Depression: restarting the brain with magic mushrooms
Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.
More posts by Christiane Fux All content is checked by medical journalists.Magic mushrooms have a similar effect to LSD: They euphoria and can cause hallucinations. The active ingredient psilocybin contained in it can apparently also cause a restart in the brain. This benefits people with depression who do not respond to conventional therapies.
In many cases, depression can be treated well - with the help of antidepressants, psychotherapy, or a combination of both. However, these methods fail in some of the patients: In 15 to 25 percent, the depression becomes chronic and the suffering of these patients is enormous.
A healing drug trip
Researchers from Imperial College London attempted a small study to help a total of 19 chronically depressed patients by giving psilocybin. The test subjects initially received 10 mg of the substance in a relaxed atmosphere and under medical supervision, and a week later another 25 mg.
The use of the drug had resounding success: In all 19 patients, the previously persistent depression improved significantly. In the "Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology", a type of questionnaire-based symptom checker for depression, the patients achieved an average of 16.9 points before treatment, which corresponds to severe depression. After therapy with psilocybin, the score was on average 8.8 points lower, which is classified as mild depression.
Newly started brain circuits
The researchers assume that the substance restarts certain brain cycles that play a role in depression. “Quite a number of our test subjects described their condition after the treatment as 'resetted' or 'rebooted'”, says study director Robin Carhart-Harris - both words from the computer world that describe a restart of the devices.
Change in the almond kernel
Brain scans made by the researchers using a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner before and after the psilocybin administration confirmed the effectiveness of the drug trips. Among other things, the blood flow in the so-called temporal cortex, in which the almond kernel is located, was reduced. This plays a role, among other things, for storing and retrieving emotional memories and is involved in the development of stress and fears, but also joy and pleasure.
Previous studies have shown that a reduced blood flow in this brain area is associated with a decrease in depressive symptoms. The researchers also found greater functional stability in certain brain regions that also play a role in the development of depression.
Kickstart out of the depression spiral
"Psilocybin provides a kick start that enables patients to break out of the spiral of depression," said Carhart-Harris. This is also confirmed by the images from the tomograph.
In all but one patient, the depression was less severe than at the beginning, even five weeks after treatment. In at least half of the subjects, the symptoms were even still significantly reduced.
Even if the results are very promising, larger studies would have to investigate how good and how sustainable the therapy with psilocybin is, the researchers explain. They also warn against attempting the drug trip on your own outside a protected therapeutic environment.
Healing with Hallucinogens
The idea of using psychoactive substances to treat the mentally ill is not new. LSD and mushrooms were used for therapeutic purposes as early as the 1950s, and more recently the ecstasy active ingredient MDMA.
The drugs are being tested in experiments not only to treat depression, but also to treat anxiety and addictions. However, the use of the substances - even for therapeutic or scientific purposes - is prohibited in many countries, including Germany.
Critics warn of possible serious side effects - after all, psychoactive substances can also cause a subliminal psychosis to break out.
