Publications

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• Conference paper
  Carhart-Harris R, 2015,

  Results: Of a Multi-Modal Neuroimaging Study of LSD and a Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Clinical Trial

  , 54th Annual Meeting of the American-College-of-Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), Publisher: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP, Pages: S91-S92, ISSN: 0893-133X
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  • Citations: 1
• Journal article
  Lebedev AV, Lövdén M, Rosenthal G, Feilding A, Nutt DJ, Carhart-Harris RLet al., 2015,

  Finding the self by losing the self: Neural correlates of ego-dissolution under psilocybin.

  , Human Brain Mapping, ISSN: 1097-0193

  Ego-disturbances have been a topic in schizophrenia research since the earliest clinical descriptions of the disorder. Manifesting as a feeling that one's "self," "ego," or "I" is disintegrating or that the border between one's self and the external world is dissolving, "ego-disintegration" or "dissolution" is also an important feature of the psychedelic experience, such as is produced by psilocybin (a compound found in "magic mushrooms"). Fifteen healthy subjects took part in this placebo-controlled study. Twelve-minute functional MRI scans were acquired on two occasions: subjects received an intravenous infusion of saline on one occasion (placebo) and 2 mg psilocybin on the other. Twenty-two visual analogue scale ratings were completed soon after scanning and the first principal component of these, dominated by items referring to "ego-dissolution", was used as a primary measure of interest in subsequent analyses. Employing methods of connectivity analysis and graph theory, an association was found between psilocybin-induced ego-dissolution and decreased functional connectivity between the medial temporal lobe and high-level cortical regions. Ego-dissolution was also associated with a "disintegration" of the salience network and reduced interhemispheric communication. Addressing baseline brain dynamics as a predictor of drug-response, individuals with lower diversity of executive network nodes were more likely to experience ego-dissolution under psilocybin. These results implicate MTL-cortical decoupling, decreased salience network integrity, and reduced inter-hemispheric communication in psilocybin-induced ego disturbance and suggest that the maintenance of "self"or "ego," as a perceptual phenomenon, may rest on the normal functioning of these systems. Hum Brain Mapp, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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• Journal article
  Petri G, Expert P, Turkheimer F, Carhart-Harris R, Nutt D, Hellyer PJ, Vaccarino Fet al., 2014,

  Homological scaffolds of brain functional networks

  , Journal of the Royal Society Interface, Vol: 11, ISSN: 1742-5689

  Networks, as efficient representations of complex systems, have appealed toscientists for a long time and now permeate many areas of science, includingneuroimaging (Bullmore and Sporns 2009 Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 10, 186–198.(doi:10.1038/nrn2618)). Traditionally, the structure of complex networks hasbeen studied through their statistical properties and metrics concerned withnode and link properties, e.g. degree-distribution, node centrality and modularity.Here, we study the characteristics of functional brain networks at themesoscopic level from a novel perspective that highlights the role of inhomogeneitiesin the fabric of functional connections. This can be done by focusingon the features of a set of topological objects—homological cycles—associatedwith the weighted functional network. We leverage the detected topologicalinformation to define the homological scaffolds, a new set of objects designed torepresent compactly the homological features of the correlation network andsimultaneously make their homological properties amenable to networks theoreticalmethods. As a proof of principle, we apply these tools to compare restingstatefunctional brain activity in 15 healthy volunteers after intravenous infusionof placebo and psilocybin—the main psychoactive component of magic mushrooms.The results show that the homological structure of the brain’s functionalpatterns undergoes a dramatic change post-psilocybin, characterized by theappearance of many transient structures of low stability and of a smallnumber of persistent ones that are not observed in the case of placebo.

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• Journal article
  Roseman L, Leech R, Feilding A, Nutt DJ, Carhart-Harris RLet al., 2014,

  The effects of psilocybin and MDMA on between-network resting state functional connectivity in healthy volunteers

  , Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, Vol: 8, ISSN: 1662-5161
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• Journal article
  Carhart-Harris RL, Leech R, Hellyer PJ, Shanahan M, Feilding A, Tagliazucchi E, Chialvo DR, Nutt Det al., 2014,

  The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs

  , Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, Vol: 8, Pages: 1-22, ISSN: 1662-5161

  Entropy is a dimensionless quantity that is used for measuring uncertainty about the state of a system but it can also imply physical qualities, where high entropy is synonymous with high disorder. Entropy is applied here in the context of states of consciousness and their associated neurodynamics, with a particular focus on the psychedelic state. The psychedelic state is considered an exemplar of a primitive or primary state of consciousness that preceded the development of modern, adult, human, normal waking consciousness. Based on neuroimaging data with psilocybin, a classic psychedelic drug, it is argued that the defining feature of “primary states” is elevated entropy in certain aspects of brain function, such as the repertoire of functional connectivity motifs that form and fragment across time. Indeed, since there is a greater repertoire of connectivity motifs in the psychedelic state than in normal waking consciousness, this implies that primary states may exhibit “criticality,” i.e., the property of being poised at a “critical” point in a transition zone between order and disorder where certain phenomena such as power-law scaling appear. Moreover, if primary states are critical, then this suggests that entropy is suppressed in normal waking consciousness, meaning that the brain operates just below criticality. It is argued that this entropy suppression furnishes normal waking consciousness with a constrained quality and associated metacognitive functions, including reality-testing and self-awareness. It is also proposed that entry into primary states depends on a collapse of the normally highly organized activity within the default-mode network (DMN) and a decoupling between the DMN and the medial temporal lobes (which are normally significantly coupled). These hypotheses can be tested by examining brain activity and associated cognition in other candidate primary states such as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and early ps

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• Journal article
  Turton SP, Nutt DJ, Carhart-Harris RL, 2014,

  A Qualitative Report on the Subjective Experience of Intravenous Psilocybin Administered in an fMRI Environment.

