Translational research investigating psilocybin
OpenAlex – January 01, 2023
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
The powerful hallucinogen psilocybin, a serotonergic compound in psychedelic mushrooms, profoundly alters perception, mood, and bodily image by activating specific brain receptors. Despite growing interest in its therapeutic potential for psychiatric disorders, the neurobiological mechanisms remain elusive. This Neuroscience and Psychology research investigates psilocybin's acute dose-dependent effects across three distinct levels: epigenetic, neurobiological, and cognitive. Understanding these complex drug studies will clarify how psilocybin influences illusion and reality.
Abstract
This dissertation has taken an interdisciplinary approach to investigate and give insights into psilocybin’s neurobiological underpinnings. Psilocybin is a naturally occurring serotonergic psychedelic and is the main ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms. Research has demonstrated that psilocybin profoundly activates the serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) 2A (5-HT2A) receptors. Upon activation of these receptors in the brain, psilocybin induces profound perceptual changes such as hallucinations and illusions, altering one’s self-perception, bodily image and mood. There is a growing interest in psilocybin’s therapeutic utility, focusing on psychiatric disorders, such as treatment-resistant depression. Despite psilocybin’s therapeutic potential, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of psilocybin remain elusive. Therefore, this dissertation aimed to understand and delineate the acute dose-dependent effects of psilocybin on an epigenetic, neurobiological and cognitive level.