Tinnitus, the perception of sound without an external source, lacks effective treatments. Psilocybin, a psychedelic, shows promise by activating 5-HT2A receptors, boosting glutamate release, and upregulating BDNF, which increases dendritic spine density and synaptic proteins in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, restoring neural plasticity. This review connects these neuroplasticity mechanisms to tinnitus-related neural changes, highlighting psilocybin's regulatory effects on excitatory (glutamate, dopamine) and inhibitory (GABA) neurotransmitters and their receptors, suggesting a novel therapeutic pathway.
Young adults with high trait anxiety had lower gut bacterial diversity and a different microbial composition than healthy controls. An eight-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) program reduced trait anxiety and depression, improved mindfulness and resilience, and shifted the gut microbiota toward a profile more similar to that of healthy controls. A high pre-treatment abundance of the bacterium Subdoligranulum was associated with greater responsiveness to MBCT, and decreases in Subdoligranulum after treatment corresponded with reduced anxiety. Tryptophan metabolism pathways were more active in high responders than in low responders.