psilocybin therapy – Page 2

Single-dose psilocybin alters resting state functional networks in patients with body dysmorphic disorder

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Researchers gave eight patients with body dysmorphic disorder (an excessive preoccupation with appearance flaws) a single dose of psilocybin and measured their brain activity before and after treatment. They found that psilocybin increased communication between key brain regions involved in decision-making and attention control. Patients whose brains showed these changes experienced significant symptom improvement within a week, suggesting psilocybin may help by enhancing mental flexibility and emotional regulation in BDD.

Body mass index (BMI) does not predict responses to psilocybin

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Researchers investigated whether a person’s body weight affects how they respond to psilocybin-assisted therapy. Analyzing 77 participants across three studies, they found that BMI did not predict how intensely people experienced the drug or how much their mental health improved afterward. This surprising finding suggests that everyone might benefit from the same fixed dose of psilocybin rather than doses adjusted to body weight, making therapy simpler and more cost-effective to deliver at scale.

Attitudes toward psychedelics and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy among Australian mental healthcare providers

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Australian doctors and mental health professionals have positive views about using psychedelics like psilocybin and MDMA to treat depression and trauma, which were recently approved by regulators. However, many still have safety concerns and gaps in their knowledge, particularly psychiatrists. Most doctors learn about psychedelics from podcasts and websites rather than formal training. The study recommends that professional organizations provide better education to prepare healthcare workers for this new treatment approach.

Knowledge, perceptions, and use of psychedelics for mental health among autistic adults: An online survey

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This survey studied how autistic adults feel about using psychedelics like psilocybin mushrooms for mental health. Nearly 70% of participants had tried psychedelics before and most found them helpful for anxiety and depression. Many participants were interested in trying them or participating in research, though legal and practical barriers stood in the way. The study suggests that psychedelics could be a promising treatment option for autistic people with mental health challenges.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy – supposedly paradigm-shifting research with poor attempts at hypotheses falsifying and questionable ethics

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This paper critically examines recent clinical trials testing MDMA and psilocybin for treating PTSD and depression. While these trials reported promising results, the author identifies serious scientific and ethical problems: participants could tell whether they received the drug or placebo due to its strong effects, researchers and therapists who strongly believed in the treatment may have unconsciously influenced patient responses, and negative side effects may have been downplayed. The author argues that without fixing these problems, the entire field of psychedelic therapy research could lose credibility.

Sex-specific role of the 5-HT2A receptor in psilocybin-induced extinction of opioid reward

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Researchers discovered that a single dose of psilocybin can reduce opioid addiction-related behaviors in male mice by activating serotonin receptors in specific brain circuits, but this effect does not work the same way in females. The study reveals that psilocybin changes how the brain processes opioid rewards and withdrawal symptoms, suggesting psychedelics could become a new treatment approach for opioid addiction. However, important sex differences in how the brain responds mean treatments may need to be tailored differently for men and women.

The Potential Role of Psilocybin in Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery: A Narrative Review

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This review examines how psilocybin, a compound found in certain mushrooms, may help people recover from traumatic brain injuries. The research suggests that psilocybin could reduce harmful inflammation in the brain, help the brain form new connections to compensate for damage, and improve mood and depression commonly experienced after brain injuries. While promising, the authors emphasize that more clinical trials are needed to confirm safety and effectiveness before psilocybin can be used to treat brain injury patients.

Therapeutic and legal aspects of psilocybin in cancer-related depression

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This paper examines how psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychoactive compound from mushrooms, could help cancer patients—especially those with head and neck cancer—who develop severe depression after surgery. Unlike traditional antidepressants that take weeks to work, psilocybin acts within hours, making it potentially ideal for patients needing rapid mental health support following disfiguring surgical procedures. However, while psilocybin is legal for medical or research use in several countries like Australia and Portugal, it remains restricted in Poland and many other places, creating legal barriers to its clinical implementation.

The association between diverse psychological protocols and the efficacy of psilocybin-assisted therapy for clinical depressive symptoms: a Bayesian meta-analysis

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This research examined how different types of psychological support during psilocybin treatment affect depression outcomes. Researchers analyzed 10 clinical trials involving 515 patients with depression. They found that whether therapists used structured manuals or flexible approaches, or whether therapy was directive or non-directive, the depression improvement from psilocybin treatment was similar across all approaches.

Lower-dose psycholytic therapy – A neglected approach

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This review examines psycholytic therapy, a method using lower doses of LSD or psilocybin combined with ongoing psychotherapy to help people process psychological conflicts and trauma. Developed in Europe during the 1960s-1970s and used successfully at over 30 clinics, this approach was largely abandoned when psychedelics became illegal but is now being reconsidered. Historical research shows it was effective for anxiety, depression, and personality issues in treatment-resistant patients, with safety profiles comparable to conventional therapy.

Research Keyword: psilocybin therapy