PSILOCYBIN, A PSYCHEDELIC, PROMOTING GROWTH OF NEW NERVE CONNECTIONS

Edited by, JASPER VICTORIA

Psychedelics are the drugs that are psychoactive in nature and produce changes in mood, thoughts, perception, cognition, and may also generate hallucinations, hence are also called hallucinogens.

The number of nerve connections i.e. the synapses that are involved in impulse transmission in the prefrontal cortex of the brain are driven low during depression and chronic stress.

Psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin and ketamine were administered to mice models and psilocybin, especially was found to increase the size and density of dendritic spines i.e. the nerve protrusions of the mice on a single dose.

The drug had already been given designation for breakthrough therapy and to conduct clinical trials in 2019 by the FDA based on the promising results of small experiments conducted on animal models, in which the psychedelic drugs improved the growth of nerve structures and aid in the reversal of stress and depression.

The scientists of the Yale University school of medicine at New Haven, visualized the growth of nerve protrusions using two-photon microscopy. They observed a 10% increase in the number, size and density of the dendritic spines.

They also blocked the serotonin receptors to which the psilocybin binds and yet, observed the psilocybin effects. They are in way developing various forms of psilocybin such as ibogaine to aid in the treatment of psychiatric conditions such as depression and stress. 

Psilocybin is a psychoactive component obtained from a variety of mushrooms known as the magic mushrooms.