The popularity of psilocybin is growing
Hallucinogenic mushrooms helped with depression
Scientists from the universities of London and Cardiff conducted a study of the substance psilocybin, obtained from the "magic" psilocybe mushrooms. It has demonstrated effectiveness in the treatment of chronic depression.
Mushrooms from the genus psilocybe are known for being able to introduce a person into an altered state of consciousness. These mushrooms are extremely common in nature. From them, the active substance is isolated – the alkaloid psilocybin. In its chemical structure, psilocybin is similar to the neurotransmitter serotonin – the "hormone of happiness".
British psychiatrists decided to test how psilocybin would affect patients with severe chronic depression, which could not be treated. For their study, they invited 19 volunteers who suffered from prolonged depression. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the patients' brain condition was examined before the experiment, after which they began taking psilocybin.
At the beginning of the experiment, they received 10 mg each, and a week later another 25 mg of the drug. The effect of the reception was quite strong, and all participants almost immediately felt relief from symptoms of depression. According to scientists, patients compared their new condition with a computer reboot. "Some of our patients described feeling "rebooted" after treatment and often used computer analogies," they write. The effect of psilocybin lasted up to five weeks after taking it.
The MRI scan also showed significant changes in the activity of precisely those areas of the brain that are directly related to mood. Thus, a decrease in blood flow was recorded in the amygdala, an area of the brain that plays a key role in the formation of emotional reactions, and in the temporal lobes.
Despite such impressive results, scientists are still cautious and oppose the possible self-treatment of people with mushrooms or their components. In addition, as noted in the article, a sample size of 19 people is not enough to confirm an effective treatment method. "More research is needed to see if this positive effect can be replicated in more patients. But the initial findings are exciting, they are the way for further research," the authors write.
The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.
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