Could psilocybin treat brain injuries? Neuroscientist explains how psychedelics could fill a gap in head trauma care
Live Science spoke with neuroscientist Argel Aguilar-Valles about recent research exploring psychedelics as a treatment for mild head trauma.
Could psilocybin help treat mild brain injuries? A neuroscientist explains the potential benefits of psychedelic drugs for head trauma care. The study, published in Communications Biology, sheds light on the possible role of psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms. Despite not constituting concussions, minor head impacts can still increase the risk of neurodegenerative disorders, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Research involving lab rats suggests that psilocybin might protect the brain from the damage caused by these seemingly harmless blows, hinting at a new application for a drug already explored for various other conditions, including depression, PTSD, and anorexia.
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