Marianne Lie Becker
Oct 3, 2023
Researchers delve into the therapeutic potential of psilocybin microdosing, exploring its influence on stress resilience and compulsive behaviors in rats.
While high-dose psilocybin therapy has been scrutinized for psychiatric treatment applications, this study focuses on low, repeated doses—commonly known as ‘microdosing’—and its burgeoning popularity in self-medication narratives online.
Findings reveal not only a tolerance for the psychedelic substance but an increased resilience to stress and a reduction in compulsive behaviors among the rodent subjects.
Key Facts
Enhanced Stress Resilience: Rats exposed to repeated low doses of psilocybin demonstrated increased resilience to stress and exhibited fewer compulsive behaviors.
Brain Connectivity: A notable surge in connections to the thalamus, a critical brain region for decision-making and concerns filtering, was observed in rats post psilocybin microdosing.
Global Traction: The phenomenon of microdosing is garnering global attention with several countries either legalizing or moving toward the legalization of psilocybin for therapeutic interventions.
Source: University of Southern Denmark
A new research result from the University of Southern Denmark opens the door to the possibility of using psilocybin, the active compound in mushrooms with psychedelic properties, as a therapeutic tool through microdosing.
Psilocybin has long been recognized as a classic psychedelic substance and has recently been investigated for its potential to assist in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders, primarily depression and addiction, through therapy supplemented with a high dose of psilocybin.