NIMH

Coverage of costs associated with processing clinical documentation for the planned study: HyPSI – Hyperscanning Psilocybin: Inter-brain synchrony during shared psilocybin administration and its association with social cognition (SPNP03022026)

Basic information

Investigator: Mgr. Filip Trbušek, MSc
Main recipient: NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health)
Co-recipient: n/a
Research period: 16/03/2026 – 31/12/2026
Total budget: 232,320.00 CZK
NIMH budget: 232,320.00 CZK
Supported by: OTHERS

 

Annotation

Inter-brain synchrony during shared psilocybin administration and its association with social cognition

Synchronization of Brain Activity During Joint Psilocybin Administration and Its Relationship to Social Cognition

The HyPSI project is a groundbreaking clinical trial focused on how psilocybin affects the synchronization of brain activity between people and how this synchronization relates to changes in social cognition, empathy, and the experience of relationships. The study involves 136 healthy volunteers who, in groups of four, receive a single dose of either a low (5 mg) or high (20 mg) dose of psilocybin.

During the acute effects of the substance, brain activity is simultaneously recorded in all participants using EEG hyperscanning—a method that allows researchers to observe how people’s brains “tune into the same wavelength” during a shared experience. Participants undergo a structured program involving shared music listening, guided breathing, and interactive tasks that activate various aspects of social cognition.

The study has three main areas of impact:

  • Practical: it may provide data needed for future, more effective group therapy models.
  • Preventive: six months of follow-up with participants will allow for an assessment of long-term changes in relationship quality, emotional regulation, and stress resilience.
  • Basic research: it is the first to systematically test the possibility of pharmacologically influencing interpersonal brain synchronization.

The goal is to evaluate the safety of group administration of psilocybin, its effect on neural synchronization and subsequent changes in social cognition, as well as the relationship between these phenomena.

The project is funded by a grant from the Foundation for Psychedelic Research and includes the preparation of complete clinical documentation for approval by the State Institute for Drug Control (SÚKL), which will enable the initiation of a clinical trial.