Intravenous psilocybin attenuates mechanical hypersensitivity in a rat model of chronic pain
Nicholas Kolbman, Tiecheng Liu, Peter R. Guzzo, Jim Gilligan, George A. Mashour, Giancarlo Vanini, Dinesh Pal
Current Biology December 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.10.016 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Preclinical animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats with formalin-induced centralized chronic pain |
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Dose | single intravenous bolus |
| Duration | 28 days |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Psychedelics Psilocybin therapy Pain management Medical research Chronic pain |
| Citations | 21 |
| Key points | A single intravenous dose of psilocybin attenuates mechanical hypersensitivity for 28 days in a rat model of chronic pain. |
Abstract
There is a renewed interest in psychedelic drugs as potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. In particular, psilocybin has shown promise for the treatment of refractory depression1 and major depressive disorder2, and has also been explored as a treatment for tobacco and alcohol abuse3,4. However, despite suggestive evidence5,6, there has been no systematic study to investigate the effectiveness of psilocybin in attenuating indices of chronic pain. To address this gap, we investigated the effect of psilocybin on mechanical hypersensitivity and thermal hyperalgesia in a well-established rat model of formalin-induced, centralized chronic pain7,8 and demonstrate that a single intravenous bolus administration of psilocybin can attenuate mechanical hypersensitivity for 28 days.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin induces rapid and persistent growth of dendritic spines in frontal cortex in vivo Mice | 2021 | Observational cohort | |
| Harnessing psilocybin: antidepressant-like behavioral and synaptic actions of psilocybin are independent of 5-HT2R activation in mice Mice | 2021 | Experimental study | |
| Psychedelics reopen the social reward learning critical period Mice | 2023 | Experimental study in mice | |
| Correlation between the potency of hallucinogens in the mouse head-twitch response assay and their behavioral and subjective effects in other species. C57BL/6J mice | 2020 | Experimental study with dose-response experiments | |
| Effects of psilocybin on hippocampal neurogenesis and extinction of trace fear conditioning Mice | 2013 | Experimental study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 21
- Single-dose psilocybin rapidly and sustainably relieves allodynia and anxiodepressive-like behaviors in mouse models of chronic pain Nature Neuroscience October 2, 2025
- Preliminary safety and effectiveness of psilocybin-assisted therapy in adults with fibromyalgia: an open-label pilot clinical trial Frontiers in Pain Research March 18, 2025
- Chronic pain as an emergent property of a complex system and the potential roles of psychedelic therapies. Frontiers in Pain Research April 19, 2024
- Psilocybin as a novel treatment for chronic pain British Journal of Pharmacology November 29, 2024
- Meta-correlation of the effect of ketamine and psilocybin induced subjective effects on therapeutic outcome. npj Mental Health Research October 6, 2024
and 16 more in the library
Cites 7
- Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder JAMA Psychiatry November 4, 2020
- Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: A proof-of-concept study Journal of Psychopharmacology January 13, 2015
- Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity Cell Reports June 1, 2018
- Quality of Acute Psychedelic Experience Predicts Therapeutic Efficacy of Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Frontiers in Pharmacology January 17, 2018
- Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse July 21, 2016
and 2 more in the library