history at a glance
- Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic substance found naturally in some species of mushrooms.
- Researchers and mental health professionals are interested in whether it can be used as a treatment for depression and other disorders.
- A study finds that a synthetic version of psilocybin can help patients with depression.
Research and exploration into the use of psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” to treat depression and post-traumatic stress disorder has expanded in recent years. A new study suggests that a single dose of a synthetic version of psilocybin may have a mitigating effect on depressive symptoms.
In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, participants in one experiment received 25 mg, 10 mg, or 1 mg of synthetic psilocybin. The participants had treatment-resistant depression, with 95 percent saying they had had previous depressive episodes. On average, that group said they had about 7 such episodes in their lifetime.
There were 79 people in the 25mg group, 75 in the 10mg group, and 79 in the 1mg group. The researchers considered the 1 mg dose to be the control group for this study. The study was double-blind, meaning that both the researchers and the participants were unaware of which treatment the participants received.
After three weeks, the 25mg group had significantly reduced depression scores compared to the 1mg group. They had an average drop of 12 points on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), which has a range of 0 to 60 with higher scores indicating more severe depression. The scores of people in the 1mg group dropped by an average of 5 points.
The 10 mg group experienced a less pronounced effect that was not statistically significantly different from that seen in the 1 mg group. MADRS scores for people in this group dropped by about 8 points on average.
The benefit of treatment in the 25 mg group had faded when the investigators followed up at week 12. The authors also note that there were some adverse effects for participants in all groups. These included headache, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue. A small subset of participants experienced serious adverse effects, such as suicidal ideation and intentional self-harm.
The study authors state that larger studies are needed to determine the safety and efficacy of this synthetic psilocybin for depression. Future studies may also compare this treatment with other existing treatments for depression.
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