Research Keyword: psilocybin

Psilocybin for clinical indications: A scoping review

This comprehensive review examined over 190 research studies on psilocybin (the active compound in magic mushrooms) as a medical treatment. The research shows promise for treating depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and chronic pain, though most studies conducted so far have been small in size. While the evidence is encouraging, researchers emphasize the need for larger, better-designed clinical trials to fully understand psilocybin’s benefits and safety profile.

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Reporting of psychotherapeutic methods in psychedelic treatments: on the road to ethical, professional and regulatory oversight

Researchers reviewed 45 studies on how psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, MDMA, and LSD are used to treat mental health conditions. They found that scientists were not describing the psychological counseling that accompanies these treatments in a consistent or detailed way, making it hard to understand how treatments really work. The study calls for better documentation standards so that treatments can be properly regulated, replicated, and made safer for patients.

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Psychedelics for the Treatment of Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder: Efficacy and Proposed Mechanisms

Psilocybin mushrooms show promise as a treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a condition where people experience unwanted intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. Current standard treatments with antidepressants don’t work for many patients and take weeks to show effects. Early research suggests psilocybin may reduce OCD symptoms quickly and works in treatment-resistant cases, though more rigorous studies are needed to confirm its effectiveness and understand how it works in the brain.

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Synergistic, multi-level understanding of psychedelics: three systematic reviews and meta-analyses of their pharmacology, neuroimaging and phenomenology

This comprehensive study analyzed three classic psychedelic drugs—LSD, psilocybin (from magic mushrooms), and DMT—across three levels: how people experience them, how they affect brain activity, and how they interact with brain receptors. Researchers found that LSD produces more intense visual experiences than psilocybin, and all three drugs significantly alter brain connectivity patterns. The study highlights the importance of standardizing research methods to better understand how these compounds might help treat depression and addiction.

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Psilocybin-induced modulation of visual salience processing

When people take psilocybin mushrooms, they look at images differently – they focus more on visually striking regions while keeping their eyes in smaller areas. Brain recordings showed changes in electrical activity patterns. The research suggests psilocybin alters how the brain balances what naturally catches attention versus where we intentionally choose to look.

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Discovering the Potential Mechanisms of Medicinal Mushrooms Antidepressant Activity: A Review

This review explores how medicinal mushrooms may help fight depression through several natural mechanisms. These mushrooms contain compounds that boost serotonin production, reduce brain inflammation, and promote healthy neural growth. The review also discusses psilocybin from magic mushrooms as a promising rapid-acting treatment for severe depression that doesn’t respond to conventional medications.

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Comparative Efficacy and Functional Outcomes of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies in Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Systematic Review of Recent Clinical Trials

This systematic review examines how psychedelic-assisted therapies like ketamine and psilocybin help people with severe, treatment-resistant depression that doesn’t respond to standard antidepressants. The analysis of 10 recent clinical trials shows these therapies work quickly, often providing symptom relief within days rather than weeks, and importantly, they also help people return to work and daily functioning. These treatments are generally well-tolerated with minimal cognitive side effects, suggesting they could become important new options for patients who haven’t benefited from conventional depression treatments.

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Comparative oral monotherapy of psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, ayahuasca, and escitalopram for depressive symptoms: systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis

This study compared psychedelic drugs (psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, ayahuasca) with the antidepressant escitalopram for treating depression. Researchers analyzed 19 clinical trials and found that while psilocybin showed promise, its actual effectiveness was smaller than previously reported due to blinding issues in earlier studies. High-dose psilocybin performed better than escitalopram in some comparisons, but had a similar small effect size to current antidepressants.

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Premorbid characteristics of the SAPAP3 mouse model of obsessive-compulsive disorder: behavior, neuroplasticity, and psilocybin treatment

This research examined young genetically modified mice that lack the SAPAP3 gene to understand early signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder-like behavior. The study found that these juvenile mice showed anxiety-like behaviors before developing the excessive grooming typical of the adult model. Surprisingly, psilocybin treatment—which works in adult mice—did not help reduce anxiety in the younger mice, suggesting that the brain needs to mature for this treatment to be effective.

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Social pain: A systematic review on interventions

This study reviews different treatments for social pain—the emotional hurt from rejection and social exclusion. Researchers found that regular pain reliever acetaminophen, mindfulness meditation, and the psychedelic compound psilocybin can reduce social pain, while placebo pills also help when people believe they work. Interestingly, combining acetaminophen with forgiveness works better than either alone, suggesting that both physical and emotional pain may use similar brain pathways.

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