Nature: Mushroom toxin increases brain connections, treats severe depression

When it comes to mushrooms, most people will immediately think of delicious food

When it comes to mushrooms, most people will immediately think of delicious food

On April 11, 2022, researchers from Imperial College London published a research paper titled: Increased global integration in the brain after psilocybin therapy for depression in the top international medical journal Nature Medcine

The study shows that psilocybin, a hallucinogen that occurs naturally in some hallucinogenic mushrooms, is able to respond to treatment in patients with treatment-resistant depression by increasing functional network connections in the brain

Depressed patients often exhibit a "negative cognitive bias," characterized by pessimism, poor cognitive flexibility, rigid thinking, and negative fixation on "self" and the future

Depressed patients often exhibit a "negative cognitive bias," characterized by pessimism, poor cognitive flexibility, rigid thinking, and negative fixation on "self" and the future

For the study, the research team collected and analyzed brain imaging data from 59 patients from two clinical trials verifying the efficacy of psilocybin treatment

For the study, the research team collected and analyzed brain imaging data from 59 patients from two clinical trials verifying the efficacy of psilocybin treatment

psilocybin

psilocybin

The research team found that, overall, psilocybin therapy had rapid, impressive, and long-lasting antidepressant effects that were significantly more effective than escitalopram

The research team found that, overall, psilocybin therapy had rapid, impressive, and long-lasting antidepressant effects that were significantly more effective than escitalopram

These observations suggest that psilocybin (and possibly other hallucinogens) has a new mechanism of action that is distinct from traditional antidepressants

These observations suggest that psilocybin (and possibly other hallucinogens) has a new mechanism of action that is distinct from traditional antidepressants

It should be reminded that the research team attached a cautionary note on "self-treatment":

While these findings are encouraging, previous trials evaluating psilocybin for the treatment of depression have been conducted under controlled clinical conditions, using regulated doses formulated in the laboratory and administered before, during and after administration.

While these findings are encouraging, previous trials evaluating psilocybin for the treatment of depression have been conducted under controlled clinical conditions, using regulated doses formulated in the laboratory and administered before, during and after administration.

Paper link:

Increased global integration in the brain after psilocybin therapy for depression .

Increased global integration in the brain after psilocybin therapy for depression .
Nature Medcine.
2022.
Increased global integration in the brain after psilocybin therapy for depression

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