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The effect of psychedelics on the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Arman Shafiee, Razman Arabzadeh Bahri, Mohammad Ali Rafiei, Fatemeh Esmaeilpur Abianeh, Parsa Razmara, Kyana Jafarabady, Mohammad Javad Amini

Journal of Psychopharmacology May 1, 2024 Retracted DOI: 10.1177/02698811241234247 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Systematic review and meta-analysis Peer reviewed
Sample size 9
Population Psychedelic consumers and healthy controls
Topics LSD MDMA Psilocybin
Keywords Bdnf Brain-derived neurotrophic factor Psychedelics hallucinogens Entheogens Neuroscience brain science Psychedelic drugs Neural research Neurobiology Neurotrophin
Citations 21
Post-publication review 1 comment on PubPeer (opens in new tab) · last active May 2025
Key findings Psychedelic consumers had significantly higher BDNF levels compared to healthy controls, with a pooled standardized mean difference of 0.26.

Abstract

Recent interest in the potential therapeutic effects of psychedelics has led to investigations into their influence on molecular signaling pathways within the brain. Integrated review and analysis of different studies in this field. A systematic search was conducted across international databases including Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed from inception to 9 July 2023. Eligibility criteria encompassed published and peer-reviewed studies evaluating changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels after psychedelic consumption. A total of nine studies were included in our study. The meta-analysis demonstrated significantly higher BDNF levels in psychedelic consumers compared to healthy controls, with a pooled standardized mean difference of 0.26 (95% CI: 0.10-0.42, I2 = 38.51%, p < 0.001). Leave-one-out analysis indicated robustness in results upon removal of individual psychedelics. No significant publication bias was observed. The results highlight the potential influence of psychedelics on neuroplasticity by altering BDNF levels. More precisely, the documented rise in BDNF levels indicates a neurobiological mechanism by which psychedelics could enhance synaptic plasticity and foster the growth of neurons. Given the limited data available on this topic, the conclusions remain uncertain. Consequently, we highly recommend additional research with more extensive sample sizes to yield more reliable evidence in this field.

Comparable studies

Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on LSD, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for alcoholism: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Participants in randomized controlled trials of LSD for alcoholism 2012 Meta-analysis n = 536
Antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive effects of ayahuasca, psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): a systematic review of clinical trials published in the last 25 years Patients from included clinical trials 2016 Systematic review
Default Mode Network Modulation by Psychedelics: A Systematic Review Participants from included studies 2022 Systematic review
Efficacy, tolerability, and safety of serotonergic psychedelics for the management of mood, anxiety, and substance-use disorders: a systematic review of systematic reviews Patients with mood, anxiety, or substance-use disorders, including cancer patients and... 2018 Systematic review of systematic reviews
Therapeutic Use of LSD in Psychiatry: A Systematic Review of Randomized-Controlled Clinical Trials Patients with psychiatric disorders, primarily alcoholism 2020 Systematic review n = 567

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LSD MDMA Psilocybin Neuroplasticity