The case for testing psilocybin after brain injury
What they did
Researchers reviewed the existing science on psilocybin and traumatic brain injury to assess whether a trial is warranted, drawing on inflammation and neuroplasticity findings from animal work.
What they found
In animal studies, psilocybin reduced inflammatory markers and increased connections between brain cells by roughly 10 percent within a day, an effect still present a month later. No human trial in brain injury patients has ever been run.
Worth knowing
This is a review arguing that something is worth testing, not evidence that it works. The 10 percent figure is from mice. Anyone quoting it about human brain injury is skipping several steps.
Palmer et al. The Potential Role of Psilocybin in Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery, A Narrative Review. Brain Sciences, 2025.
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neurodegenerationOne woman, one dose, and weeks of speech nobody expectedmotor functionTesting whether people can move properly while dosedbrain networksPsilocybin disrupted brain communication far more than a stimulantIf you found this page through a headline about Alzheimer's, start here and read the caveats before the findings. The gap between what was observed and what it means is unusually wide.
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