Yi Zuo

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Psilocybin repairs stress-damaged brain circuits via a pathway distinct from hallucinations

Lead researcher on the psilocybin neuroplasticity study

Psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, grows new neural connections in mice within 24 hours and repairs circuits damaged by chronic stress. Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz showed this rewiring runs through a pathway separate from the hallucinogenic response in a Nature Neuroscience study.

Updated Oct 27

Notable Quotes

By showing that therapeutic circuit remodeling and hallucinogenic effects operate through distinct cellular pathways, our study provides a promising blueprint for designing non-hallucinogenic drug analogs.

from Psilocybin repairs stress-damaged brain circuits via a pathway distinct from hallucinations · Updated Oct 27

These findings challenge the prevailing view that psilocybin simply increases neural connectivity and suggest that its effects depend on the brain's underlying condition.

from Psilocybin repairs stress-damaged brain circuits via a pathway distinct from hallucinations · Updated Oct 27