Mental health disorders are rising worldwide, and neuroinflammation contributes to many cases, especially depression and anxiety. Anti-inflammatory treatments help these conditions. Psilocin, the active compound in Psilocybe mushrooms, acts as a serotonin agonist and anti-inflammatory agent, enhances neuroplasticity, and reduces overactivity in the default mode network. Studies using hallucinogenic doses under therapist supervision consistently benefit depression and end-of-life anxiety. Microdosing psilocybin in sub-hallucinogenic doses also improves mood disorders and may offer a safer, cheaper, more accessible alternative to full doses for mood disorders and other inflammation-driven conditions.
Lyme disease can cause severe, treatment-resistant neuropsychiatric symptoms through autoimmune-driven neuroinflammation. A man with serologically confirmed neuropsychiatric Lyme disease who could not tolerate antimicrobial or psychiatric medications experienced symptom remission after starting microdosed (sub-hallucinogenic) psilocybin. A literature review suggests psilocybin's serotonergic and anti-inflammatory properties may benefit mental illness stemming from autoimmune inflammation. Further research on microdosed psilocybin for neuropsychiatric Lyme disease and autoimmune encephalopathies is warranted.