Investigating functional brain connectivity patterns associated with two hypnotic states

Nuno M P de Matos; Philipp Staempfli; Erich Seifritz; Katrin Preller; Mike Bruegger

doi:10.3389/fnhum.2023.1286336

Investigating functional brain connectivity patterns associated with two hypnotic states

Front Hum Neurosci. 2023 Dec 19:17:1286336. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1286336. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Nuno M P de Matos¹, Philipp Staempfli², Erich Seifritz³, Katrin Preller³, Mike Bruegger¹

Affiliations

¹ Clinic of Cranio-Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, Center of Dental Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
² MR-Center of the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
³ Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Abstract

While there's been clinical success and growing research interest in hypnosis, neurobiological underpinnings induced by hypnosis remain unclear. In this fMRI study (which is part of a larger hypnosis project) with 50 hypnosis-experienced participants, we analyzed neural and physiological responses during two hypnosis states, comparing them to non-hypnotic control conditions and to each other. An unbiased whole-brain analysis (multi-voxel- pattern analysis, MVPA), pinpointed key neural hubs in parieto-occipital-temporal areas, cuneal/precuneal and occipital cortices, lingual gyri, and the occipital pole. Comparing directly both hypnotic states revealed depth-dependent connectivity changes, notably in left superior temporal/supramarginal gyri, cuneus, planum temporale, and lingual gyri. Multi-voxel- pattern analysis (MVPA) based seeds were implemented in a seed-to-voxel analysis unveiling region-specific increases and decreases in functional connectivity patterns. Physiologically, the respiration rate significantly slowed during hypnosis. Summarized, these findings foster fresh insights into hypnosis-induced functional connectivity changes and illuminate further knowledge related with the neurobiology of altered consciousness.

Keywords: altered consciousness; distinct hypnosis states; functional connectivity; multi-voxel-pattern-analysis; physiological parameter; posterior hot zone; respiration.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was funded by the University of Zurich and Hypnose.NET GmbH/OMNI Hypnosis International. This study received funding from Hypnose.NET GmbH/OMNI Hypnosis International. The funder was not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of this article or the decision to submit it for publication. All authors declare no other competing interests.