Eighty-nine healthy people, and no cognitive change at all
What they did
Healthy adults were randomly assigned to a single dose of 10mg psilocybin, 25mg psilocybin or placebo, then assessed for short-term and longer-term cognitive and emotional change using a standard cognitive battery.
What they found
There were no clinically relevant differences between groups on global cognition, individual cognitive domains or emotional processing. Of 511 side effects recorded, none were serious and none caused anyone to withdraw.
Worth knowing
A null result, and a reassuring one. It says psilocybin does not appear to damage cognition, and equally that it does not enhance it.
Rucker et al. The effects of psilocybin on cognitive and emotional functions in healthy participants. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2022.
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