Psilocybin ameliorates neuropathic pain-like behaviour in mice and facilitates the gabapentin-mediated analgesia
Maria Maiarù, Tatum Askey, Daniel Allen-Ross, Reena Lasrado, Gary Gilmour, Stephen P. Hunt, Francesco Tamagnini, Maqsood Ahmed, Gary J. Stephens
Research Square September 19, 2024 preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5026806/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Preclinical study |
|---|---|
| Population | Mouse model of chronic neuropathic pain |
| Interventions | Psilocybin Gabapentin |
| Dose | single dose |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Gabapentin Neuropathic pain Anesthesia Amitriptyline Pharmacology |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key points | A single dose of psilocybin produced sustained anti-nociceptive effects and dramatically increased the anti-nociceptive potential of gabapentin in a mouse model of chronic neuropathic pain. |
Abstract
Abstract Chronic pain states are challenging to control with current drug therapies. Here, we demonstrate that a single dose of psilocybin can produce a sustained anti-nociceptive effect in a mouse model of chronic neuropathic pain. Beyond this, the single dose of psilocybin caused a dramatic increase in the anti-nociceptive potential of gabapentin, a widely used treatment for neuropathic pain, such data are suggestive of establishment of longer lasting changes in network processing.
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 2
- No evidence of immediate or persistent analgesic effect from a single dose of psilocybin in three mouse models of pain Nature Communications January 22, 2026
- Psilocybin has no immediate or persistent analgesic effect in acute and chronic mouse pain models bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) July 7, 2025
Cites 12
- Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression New England Journal of Medicine April 14, 2021
- Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression. New England Journal of Medicine November 3, 2022
- Functional Reorganization of the Default Mode Network across Chronic Pain Conditions PLoS One September 2, 2014
- Psychedelic effects of psilocybin correlate with serotonin 2A receptor occupancy and plasma psilocin levels Neuropsychopharmacology January 26, 2019
- Increased global integration in the brain after psilocybin therapy for depression. Nature Medicine April 11, 2022
and 7 more in the library