The Potential Role of Psilocybin in Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery: A Narrative Review
Charles Palmer, Ally T Ferber, Brian D Greenwald
Brain Sciences May 26, 2025 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci15060572 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Narrative review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Topics | Addiction Neuroplasticity Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Medical psilocybin Traumatic brain injury Psilocybin therapy Therapeutic psilocybin Psychedelic medicine Tbi recovery Brain injury healing Neurological repair Neurological healing Brain repair Brain recovery Addiction treatment Substance abuse therapy Dependency recovery |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Psilocybin-assisted therapy may reduce inflammation, promote neuroplasticity and neuroregeneration, and alleviate mood disorders in patients with traumatic brain injury. |
Abstract
Background: This narrative review explores psilocybin’s potential use as a therapeutic agent in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Methods: We engaged in a search of PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane’s databases for information on the effects of psilocybin. We also reviewed articles where psilocybin was used in patients with TBI. Articles from 2000–2025 were included.
Results: A total of 29 articles met our initial inclusion criteria. Additionally, 13 articles were obtained from reference lists and 3 more articles on the legality of psilocybin from public websites.
Conclusions: Assisted psilocybin use may have benefits in TBI by reducing inflammation, promoting neuroplasticity and neuroregeneration, and alleviating associated mood disorders. Positive findings in related fields, like treatment for depression and addiction, highlight the necessity for more extensive clinical trials on psilocybin’s role in TBI recovery.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on psilocybin for addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. General population | 2019 | Integrative review | |
| Psychedelics as anti-inflammatory agents Animal models and cellular studies | 2018 | Review | |
| Psychedelic Drugs in Biomedicine | 2017 | Review | |
| DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Psilocybin | 2018 | Review | |
| Psilocybin for treating substance use disorders? | 2016 | Narrative review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Psilocybin, From Ancestral Use to Therapeutic Potential: A Multidimensional Review of Its Pharmacological Basis and Current Perspectives Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental September 1, 2026
- Psychedelics and longevity: implications for lifespan, healthspan and functional aging Longevity July 5, 2026
- Clinical improvement following an integrative iboga microdosing protocol in post-concussive and hypoxic brain injury syndromes: a case series Frontiers in Pharmacology June 3, 2026
- Priorities for psychedelic research among people who use psychedelics. Journal of Psychiatric Research June 2, 2026
- Toward Precision Psychedelic Therapies: Chemical, Computational, and Neuromodulatory Innovations. ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters October 9, 2025
Cites 43
- Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 23, 2012
- Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: A proof-of-concept study Journal of Psychopharmacology January 13, 2015
- Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression. New England Journal of Medicine November 3, 2022
and 38 more in the library