The “neural fingerprint” of psychedelics was spotted among hundreds of brain scans of people on LSD, psilocybin, DMT, mescaline and ayahuasca,

pointing to a shared impact on the brain’s behaviour.

The finding emerged from a major study that combined 11 brain imaging datasets from around the world
in an effort to build a reliable picture of how the substances temporarily rewire the brain.

Dr Danilo Bzdok and his colleagues analysed more than 500 brain scans from 267 people in five countries
in what they believe is the largest study into psychedelics and the human brain to date.

While there were some differences in how the drugs changed brain activity,
there was substantial overlap in their impact on how regions of the brain communicated with one another.

The most striking effect was stronger communication between brain networks that engage in higher-level thinking and more primitive networks linked to vision and sensation.

“You have an unleashed cross-talk between brain systems
– they are wildly communicating with each other,” Bzdok said.
“It’s excessive cross-talk between brain systems.”

Further changes were spotted deeper in the brain in regions linked to habits, learning and movement, the study found.
Contrary to some previous claims, the study found little reliable evidence that some individual brain networks “disintegrate” on psychedelics.
According to Bzdok, the work helps to put psychedelic research on a surer footing,
which is crucial if the drugs are to become widespread therapies for mental health conditions.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/06/scientists-identify-neural-fingerprint-of-psychedelic-drugs-in-the-brain?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other