Brain Networks, Neurotransmitters and Psychedelics: Towards a Neurochemistry of Self-Awareness
Author: Daniel C Mograbi1,2, Rafael Rodrigues3, Bheatrix Bienemann3, Jonathan Huntley4,5
Affiliation:
1 Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. daniel.mograbi@kcl.ac.uk.
2 Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK. daniel.mograbi@kcl.ac.uk.
3 Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
4 Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK.
5 Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK.
Conference/Journal: Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep
Date published: 2024 Jul 9
Other:
Special Notes: doi: 10.1007/s11910-024-01353-y. , Word Count: 232
Purpose of review:
Self-awareness can be defined as the capacity of becoming the object of one's own awareness and, increasingly, it has been the target of scientific inquiry. Self-awareness has important clinical implications, and a better understanding of the neurochemical basis of self-awareness may help clarifying causes and developing interventions for different psychopathological conditions. The current article explores the relationship between neurochemistry and self-awareness, with special attention to the effects of psychedelics.
Recent findings:
The functioning of self-related networks, such as the default-mode network and the salience network, and how these are influenced by different neurotransmitters is discussed. The impact of psychedelics on self-awareness is reviewed in relation to specific processes, such as interoception, body ownership, agency, metacognition, emotional regulation and autobiographical memory, within a framework based on predictive coding. Improved outcomes in emotional regulation and autobiographical memory have been observed in association with the use of psychedelics, suggesting higher-order self-awareness changes, which can be modulated by relaxation of priors and improved coping mechanisms linked to cognitive flexibility. Alterations in bodily self-awareness are less consistent, being potentially impacted by doses employed, differences in acute/long-term effects and the presence of clinical conditions. Future studies investigating the effects of different molecules in rebalancing connectivity between resting-state networks may lead to novel therapeutic approaches and the refinement of existing treatments.
Keywords: Interoception; LSD; agency; emotional regulation; metacognition; psilocybin.
PMID: 38980658 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-024-01353-y
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