Mushrooms, Microdosing, and Mental Illness: The Effect of Psilocybin on Neurotransmitters, Neuroinflammation, and Neuroplasticity
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment – January 01, 2025
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Psilocybin, a potent hallucinogen and naturally occurring alkaloid, presents compelling promise in Medicine for Psychiatry. Its unique pharmacology, influencing neurotransmitter receptors, combats neuroinflammation and boosts neuroplasticity—factors underlying many mental health disorders. Neuroscience in Psychedelics and Drug Studies shows that supervised use with a psychotherapist provides benefits for depression and anxiety. Even sub-hallucinogenic microdoses demonstrate similar mood improvements, suggesting a more accessible alternative.
Abstract
The incidence of mental health disorders is increasing worldwide. While there are multiple factors contributing to this problem, neuroinflammation underlies a significant subset of psychiatric conditions, particularly major depressive and anxiety disorders. Anti-inflammatory interventions have demonstrated benefit in these conditions. Psilocin, the active ingredient of mushrooms in the Psilocybe genus, is both a potent serotonin agonist and anti-inflammatory agent, increases neuroplasticity, and decreases overactivity in the default mode network. Studies using hallucinogenic doses of psilocin under the supervision of a therapist/guide have consistently demonstrated benefits to individuals with depression and end-of-life anxiety. Microdosing psilocybin in sub-hallucinogenic doses has also demonstrated benefit in mood disorders, and may offer a safe, less expensive, and more available alternative to full doses of psilocybin for mood disorders, as well as for other medical conditions in which inflammation is the principal pathophysiology.