Psilocybin, the active principle of certain hallucinogenic mushrooms, would promote the immediate and lasting growth of connections between neurons.
- The effect of psilocybin is very rapid since only 24 hours after ingesting the substance, the number and size of neurons have increased.
- These changes resulted in behavioral improvement and increased neurotransmitter activity.
More and more studies highlight the antidepressant effects of hallucinogenic mushrooms, and in particular their active ingredient: psilocybin. It would even be more effective than drugs for treating depression. Its mechanism of action in the brain remains poorly understood. American researchers from Yale University decided to observe it closely and noticed that a single dose of psilocybin causes an immediate and lasting increase in connections between neurons. They presented their findings July 5 in the journal Neuron.
Effects from the first 24 hours
The researchers studied the effects of psilocybin in mouse models. “We not only saw a 10% increase in the number of neural connections, but they were also on average about 10% larger, so the connections were also stronger”, found Alex Kwan, professor of psychiatry and neurosciences at Yale University and lead author of the study. This substance increases the density of dendritic spines, which are small protuberances found on nerve cells and facilitate the transmission of information between neurons.
For the study, the scientists used a laser scanning microscope to observe the dendritic spines in high resolution. They followed their evolution for several days. They noticed that the effect of psilocybin is very fast since only 24 hours after ingesting the substance, their number and size increased. And these changes were still present a month later.
Behavioral improvement
These changes resulted in behavioral improvement and increased neurotransmitter activity. “It was a real surprise to see such lasting changes with just one dose of psilocybin.welcomed Alex Kwan. These new connections may be the structural changes the brain uses to store new experiences..”
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