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New research has determined that psilocybin may impact the brain. Psilocybin is the primary psychoactive compound found in hallucinogenic mushrooms. When ingested, it distorts an individual’s perception of time, among other changes.
Researchers have observed that in animals, psilocybin causes neuroplasticity in the hippocampus and cortex. The new study was carried out by investigators at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. For their study, the researchers used functional MRI scans to observe brain activity in seven healthy individuals prior to, during and after they consumed methylphenidate or psilocybin.
During the trial, 40 mg of methylphenidate and 25 mg of psilocybin was administered to the healthy participants. Their objective was to establish a connection between subjective experiences and changes in brain networks.
Each of the participants was required to rate their feelings of awe, connectedness and transcendence of space and time via questionnaire while under the influence of psilocybin. To do this, the researchers used the Mystical Experience Questionnaire, which measures the quality and intensity of mystical experience with a maximum score of 150.
They observed that the changes in an individual’s functional networks correlated with the intensity of their subjective experience. Dr. Ginger E. Nicol, the cosenior author of the study, explained that this allowed the researchers to collect accurate data on psilocybin’s effects in each participant. Nicol added that utilizing this approach in clinical trials could help identify what determines individuals who benefit or don’t benefit from these drugs, as well as how to make better use of the drugs.
In their report, the researchers explained that psilocybin temporarily interrupts the default mode network, which is involved in introspective thinking. This disruption induces the psychedelic experience and may explain the psychedelic’s potential to treat mental-health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
Dr. Joshua S. Siegel, the first author of the study, stated that while much is known about the psychological and cellular/molecular effects of psilocybin, less is known about what happens inside the brain. The researchers observed that after psilocybin’s serious effects had worn off, minute differences observed in scans taken prior to the drug’s administration persisted.
In their report, the scientists warn against self-medicating with psilocybin because the drug isn’t approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. They also highlight the importance of conducting human clinical trials to better understand the basis of the behavioral effects of psychedelics.
The researchers reported their findings in the “Nature” journal.
With other ongoing studies on psilocybin by enterprises such as Compass Pathways PLC (NASDAQ: CMPS), the mysteries of this psychedelic compound are likely to be largely unlocked over the coming years.
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