LSD-induced changes in the functional connectivity of distinct thalamic nuclei

• Published in: NeuroImage (Orlando, Fla.) Vol. 283; p. 120414
• Main Authors: Delli Pizzi, Stefano, Chiacchiaretta, Piero, Sestieri, Carlo, Ferretti, Antonio, Tullo, Maria Giulia, Della Penna, Stefania, Martinotti, Giovanni, Onofrj, Marco, Roseman, Leor, Timmermann, Christopher, Nutt, David J., Carhart-Harris, Robin L., Sensi, Stefano L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.12.2023; Elsevier Limited; Elsevier
• Subjects: Auditory pathways; Brain research; Cerebral Cortex - diagnostic imaging; Consciousness; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Humans; LSD; Lysergic acid diethylamide; Lysergide; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Neostriatum; Neural Pathways; Neuroimaging; Parietal Lobe; Psychedelic drugs; Psychedelics; Pulvinar; Seeds; Somatosensory cortex; Striatum; Structure-function relationships; Thalamic nuclei; Thalamo-cortical connectivity; Thalamus; Thalamus - physiology; LP; CeM; LMBN-A; LMBN-B; Pc; Pf; MD; Thalamus; LSD; VAm; VAmc; VA; fMRI; LGN; MV-re; MDl; AV; VL; MDm; VM; DMN-B; DAN-A; DMN-C; DAN-B; VP; DMN-A; FC; Met; PuA; CSTC; VCN; rs; CON-B; CON-A; MRI; NS; PuI; PuL; Thalamo-cortical connectivity; ANT; PuM; L; CON-C; Striatum; ASC; R; TPN; VPL; VPN; L-SG; SMN-B; SMN-A; DMN; CL; CM; VLa; MGN; LD; SVAN-A; SVAN-B; Psychedelics; VLp
• ISSN: 1053-8119; 1095-9572; 1095-9572
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120414

•LSD elicits nucleus-specific changes of the thalamic functional connectivity/activity.•The pulvinar, ventrolateral (VL), and non-specific nuclei were mainly modulated.•Connectivity changes in thalamic nuclei were observed with sensory networks.•LSD intake increased the functional connectivity within the thalamus.•LSD intake decreased the functional connectivity between the thalamus and striatum. The role of the thalamus in mediating the effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) was recently proposed in a model of communication and corroborated by imaging studies. However, a detailed analysis of LSD effects on nuclei-resolved thalamocortical connectivity is still missing. Here, in a group of healthy volunteers, we evaluated whether LSD intake alters the thalamocortical coupling in a nucleus-specific manner. Structural and resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data were acquired in a placebo-controlled study on subjects exposed to acute LSD administration. Structural MRI was used to parcel the thalamus into its constituent nuclei based on individual anatomy. Nucleus-specific changes of resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) connectivity were mapped using a seed-based approach. LSD intake selectively increased the thalamocortical functional connectivity (FC) of the ventral complex, pulvinar, and non-specific nuclei. Functional coupling was increased between these nuclei and sensory cortices that include the somatosensory and auditory networks. The ventral and pulvinar nuclei also exhibited increased FC with parts of the associative cortex that are dense in serotonin type 2A receptors. These areas are hyperactive and hyper-connected upon LSD intake. At subcortical levels, LSD increased the functional coupling among the thalamus's ventral, pulvinar, and non-specific nuclei, but decreased the striatal-thalamic connectivity. These findings unravel some LSD effects on the modulation of subcortical-cortical circuits and associated behavioral outputs.