U.K. researchers used functional MRI (fMRI) to determine that the psychoactive ingredient in "magic mushrooms" -- psilocybin -- decreases symptoms of depression, according to a study published online October 13 in Scientific Reports.
Numerous clinical trials have investigated the safety and efficacy of using psychedelic drugs to treat mental illnesses, including depression, and the promising results encouraged researchers from Imperial College London to follow suit.
They administered psilocybin to 19 patients who had a form of depression that was resistant to conventional treatment. Whole-brain analyses with fMRI were performed both before and one day after the treatment.
Imaging revealed a reduction in cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the amygdala, corresponding with a decrease in symptoms of depression in all patients one week after treatment. Patients repeatedly described this outcome using a computer analogy -- claiming to feel "rebooted" and "reset."
Whole-brain cerebral blood flow maps for baseline versus one-day post-treatment, plus the difference map. Image courtesy of Carhart-Harris et al, Scientific Reports 2017."We have shown for the first time clear changes in brain activity in depressed people treated with psilocybin after failing to respond to conventional treatments," said lead author Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris in a press release.
The group acknowledged that the research is still at an early stage, and patients with depression should not start self-medicating with the substance.
"Larger studies are needed to see if this positive effect can be reproduced in more patients," said senior author Dr. David Nutt. "But these initial findings are exciting and provide another treatment avenue to explore."
