Mushrooms, Microdosing, and Mental Illness: The Effect of Psilocybin on Neurotransmitters, Neuroinflammation, and Neuroplasticity.
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2025 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s500337 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | microdosing psilocybin |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Microdosing Psilocybin Neuroplasticity |
| Keywords | Psilocybin-therapy Mental-health-treatment Brain-inflammation Psychedelic-medicine Anti-inflammatory Microdose Neuroinflammation |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key findings | Psilocin has anti-inflammatory and neuroplasticity-enhancing properties, and both full-dose therapy and microdosing show benefits for mood disorders. |
Abstract
The incidence of mental health disorders is increasing worldwide. While there are multiple factors contributing to this problem, neuroinflammation underlies a significant subset of psychiatric conditions, particularly major depressive and anxiety disorders. Anti-inflammatory interventions have demonstrated benefit in these conditions. Psilocin, the active ingredient of mushrooms in the Psilocybe genus, is both a potent serotonin agonist and anti-inflammatory agent, increases neuroplasticity, and decreases overactivity in the default mode network. Studies using hallucinogenic doses of psilocin under the supervision of a therapist/guide have consistently demonstrated benefits to individuals with depression and end-of-life anxiety. Microdosing psilocybin in sub-hallucinogenic doses has also demonstrated benefit in mood disorders, and may offer a safe, less expensive, and more available alternative to full doses of psilocybin for mood disorders, as well as for other medical conditions in which inflammation is the principal pathophysiology.