CSF galanin and noradrenaline downregulation by psilocybin therapy in major depressive disorder
Neuropsychopharmacology July 7, 2026 Wojciech Pasławski, Daniel Doyon, Carl Johan Ekman et al.
Psilocybin is a rapid-acting antidepressant, but its mechanism of action in major depressive disorder remains unclear. In this secondary analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled trial with multimodal CSF and blood biomarker measurements, psilocybin selectively reduced CSF galanin and noradrenaline, implicating that normalization of these co-transmitters is a key pharmacodynamic signature.
DOI: 10.1038/s41386-026-02490-3 (opens in new tab)
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Major depressive disorder
Psilocybin
Downregulation and upregulation
Mechanism of action
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