Magni Giulia, Tuena Cosimo, Riva Giuseppe
Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.
Humane Technology Lab, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.
Front Hum Neurosci. 2023 Jul 7;17:1219052. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1219052. eCollection 2023.
Recent research has investigated the potential of psychedelic substances in treating various neurological and psychiatric disorders. In particular, there has been a growth in studies concerning the intersection of psychedelics, Virtual Reality (VR), and Cognitive Flexibility (CF). Indeed, the use of immersive technology allows the simulation of the perceptual and cognitive effects of psychedelic substances without the potential risks associated with them. CF is strongly associated with creative cognition, a complex cognitive mechanism involved in creative thinking and associated with the prefrontal cortex and the neural networks supporting executive functions, memory, attention, and spontaneous modes of thought. The Bayesian brain approach, which is rooted in predictive coding, has emerged as a promising framework for understanding the effects of psychedelic hallucinations on cognitive functioning. Psychedelic substances may enhance creativity by inducing a state of CF, allowing for a wider range of associations and possibilities to be explored and increasing openness to experience. A decline in cognitive abilities, including creative processing and divergent thinking, is observed during the aging process. In particular, studies on Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) show poorer performance in executive functions, including CF. The present paper suggests that psychedelic hallucinations induced by VR may help optimize the balance between top-down expectations and bottom-up sensory information. Therefore, enhanced CF and creativity may be crucial during the aging process for maintaining cognitive functions and preventing pathological conditions.
最近的研究探讨了迷幻物质在治疗各种神经和精神疾病方面的潜力。特别是，关于迷幻剂、虚拟现实（VR）和认知灵活性（CF）交叉领域的研究有所增加。事实上，沉浸式技术的使用能够模拟迷幻物质的感知和认知效果，而不存在与之相关的潜在风险。CF与创造性认知密切相关，创造性认知是一种复杂的认知机制，参与创造性思维，并与前额叶皮层以及支持执行功能、记忆、注意力和自发思维模式的神经网络相关。源于预测编码的贝叶斯大脑方法，已成为理解迷幻幻觉对认知功能影响的一个有前景的框架。迷幻物质可能通过诱导CF状态来增强创造力，从而允许探索更广泛的联想和可能性，并增加对体验的开放性。在衰老过程中，包括创造性加工和发散性思维在内的认知能力会下降。特别是，对轻度认知障碍（MCI）的研究表明，包括CF在内的执行功能表现较差。本文表明，VR诱导的迷幻幻觉可能有助于优化自上而下的期望与自下而上的感官信息之间的平衡。因此，在衰老过程中，增强CF和创造力对于维持认知功能和预防病理状况可能至关重要。
