Study Summary

Psilocybin was administered to 19 patients with treatment-resistant depression in a prospective case series. The patients underwent an fMRI scan prior to, and following administration of 10 mg (test day 1) and 25 mg (test day 2) of oral psilocybin. Patients also completed the Beck Depression Inventory and Rumination Response Scale prior to and following psilocybin administration in order to determine any relationships to changes in brain activity and clinical scores of depression or rumination. The study showed decreased ventromedial prefrontal cortex-right amygdala functional connectivity during face processing and was associated with levels of rumination one week following administration. There was also post-treatment increases in functional connectivity between the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex to occipital-parietal cortices during face processing.