Magic mushrooms may reshape the brain long after the trip ends - ScienceDaily

What the report says

ScienceDaily reported on July 22 that researchers at UC San Francisco and Imperial College London found that one full dose of psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in “magic mushrooms,” was linked to detectable brain changes lasting up to a month. The study, published in Nature Communications, involved 28 healthy adults who had not previously used psychedelics and had no diagnosed mental health condition.

Participants first received a 1 mg dose that researchers treated as a placebo, followed a month later by a 25 mg dose intended to produce a strong psychedelic experience. The team measured brain activity using EEG during the experience and used fMRI and diffusion tensor imaging before and after dosing to assess activity, connectivity and possible structural changes. Within an hour of the 25 mg dose, EEG data showed increased brain “entropy,” meaning more varied and less predictable neural activity.

According to the report, participants with larger increases in entropy were more likely to report emotional or psychological insight the next day. Those reporting more insight also tended to describe improved well-being two and four weeks later. Researchers also observed signs one month later of denser, more intact neural tracts, but cautioned that further work is needed to interpret what those imaging findings mean.

The findings matter because psilocybin is being studied as a potential treatment for depression, anxiety and addiction, though this study did not test patients with those diagnoses. The authors suggest the subjective psychedelic experience, not only the drug’s biological action, may be important to longer-term changes in well-being.