  , Current Drug Abuse Reviews, Vol: 7, Pages: 117-127, ISSN: 1874-4737

  Background: This report documents the phenomenology of the subjective experiences of 15 healthy psychedelic experienced volunteers who were involved in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study that was designed to image the brain effects of intravenous psilocybin. Methods: The participants underwent a semi-structured interview exploring the effects of psilocybin in the MRI scanner. These interviews were analysed by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The resultant data is ordered in a detailed matrix, and presented in this paper. Results: Nine broad categories of phenomenology were identified in the phenomenological analysis of the experience; perceptual changes including visual, auditory and somatosensory distortions, cognitive changes, changes in mood, effects of memory, spiritual or mystical type experiences, aspects relating to the scanner and research environment, comparisons with other experiences, the intensity and onset of effects, and individual interpretation of the experience. Discussion: This article documents the phenomenology of psilocybin when given in a novel manner (intravenous injection) and setting (an MRI scanner). The findings of the analysis are consistent with previous published work regarding the subjective effects of psilocybin. There is much scope for further research investigating the phenomena identified in this paper.

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• Journal article
  Carhart-Harris RL, Leech R, Erritzoe D, Williams TM, Stone JM, Evans J, Sharp DJ, Feilding A, Wise RG, Nutt DJet al., 2013,

  Functional Connectivity Measures After Psilocybin Inform a Novel Hypothesis of Early Psychosis

  , SCHIZOPHRENIA BULLETIN, Vol: 39, Pages: 1343-1351, ISSN: 0586-7614
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  • Citations: 174
• Journal article
  Carhart-Harris R, 2013,

  Psychedelic drugs, magical thinking and psychosis.

  , J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, Vol: 84

  After completing an undergraduate degree in Psychology in 2003, Robin studied psychoanalysis at Masters level, receiving his MA in 2004. In 2005, Robin began a four year PhD in Psychopharmacology at the University of Bristol. Working for Professor David Nutt and Dr Sue Wilson, Robin's thesis focused on sleep and serotonin function in ecstasy users. Robin conducted a clinical study involving sleep electroencephalography (EEG) and tryptophan depletion. In 2009, working closely with the Beckley Foundation, he successfully coordinated the first clinical study of psilocybin in the UK and the first clinical study of a classic psychedelic drug in the UK for over 40 years. Also in 2009, Robin moved to Imperial College London to continue his work under the supervision of Professor David Nutt. With the collaboration of Professor Richard Wise at Cardiff University, Robin has since coordinated the first resting state fMRI investigation of a classic psychedelic drug and the first fMRI and PET investigations of psilocybin and MDMA. Robin is first author on a number of publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals including review articles with eminent neuroscientists Professor's Helen Mayberg and Karl Friston. He has presented his data at several international conferences and has appeared on BBC News.

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• Poster
  Turton S, Carhart-Harris R, Fielding A, Nutt Det al., 2012,

  Intravenously Administered Psilocybin in the fMRI environment - a phenomenological analysis

  , British Association for Psychopharmacology Summer Meeting

  Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the phenomenology of the perceptual changes caused by the psychedelic agent psilocybin (found in ‘magic mushrooms’)when administered intravenously in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. The subjective effects of psilocybin have been previously documented (Pahnke, 1969,Int Psychiatry Clin 5(4):149-62, Studerus et al, 2011, J Psychopharmacol 25(11):1434-52) however, this provides an opportunity to investigate the effects when psilocybinis administered in a novel manner (intravenous injection) and setting (MRI scanner). Methods: Fifteen healthy volunteers enrolled in a study investigating the brain effectsof intravenous psilocybin using functional MRI (fMRI) imaging (Carhart-Harris et al. 2012, Proc Natl Acad Sci, 109(6):2138-2143). The study consisted of one placeboscan and a second scan during which 2mg of psilocybin were administered intravenously. Following the second fMRI scan participants underwent a semi-structuredinterview, allowing them to describe and elaborate on their experience. These interviews were fi lmed and the content analysed using an interpretative phenomenologicalanalysis methodology. Results: The peak effects of psilocybin lasted between 15-30 minutes. The two phenomenological categories that arose from the analysis consistedof experiences related to the fMRI scanner and the research environment, and experiences related to the perceptual changes caused by the psilocybin. Key componentsrelating to the scanner environment were: the scanner having a negative effect on the experience (n=11), the research environment having a negative effect on theexperience (n=11) diffi culty with the scanner noise (n=10), sense of sensory deprivation (n=8) and preferring a more ‘natural’ environment (n=9). Components relatingto the perceptual changes included visual hallucinations or distortions (n=15), physical sensations (n=12), auditory distortions (n=7), altered time perception (n=13)

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• Journal article
  Carhart-Harris RL, Leech R, Williams TM, Erritzoe D, Abbasi N, Bargiotas T, Hobden P, Sharp DJ, Evans J, Feilding A, Wise RG, Nutt DJet al., 2012,

  Implications for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: functional magnetic resonance imaging study with psilocybin

  , BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY, Vol: 200, Pages: 238-244, ISSN: 0007-1250
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  • Citations: 160

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