TOPICS: Brain Mental Health Neuroscience Psilocybin Washington University School of Medicine Researchers discovered that psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, disrupts the brain’s introspective networks, specifically desynchronizing the default mode network. This change causes profound psychological effects and may have lasting impacts on brain flexibility and mental health. Their findings suggest potential therapeutic uses for psilocybin in treating conditions like depression and PTSD. Credit: SciTechDaily.com New research advances efforts to harness drug’s mind-altering power to treat mental illness.

A new study demonstrates that psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, affects the brain by temporarily altering critical introspective networks, which can lead to profound psychological transformations. These findings point towards potential uses of psilocybin in developing treatments for mental health disorders like depression.

People who consume psilocybin-containing mushrooms — otherwise known as magic mushrooms — typically undergo a surreal experience in which their sense of space, time, and self is distorted. Advocates have long argued that, under the right conditions, psychedelic experiences can alleviate mental distress, and a smattering of scientific studies suggests they may be right. Understanding precisely how the drug affects the brain will help scientists and doctors harness its therapeutic potential.

In a new study, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report that psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, temporarily scrambles a critical network of brain areas involved in introspective thinking such as daydreaming and remembering. The findings provide a neurobiological explanation for the drug’s mind-bending effects and lay some of the groundwork for the development of psilocybin-based therapies for mental illnesses such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. This heat map of brain activity patterns shows profound disturbance during an individual’s experience after taking psilocybin. Relatively stable patterns before and after the dose (blue and green hues) are temporarily scrambled during the “trip” (red, orange, and yellow hues). Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report that psilocybin destabilizes a critical network of brain areas involved in introspective thinking. The findings provide a neurobiological explanation for the drug’s mind-bending effects. Credit: Sara Moser/Washington University

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