Psilocybin is a substance that puts the “magic” in magic mushrooms, and recreational users have known about this quality for quite some time. However, with new studies suggesting it and other psychedelics can increase the production of new brain cells, it means that it may be high time to switch out the word magic for miraculous.
The Roles Stem Cells and Psychedelics Play
It is often said that the human brain is the most complex object in the observable universe, but its inner workings remain largely unknown to science. One aspect of neurology that has perplexed researchers is how a fixed map of neural connections can produce a wide variety of brain states such as sleep, dreams, wakefulness, and altered psychedelic states.
Efforts to unlock these mysteries have focused on the role neural stem cells play in neurogenesis, and some of the most promising work has been done by researchers looking into the effect that psychedelic substances like psilocybin and LSD can have on the production of new brain cells and the forging of new neural pathways.
Psychedelics Stimulate Neurogenesis
The number of brain cells remains relatively stable because, unlike most other cells in the human body, neurons cannot divide themselves. However, some parts of the adult brain are capable of growing new neurons thanks to neural stem cells. This process is linked with the ability to form new memories, improved learning skills and reversing debilitating neurological conditions like depression. Several recent studies suggest that psychedelic substances may be able to stimulate this process and influence how new and existing neurons connect with each other.
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Neurogenesis Helps Brain Form Neural Connections
Much of the work on depression has centered on neurogenesis in the hippocampus, as depressed individuals often have fewer neurons in this part of the brain. This hampers the brain’s ability to form neural connections. Some of the most commonly prescribed antidepressants are known to stimulate neurogenesis in the hippocampus, which may be one of the reasons why they are effective. A study conducted by researchers from the University of California indicates that synthetic psychedelics could also prompt neurogenesis in the hippocampus.
University of California Study
The University of California research team investigated the role psychedelics play in neurogenesis by adding LSD and DMT to rat neurons. When they did this, they noticed that the new neural pathways created had far more branching connections. This would suggest that psychedelics may be able to repair areas of the brain that are damaged by conditions like depression.
How Psilocybin Stimulates Neurogenesis
Natural substances like the psilocybin found in psychedelic mushrooms also appear to stimulate neurogenesis. In 2013, researchers from Johns Hopkins University investigated this phenomenon by observing the neural activity in the brains of mice that had been given psilocybin. They discovered that neurogenesis in the hippocampus could be triggered with doses of psilocybin as low as 0.1 mg per kilogram of bodyweight. They also noticed that mice were less fearful after being given the psychedelic.
The link between psilocybin and fear and anxiety has been investigated further by researchers from the University of South Florida. Mice in a testing chamber were given a mild electric shock 30 seconds after hearing an audio cue. After just 10 trials, all of the mice froze in fear whenever they heard the sound.
The mice were then split into two groups. The control group was given a saline solution. The study group was injected with doses of psilocybin ranging from 0.1 to 1.5 mg per kilogram of bodyweight. The mice were then placed in the chamber again and given the audio cue, but the sound was not followed up by an electric shock. Scientists did this to find out if the mice were able to learn not to associate audible cue with an electric shock.
Mice that were injected with a saline solution continued to react to the sound with fear. Mice injected with high doses of psilocybin stopped reacting with fear after about 10 trials, but mice given lower doses of the psychedelic stopped freezing when they heard the sound after only three trials. The ability to modify reactions to stimuli is governed by the brain’s ability to modify its neural circuitry. The scientists concluded that psilocybin likely improves neuroplasticity by stimulating this process.
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Studies on Human Brains
The results of a more recent study suggest that psilocybin produces similar results in human brains. In April 2020, a team of researchers led by scientists from Oxford University published the results of tests conducted on nine human brains. The subjects were split into a control group that was given a placebo and a study group that was injected with psilocybin. The researchers then took images of the subject’s brains to create maps of their neural connections and observe how the psychedelic influenced brain behavior.
Neurotransmitters in the human brain tend to travel along well-established pathways. The scientists compared this to cars on a highway traveling along clearly marked lanes. The researchers noticed that psilocybin seems to disrupt this process and prompt the brain to forge new pathways. The scientists compared this to cars leaving a highway to find alternative routes.
The scientists then conducted tests designed to investigate the connection between neuron activity and neurotransmitter behavior. They discovered that the destabilization they had noticed earlier did not occur when the two processes are not connected. This would suggest that psilocybin only stimulates neurogenesis and creates new pathways in the brain when the firing of neurons and the release of neurotransmitters work together.
Baby Steps
While the results of studies conducted on rodents and small groups of human subjects seem promising, it is clear that more work must be done before scientists can herald a breakthrough. What does seem apparent is that psilocybin is at least connected to boosting neurogenesis by encouraging neural stem cells to develop into neurons. As well as treating conditions like depression and PTSD, it appears that low doses of psilocybin could stimulate learning, improve memory and nurture feelings of wellbeing in healthy brains.
