2017 issue 3-4

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Volume 33, issue 3-4

Review article

Psilocybin: the possibility of therapeutic use in selected mental and neurological disorders

Karolina Dydak1, Mariola Śliwińska-Mossoń2, Marzenna Bartoszewicz1, Halina Milnerowicz2
1. Zakład Mikrobiologii Farmaceutycznej i Parazytologii, Uniwersytet Medyczny im. Piastów Śląskich we Wrocławiu
2. Katedra i Zakład Biomedycznych Analiz Środowiskowych, Uniwersytet Medyczny im. Piastów Śląskich we Wrocławiu
Farmakoterapia w Psychiatrii i Neurologii 2017, 33 (3–4), 203–223
Date of publication: 12-02-2018
DOI: http://dx.medra.org/10.17393/fpn.2017.12.004
Keywords: addiction, depression, cluster headache, psilocybin

Abstract

Psilocybin is a psychoactive, low toxicity substance. It can be found in Psilocibe mushrooms. This substance is an agonist of serotonin receptors and affects the activity of the central nervous system. Moreover, psilocybin demonstrates regulatory activity of certain brain areas responsible for emotions, mood, memory and learning. The aim of this paper is to present the latest research studies on the use of psilocybin in treatment of depression, addictions and cluster headaches coming from different independent research centres. The scientific articles selected present only a fraction of all the published results, yet they show that psilocybin is a substance with  untapped therapeutic potential. The study focused on specific afflictions, such as drug-resistant depression and depressive symptoms in terminal diseases, nicotine and alcohol addiction, and cluster headaches. Most recent results from various independent research centres were chosen. Psilocybin is a substance that requires much research on bigger groups of patients in order to be able to fully confirm its therapeutic effects, evaluate its safety of use, and determine its long-term effects. However, it is a substance worth paying more attention to, despite the controversy it may raise as a psychedelic drug.

Address for correspondence:
Karolina Dydak
Zakład Mikrobiologii Farmaceutycznej i Parazytologii,
Uniwersytet Medyczny im. Piastów Śląskich
we Wrocławiu
ul. Borowska 211a, 50-556 Wrocław, Poland
phone: 505563559, email: karolina.dydak@op.pl