Mushrooms, Microdosing, and Mental Illness: The Effect of Psilocybin on Neurotransmitters, Neuroinflammation, and Neuroplasticity.
Daniel A Kinderlehrer
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.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on psilocybin and microdosing, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The risk of chronic psychedelic and MDMA microdosing for valvular heart disease | 2023 | Review | |
| Macrodosing to microdosing with psychedelics: Clinical, social, and cultural perspectives | 2022 | Review | |
| Is microdosing a placebo? A rapid review of low-dose LSD and psilocybin research | 2024 | Rapid review | n = 19 |
| Less is more? A review of psilocybin microdosing | 2024 | Semi-structured review | |
| Side effects of microdosing lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin: A systematic review of potential physiological and psychiatric outcomes | 2025 | Review |