Psilocybin promotes neuroplasticity and induces rapid and sustained antidepressant-like effects in mice.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Preclinical animal study
PubMed 38680011 · doi:10.1177/02698811241249436
What was done
Researchers evaluated the antidepressant-like effects of a single dose of psilocybin in healthy mice using the forced swimming test, and in a chronic corticosterone (CORT)-induced depression model using the sucrose preference test and novelty-suppressed feeding test. They assessed structural neuroplasticity (dendritic branch counts, dendritic spine density), neurogenesis (doublecortin/DCX-positive cells), and neuroplasticity-related protein levels and signaling pathways (p-GluA1, PSD95, synapsin-1, BDNF, TrkB, mTOR) in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values, effect sizes, or specific sample sizes. Qualitatively, a single dose of psilocybin produced rapid and sustained antidepressant-like effects in both healthy and chronic CORT-exposed mice. Psilocybin reversed CORT-induced neuroplasticity deficits by increasing dendritic branching, dendritic spine density, DCX-positive cells, synaptic protein levels (p-GluA1, PSD95, synapsin-1), and BDNF-mTOR pathway activation in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.
Why it matters
This study provides preclinical mechanistic evidence linking the rapid and lasting behavioral effects of psilocybin to structural remodeling, neurogenesis, and BDNF-mTOR pathway activation in brain regions implicated in depression.
Limits
The findings are from rodent models and cannot be directly extrapolated to human clinical outcomes. The abstract does not provide exact sample sizes, dosage, quantitative statistical values, or defined timeframes for the rapid and sustained effects. Rodent behavioral assays (such as forced swimming or novelty-suppressed feeding) are indirect proxies for human mood disorders.
Cited by
- supports Psilocybin increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which helps increase brain connections and neuroplasticity.