Psilocybin as a Treatment for Repetitive Mild Head Injury: Evidence from Neuroradiology and Molecular Biology
Bryce Axe, Ashwath Maheswari, Reagan Walhof, Rachel Utama, Courtney Sawada, Eric Brengel, Muhammad Abeer, Richard J. Ortiz, Taylor J. Woodward, S. Balaji, Praveen P Kulkarni, Heather B. Bradshaw, Michael A. Gitcho, Craig F. Ferris
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) February 6, 2025 preprint DOI: 10.1101/2025.02.03.636248 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Animal model study |
|---|---|
| Population | Adult female rats with mild repetitive head injury |
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Neuroradiology Head injury Hallucinogen Head geology |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key points | Psilocybin reduces vasogenic edema, restores vascular reactivity and functional connectivity, reduces phosphorylated tau buildup, and enhances brain-derived neurotrophic factor and TrkB levels in a rat model of mild repetitive head injury. |
Abstract
Abstract Repetitive mild head injuries incurred while playing organized sports, during car accidents and falls, or in active military service are a major health problem. These head injuries induce cognitive, motor, and behavioral deficits that can last for months and even years with an increased risk of dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. There is no approved medical treatment for these types of head injuries. To this end, we tested the healing effects of the psychedelic psilocybin, as it is known to reduce neuroinflammation and enhance neuroplasticity. Using a model of mild repetitive head injury in adult female rats, we provide unprecedented data that psilocybin can reduce vasogenic edema, restore normal vascular reactivity and functional connectivity, reduce phosphorylated tau buildup, enhance levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptor TrkB, and modulate lipid signaling molecules.
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 |