The effect of psychedelics on the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) May 1, 2024 Arman Shafiee, Razman Arabzadeh Bahri, Mohammad Ali Rafiei et al. 21 citations
A systematic review and meta-analysis of nine studies found that people who consume psychedelics have higher levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) than healthy controls, with a pooled standardized mean difference of 0.26. This suggests psychedelics may influence neuroplasticity by altering BDNF, potentially enhancing synaptic plasticity and neuron growth. However, due to limited data, the conclusions remain uncertain, and more research with larger samples is needed.