Serotonin is one of the brain's important neurotransmitters, and it helps control our mood and appetite, among other things. Serotonin supports the brain's internal communication by binding to certain receptors in the brain, including the serotonin 2A receptor, and these receptors are also affected by most antidepressants. However, it has been shown that there is a big difference in how well antidepressant medication works for individual patients: Some have a very good effect, while others only experience little or no improvement. The exact explanation for this has yet to be found. It is possible that the antidepressant medication affects the serotonin 2A receptor to different degrees in individual patients, which is why this particular receptor is interesting to study.
Psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin have shown promising effects in clinical trials for the treatment of mood and addiction disorders, and they also provide a new way to study altered states of consciousness in the human brain. Psilocybin (the active component in so-called “magic mushrooms”) produces powerful changes in perception and mood, and may have therapeutic effects through activation of the serotonin 2A receptor.
We are conducting a randomised double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical study at Rigshospitalet to investigate how psilocybin affects mood, well-being, and brain function in healthy volunteers. In this project, we will use MRI brain scans to investigate whether a single dose of the drug psilocybin results in lasting effects. A total of 120 participants will take part. The purpose of the study is to learn how the quality and time course of the psilocybin experience influence outcomes, whether music enhances the effects, whether biological markers can predict lasting benefits, and whether psilocybin leads to long-term changes in brain networks measured with MRI.
Involved persons: Drummond McCulloch, Charlotte Havelund Nykjær, and Sidsel H. Andersen.