • Study Type:Clinical Trial,
  • Source: PMID: 40458078
Scroll to Top