Study: psilocybin can positively affect emotions and brain function over the long term

A 2020 study published in Scientific Reports suggests that a single dose of psilocybin can change your outlook on life, for good.

Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic substance. present in certain mushrooms. Like cannabis, psychedelics are increasingly accepted and studied for their curative virtues. Psilocybin could help forge new neural networks, helping individuals to rid themselves of harmful behaviours or ways of thinking.

Long-term effects of psilocybin

Although there is a great deal of research into the short-term effects of psilocybin, less is known about its lasting effects. L’study from Scientific Reports explored the effects of a single high dose of psilocybin up to one month after administration.

Twelve volunteers took a single high dose of psilocybin, 25 mg per 70 kg body weight, and completed a battery of standardized measures and assessments. These included mood disorders, anxiety, depression, stress and negative and positive effects one day before, one week after and one month after the psilocybin dose.

Participants' responses were compared to determine whether the dose had lasting effects on emotional state, personality traits and affect, which refers to an individual's emotions, feelings or mood. Volunteers also underwent MRI scans to check how psilocybin affected their responses to emotional stimuli, and whether the dose had a lasting impact on brain connectivity, which critically affects how neural networks process information.

Efficient brain connectivity thus implies improved cognitive function, memory, imagination, language skills and stronger physical endurance. Connectivity patterns in the brain are formed by synapses that structurally link different parts of the brain.

Reduction of negative moods, increase in positive moods

A significant finding of the study was the influence of psilocybin on affect: psilocybin appeared to reduce negative affect and increase positive affect. Scales and tests measuring stress, negative feelings, anxiety, tension, depression and mood disorders were significantly lower one week after the psilocybin dose. However, these scores returned to baseline after one month.

Negative affect is one of the hallmarks of mood disorders and is also linked to addiction. A 2017 survey showed that psychedelics can disrupt the affective elements of craving and withdrawal.

According to the authors of the 2017 survey, psilocybin may trigger a dynamic process of neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to adapt to changing needs and environmental stimuli, which is sustained for at least several weeks.

Enhanced brain connectivity

The study also reported another significant finding: after one month, there was a continuous increase in functional connectivity across various brain networks, a previously documented effect of psilocybin. in other searches. Connectivity between different sections of the brain is vital for maintaining healthy brain function. Disrupted networks or dysconnectivity can be a sign of mental illness or conditions such as schizophrenia.

Other key study findings

The study authors also note an increase in responses in the brain's reward learning, attention and decision-making circuits after psilocybin dosing.

Perhaps the most critical element of the findings was that some effects persisted long after the psilocybin residue had left the body. The authors also pointed out that any temporary changes in the receptors that bind to psilocybin were resolved after a week. In other words, lasting changes occurred because psilocybin appeared to initiate a process that increased neuronal connectivity in the brain. These changes subsequently transform the way participants see and interact with the world around them.