Psilocybin has no adverse effects on cognition or emotional function, the study finds

By Natan Ponieman

A new study sheds light on the safety profile of psilocybin, the active ingredient in so-called magic mushrooms.

The study, published Tuesday in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, examines the effects of psilocybin on the cognitive and emotional functions of healthy volunteers. While psilocybin is known for its ability to reduce depression over the long term, its effects on cognitive function are still under-researched.

Photo by Moha El-Jaw / Getty Images

The research was conducted using COMP360, a proprietary version of psilocybin developed by Compass Pathways. The company recently completed the largest-ever Phase 2 study of psilocybin with very positive results and is now entering Phase 3.

The 2019 study at King’s College London showed that psilocybin had no short- or long-term adverse effects on cognitive function or emotional processing.

The details

The study examined the effects of two doses of COMP360 psilocybin compared to placebo in 89 healthy male and female adult volunteers. Participants received either a 10 mg dose, a 25 mg dose, or a placebo.

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The drug was administered simultaneously to up to six participants, all of whom received individual psychological support from trained therapists during the approximately six-hour session. The study included a follow-up period of 12 weeks.

The results

There were no serious side effects and COMP360 psilocybin was found to be well tolerated with no clinically relevant negative effects on cognitive function.

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“This rigorous study is an important first piece of evidence that it is worth investigating concomitant psilocybin further,” said Dr. James Rucker, the study’s lead author. “When thinking about how psilocybin therapy (if approved) can be administered in the future, it is important to demonstrate the feasibility and safety of administering it to more than one person at the same time so that we can think about how we can administer the treatment on.”

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.