Catatonia Associated With First-Time Psilocybin Exposure: A Case Report.

In this case report, we highlight a 28-year-old male patient with predominantly retarded type of catatonia following a single incidence of psilocybin ingestion. This patient presented with a history of six months of mutism and inability to feed himself after consuming psilocybin for the first time. He did not have any history of psychiatric illness or substa...

Psilocybin and human longevity.

Psilocybin extends lifespan in aged mice, and this has prompted extensive media speculation about possible human longevity benefits. We examined mortality among prominent psychedelic personalities, researchers, and advocates who claimed psychedelic use (n = 11) and compared them with cancer (n = 12) and aging researchers (n = 5). All groups exceeded populati...

Psilocybin: Wirksam, aber kein Wundermittel.

Clinical Characteristics of Emergency Visits Related to Recreational Psychedelic Use.

Recreational psychedelic use is increasing, yet data on adverse events remains limited. This study characterized emergency department (ED) visits associated with recreational psychedelic use at UC San Diego Medical Center. We conducted a retrospective chart review of ED encounters (2010-2023). Cases were identified using ICD-10 hallucinogen-related codes and...

Psychedelic Therapies for Comorbid Major Depressive Disorder and Chronic Pain: A Review of Putative Mechanisms of Action.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and chronic pain are independently debilitating conditions that frequently co-occur. This comorbidity poses a significant clinical challenge, resulting in greater symptom severity, higher disability, and worse prognosis than either condition alone. Current therapies often address each disorder in isolation, leaving individuals...

An Open-Label Study of Single-Dose Psilocybin for Borderline Personality Disorder With Co-Occurring Major Depressive Disorder.

ObjectivesBorderline personality disorder (BPD) is often comorbid with major depressive disorder (MDD), and there has been a suggestion in the literature that this comorbidity may interfere with MDD treatment response. Our objective was to conduct a pilot study of psilocybin in adults with BPD and MDD.MethodsAdults aged 18 to 65 years with a DSM-5 diagnosis ...

Complete biosynthesis of psychedelic tryptamines from three kingdoms in plants.

Psychedelic indolethylamines with therapeutic potential are naturally produced in plants, fungi, and animals. Here, we elucidated the complete N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) biosynthetic pathway in hallucinogenic plant species traditionally used in shamanic rituals for spiritual healing. Leveraging the similarities in their chemical structures, we reconstructe...

Psilocybin Trends in States That Decriminalized Use.

Specific and Multi-Product Clade I and Clade IV Sesquiterpene Synthases Contribute to the Psilocybe cubensis Volatilome.

Apart from the psychedelic psilocybin, the metabolite spectrum of Psilocybe "magic mushrooms" comprises sesquiterpenes, a class of natural products known to exhibit receptor-modulating bioactivities. However, the composition of the sesquiterpene profile has largely remained an open question. Here, we report the characterization of five Psilocybe cubensis ses...

Reshaping human neurons.

Human neurons derived from stem cells show increased structural complexity and stronger synaptic connections after exposure to psilocin, the active metabolite of the psychedelic psilocybin.

In-silico toxicity study of tryptamine, psilocin, psilocybin, N,N-dimethyltryptamine, 5'-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine and O-acetylpsilocin.

Understanding the toxicity of serotonergic tryptamines is becoming increasingly important from both clinical and forensic perspectives, yet experimental data for these compounds remain extremely limited. Despite their growing medical relevance and widespread non-medical use, there is still no systematic evaluation of their toxicological risks. This study pre...

Psychedelic exposure in pregnancy: a scoping review to inform perinatal drug safety and clinical counseling.

Psychedelic and psychedelic-adjacent substances, including 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and classic serotonergic hallucinogens, are undergoing renewed therapeutic investigation and remain in non-medical use. Inadvertent exposure during early, unrecognized pregnancy is clinically plausible, yet pregnancy-specific safety evidence is limited. To map...

Psychedelics and the quantum brain: a falsifiable hypothesis on Posner molecules and spin-dependent pharmacology.

Classical serotonergic psychedelics (e.g., LSD, psilocybin, DMT) alter perception and neuroplasticity primarily via 5-HT2A receptor activation and downstream Ca2+-dependent signaling cascades. Here we propose a speculative yet falsifiable pharmacological hypothesis that these drug-induced biochemical cascades might interface with quantum-mechanical processes...

Psychedelics in NHS services: exploring a model for real-world implementation of psilocybin.

Psychedelics are increasingly described as a new therapeutic approach in a variety of mental disorders including depression. Oral psychedelics such as psilocybin have an acute effect evolving over 6-8 h and are generally given in combination with psychological support. There is debate on the exact role of this support and how and by whom it should be deliver...

Unlocking 'stuckness' and catalysing change: A qualitative study of clinician and service leader perspectives on psychedelic-assisted therapy for substance use and mental health problems.

Background and aimsAustralia recently down-scheduled and authorised psychedelic-assisted therapies, including psilocybin, for certain mental health conditions. Evidence is emerging for potential application in substance use disorder treatment. However, regulatory developments have outpaced implementation readiness. While service leaders and clinicians are cr...

Associations Between Psilocybin Use Motives and Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioural Self-Stigma.

Background: Self-stigma refers to the internalization of negative societal beliefs and has been associated with reduced self-efficacy, self-esteem and treatment avoidance among substance users. However, little research has explored antecedents of self-stigma such as substance use motives. This may be particularly salient for psilocybin which is used both as ...

Mapping cognitive-behavioral approach in psychedelic-assisted treatment: a systematic review across phases with classic and non-classic psychedelics.

The use of psychedelics in the treatment of psychopathologies has been expanding, highlighting Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy (PAP) as a promising resource in mental health care. This systematic review investigates. This systematic review investigates whether and how cognitive-behavioral therapies are integrated with psychedelic substances-both classical...

Psilocin fosters neuroplasticity in iPSC-derived human cortical neurons.

Psilocybin is studied as innovative medication in anxiety, substance abuse and treatment-resistant depression. Animal studies show that psychedelics promote neuronal plasticity by strengthening synaptic responses and protein synthesis. However, the exact molecular and cellular changes induced by psilocybin in the human brain are not known. Here, we treated h...

Psilocybin shapes the slow, global propagation of brain activity over the cortical layout of 5HT2a receptors.

Uncovering the neural basis of psychedelics' potent effects on brain activity and conscious experience has great potential for understanding their therapeutic effects. Numerous studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) uncovered a strong effect of psychedelics on global properties of fMRI signal, but how they map to underlying neural phenome...

Psilocybin in Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Seeking Valuable Evidence in History, Pure Science, Clinical Trials and Real-World Data (RWD).

Background/Objectives: Psilocybin has re-emerged as a promising intervention for neuropsychiatric disorders including major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression, anxiety associated with life-threatening illness, obsessive compulsive disorder, and substance use disorders. However, conventional randomized controlled trials (RCTs)-the current gol...