Psilocybin, a main chemical component in psychedelic mushrooms, could play a beneficial role in patients recovering from traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to a new scientific review published in the journal Brain Science.
Reviewing 29 published studies about the use of psilocybin in patients with TBI, a three-person team from Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and Hackensack Meridian’s JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute concluded that assisted psilocybin use “may have benefits in TBI by reducing inflammation, promoting neuroplasticity and neuroregeneration, and alleviating associated mood disorders.”
That conclusion, along with “positive findings in related fields, like treatment for depression and addiction, highlight the necessity for more extensive clinical trials on psilocybin’s role in TBI recovery,” authors wrote.
“The research on psilocybin as a therapeutic agent shows promise for its application in TBI in theory,” the new review says, “but it requires more in-depth studies.”
The report points to psilocybin’s apparent anti-inflammatory properties and its ability to promote the production of new neurons and connections in the brain. It also says the drug’s antidepressant properties could be helpful given the comparatively high rates of depression in TBI patients.
But the new paper also flags “concerns regarding potential ‘bad trips’ and other possible side effects,” emphasizing the “need for more controlled clinical trials to establish safe and effective protocols.”
Notably, the review found no indication that classical psychedelics were associated with an increase risk of seizures, which authors said was important given the heightened incidence of seizures already associated with TBI.
Authors emphasized that federal restrictions on psilocybin limit researchers’ abilities to easily conduct trials, writing that although “decriminalization efforts in the United States are indicative of growing interest, its federal Schedule I classification limits rigorous scientific exploration.”
Overall, the paper says, “psilocybin treatment with current therapeutic practices has the potential to maximize TBI recovery, thus providing a novel method to enhance treatment for people dealing with this persistent condition.”
The research comes amid a renewed interest in psychedelics to treat mental health and medical conditions, including TBI and post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD), especially in military veterans.
The head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said earlier this year, for example, that exploring the therapeutic potential of psychedelics such as psilocybin and ibogaine is a “top priority” for the Trump administration, particularly when it comes to helping military veterans grapple with trauma from being sent to fight “unnecessary wars.”
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary emphasized the need to cut red tape while undertaking “an expeditious and rapid review” toward federal approval.
“When it comes to some of these psychedelics and other plant-based therapies, I don’t think we’re listening to patients,” he said. “I don’t think the medical establishment is listening to doctors. When I listen to the individuals who have tried some of these for real medical conditions—post-traumatic stress disorder, severe refractory depression—people tell me that they believe that psilocybin was successful. It was a curative, or significantly helped, their severe mood disorder.”
“There are trials now looking at it for traumatic brain injury—things we have had nothing for in the past,” the official added. “What have we had to treat traumatic brain injury and PTSD that has really had great results up until this time?”
Under the Biden administration, there was stepped-up interest in examining certain psychedelics, with novel guidance for researchers from FDA in the pursuit of potential approvals, but the agency ultimately rejected an application to make MDMA-assisted therapy available for the treatment of PTSD.
The current commissioner’s remarks also come in the context of a meaningful shift on psychedelics policy within this administration—with the secretaries of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that oversees FDA also having expressed support for exploring the issue. President Donald Trump’s recent pick for U.S. surgeon general has previously described her personal experience benefitting from psilocybin.
In May, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins touted the fact that he’s “one of the first” secretaries of the agency with a commitment to exploring psychedelics as a potential therapy option for veterans.
President Donald Trump’s latest surgeon general pick, Casey Means, has also been public about her own experience benefiting from psilocybin
Meanwhile, Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Lou Correa (D-CA)—co-chairs of the Congressional Psychedelic Advancing Therapies (PATH) Caucus—introduced a bill in April to provide $30 million in funding annually to establish psychedelics-focused “centers for excellence” at VA facilities, where veterans could receive novel treatment involving substances like psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine.
Bergman has also expressed optimism about the prospects of advancing psychedelics reform under Trump, arguing that the administration’s efforts to cut spending and the federal workforce will give agencies “spines” to tackle such complex issues.
Collins also recently met with a military veteran who’s become an advocate for psilocybin access to discuss the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicine for the veteran community.
Earlier this year, the secretary separately informed Trump during a Cabinet meeting that his agency is “opening up the possibility of psychedelic treatment” for veterans.
Also, during a Senate committee hearing in May, he separately reiterated his commitment to exploring the efficacy of psychedelic therapy to address serious mental health conditions that commonly afflict veterans.
Bipartisan congressional lawmakers have also asked the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) head to meet with them to discuss ways to provide access to psychedelic medicine for military veterans.
Collins disclosed that he had an “eye-opening” talk with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about the medical potential of psychedelic medicine. And Collins said he’s open to the idea of having the government provide vouchers to cover the costs of psychedelic therapy for veterans who receive services outside of VA as Congress considers pathways for access.
In December, VA separately announced that it’s providing $1.5 million in funding to study the efficacy of MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans with PTSD and alcohol use disorder (AUD).
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