Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41261994›Full record

ArticleAdvanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)2026

A Virtual Clinical Trial of Psychedelics to Treat Patients With Disorders of Consciousness.

Naji L N Alnagger, Paolo Cardone, Charlotte Martial, Yonatan Sanz Perl, Iván Mindlin, Jacobo D Sitt, Leor Roseman, Robin Carhart-Harris, David Nutt, Pablo Mallaroni and 8 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Naji L N AlnaggerComa Science Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Avenue de l'hôpital 11, Liège, 4000, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7880-6237
Paolo CardoneComa Science Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Avenue de l'hôpital 11, Liège, 4000, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8537-2123
Charlotte MartialComa Science Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Avenue de l'hôpital 11, Liège, 4000, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6291-3460
Yonatan Sanz PerlInstitut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, 75013, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1270-5564
Iván MindlinInstitut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, 75013, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6041-6081
Jacobo D SittInstitut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, 75013, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3878-4846
Leor RosemanDepartment of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QG, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9990-6029
Robin Carhart-HarrisCentre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0HS, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6062-7150
David NuttCentre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0HS, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1286-1401
Pablo MallaroniDepartment of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6229 ER, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0959-2837
Natasha MasonDepartment of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6229 ER, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7115-0389
Johannes G RamaekersDepartment of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6229 ER, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4553-376X
Vincent BonhommeAnesthesia and Perioperative Neuroscience Laboratory, GIGA-Consciousness, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, 4000, Belgium.
Steven LaureysCERVO Brain Research Centre, Laval University, 2601 de la Canardière, Québec, G1J 2G3, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3096-3807
Gustavo DecoDepartment of Information and Communication Technologies, Centre for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, 08005, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8995-7583
Olivia GosseriesComa Science Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Avenue de l'hôpital 11, Liège, 4000, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9011-7496
Pablo NúñezComa Science Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Avenue de l'hôpital 11, Liège, 4000, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5898-6664
Jitka AnnenComa Science Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Avenue de l'hôpital 11, Liège, 4000, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7459-4345

Funding

FLAG-ERA JTC2023 project BrainActFonds De La Recherche Scientifique - FNRSThe ERA-Net FLAG-ERA JTC2021 project ModelDXConsciousness (Human Brain Project Partnering Project)University and University Hospital of Liege
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Disorders of consciousness (DoC), including unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and minimally conscious state (MCS), have limited treatment options and are characterized by low complexity of brain activity. Recent research suggests that psychedelic drugs, which enhance the complexity of brain activity, could offer promising therapies. Here, individualized whole-brain computational models are developed for patients with DoC, optimized with empirical functional magnetic resonance imaging data and diffusion-weighted imaging data, upon which the administration of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin is simulated. An in silico perturbation protocol is applied to assess brain dynamics, first distinguishing between different states of consciousness, including DoC, anesthesia, and the psychedelic state. Then, brain dynamics are assessed before and after a simulation of psychedelic drugs on patients with DoC. Findings indicated that the simulation of LSD and psilocybin shifted the brain activity of patients with DoC closer to criticality (the point at a phase transition between order and chaos), with a greater effect in patients in the MCS. In patients with UWS, the treatment response correlated with structural connectivity, while in patients in the MCS, it aligned with baseline functional connectivity. These results offer a computational foundation for using psychedelics in DoC treatment and highlight the potential future role of computational modeling in drug discovery and personalized medicine.

Indexed as

BrainConsciousness DisordersHallucinogensLysergic Acid DiethylamidePsilocybinAdultComputer SimulationFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleHallucinogensLysergic Acid DiethylamidePsilocybincriticalitydiffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI)disorders of consciousnessfunctional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)psychedelicswhole‐brain modeling

Identifiers

PMID41261994
PMCPMC12931207

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.