Blest-Hopley Grace, Pasculli Giuseppe, Ruffell Simon G D, Tsang WaiFung, Emmanuel Olateju, Pate Kathryn M, Kettner Hannes, Roseman Leor, Erritzoe David, Carhart-Harris Robin
King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom.
Department of Computer, Automatic and Management Engineering, Faculty of Information Engineering, Computer Science and Statistics (DIAG), Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Front Psychiatry. 2025 Aug 6;16:1594307. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1594307. eCollection 2025.
Psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic, has shown therapeutic potential in treating mental health disorders by, amongst the many effects, promoting neuroplasticity and reorganising functional connectivity across cortical and subcortical networks involved in emotion and cognition. Veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) often experience chronic neurological and psychological symptoms such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. This study investigates the effects of psilocybin administered in retreat settings on veterans with a history of TBI, focusing on mental health outcomes and changes in brain connectivity as measured by EEG.
A total of 21 participants were recruited through the Heroic Hearts Project, which facilitated access to two six-day psilocybin retreats in Jamaica. Before the retreat, participants underwent three individual and three group coaching sessions to prepare for the experience. During the retreat, two psilocybin ceremonies were held, spaced 48 hours apart. Participants received an initial dose of 1.5g to 3.5g of dried psilocybin mushrooms, with the option to increase the second dose up to 5g. Psilocybin was administered in a tea format, under the supervision of experienced facilitators. Psychological outcomes were assessed using validated questionnaires (PCL-5, PHQ-9, STAI) at baseline (four weeks pre-retreat) and four weeks post-retreat. Electroencephalography (EEG) was used to measure brainwave activity pre- and post-treatment. Paired t-tests were used to analyze changes in psychological scores, while EEG frequency band analysis assessed changes in brain function and connectivity.
Improvements were observed across several mental health measures: PTSD (PCL-5 scores decreased by 50%, p=0.010), depression (PHQ-9 scores decreased by 65%, p<0.001), and anxiety (STAI) scores decreased by 28%, p<0.001). EEG data showed decreased delta and theta power in frontal and temporal regions, indicating potential improvements in cognitive control and emotional processing. Enhanced coherence in alpha and beta bands suggested improved neural communication.
The study suggests that psilocybin retreats might provide improvements in psychological well-being and brain connectivity in veterans with TBI. Reduced delta power and normalised theta activity suggest better emotional regulation, while improved coherence in alpha and beta bands may reflect increased cognitive engagement. Further, these preliminary outcomes provide a potential rationale for the design and implementation of larger-scale, controlled studies to validate and expand upon these initial findings.
裸盖菇素是一种血清素能致幻剂，在治疗精神健康障碍方面显示出治疗潜力，其作用众多，包括促进神经可塑性以及重新组织参与情绪和认知的皮质和皮质下网络的功能连接。患有创伤性脑损伤（TBI）的退伍军人经常经历慢性神经和心理症状，如创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）和抑郁症。本研究调查了在静修环境中给予裸盖菇素对有TBI病史的退伍军人的影响，重点关注心理健康结果以及通过脑电图（EEG）测量的大脑连接变化。
通过英勇之心项目招募了总共21名参与者，该项目帮助参与者参加了在牙买加举行的两次为期六天的裸盖菇素静修活动。在静修之前，参与者接受了三次个人辅导和三次小组辅导，为此次体验做准备。在静修期间，举行了两次裸盖菇素仪式，间隔48小时。参与者最初接受1.5克至3.5克干裸盖菇素蘑菇的剂量，第二次剂量可增加至5克。裸盖菇素以茶的形式给药，由经验丰富的指导人员监督。在基线（静修前四周）和静修后四周使用经过验证的问卷（PCL-5、PHQ-9、STAI）评估心理结果。脑电图（EEG）用于测量治疗前后的脑电波活动。配对t检验用于分析心理分数的变化，而EEG频段分析评估脑功能和连接的变化。
在多项心理健康指标上都观察到了改善：创伤后应激障碍（PCL-5分数下降了50%，p=0.010）、抑郁症（PHQ-9分数下降了65%，p<0.001）和焦虑症（STAI）分数下降了28%，p<0.001。EEG数据显示额叶和颞叶区域的δ波和θ波功率降低，表明认知控制和情绪处理可能得到改善。α波和β波频段的相干性增强表明神经通信得到改善。
该研究表明，裸盖菇素静修可能会改善有TBI的退伍军人的心理健康和大脑连接。δ波功率降低和θ波活动正常化表明情绪调节更好，而α波和β波频段的相干性改善可能反映了认知参与度的提高。此外，这些初步结果为设计和实施更大规模的对照研究提供了潜在的理论依据，以验证和扩展这些初步发现。
