It seems as if scientists find a new use for psilocybin weekly at this point. From providing relief for OCD symptoms to slowing aging, studies have presented many of the substance’s potential benefits, and many lawmakers have committed to expanding access as a result. A new study in Brain Science says psilocybin may help people with traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
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A team from Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and Hackensack Meridian’s JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute reviewed 29 previously published studies about psilocybin use in TBI patients. According to the analysis, psilocybin has the potential to reduce inflammation, treat mood disorders, and promote neuroplasticity and neuroregeneration—thus, the benefits have great potential to alleviate TBI symptoms in some patients. They also noted that psychedelics were not associated with increased risk of seizures, which makes the treatment route more viable given the increased incidence of seizures that comes with TBI.
Because these findings are a result of reviewing existing studies and did not come from an actual study, the team of researchers suggested extensive clinical trials on psilocybin’s effect on TBI.
“The research on psilocybin as a therapeutic agent shows promise for its application in TBI in theory, but it requires more in-depth studies,” the authors wrote.
The researchers also emphasized the importance of these trials being controlled and supervised, as ‘bad trips’ and other side effects may be detrimental to TBI patients.
This research comes at a time when psychedelic medicine is gaining many supporters. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have expressed interest in expanding access to the treatment, and strides have been made—in June, the House voted to allow Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors to lead more psychedelic research, and Robert F. Kennedy has made it clear that he aims for veterans to have access to psychedelic therapies in the next year.
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While this research is largely underdeveloped, it carries the potential to push lawmakers to allow more government funding to go towards researching psychedelic therapies. In a time where many are already buying into psilocybin treatments, that type of progress would make waves.