Researchers from the University of Alberta and Western Canada High School have conducted a study exploring the therapeutic potential of psilocybin in mitigating behavioral despair and cognitive impairments caused by chronic stress.
Published in the peer reviewed journal Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, the research focuses on the interaction between the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis and the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) in stress regulation.
Using a rodent model, the study examined 22 male Wistar rats with chronic stress (caused by predator odor and social instability). The rats were divided into control and stress groups, with the latter receiving either a sham treatment or psilocybin. Researchers assessed behavioral outcomes using various tests, including the Open Field Test, Sucrose Preference Test, Novel Object Recognition, Elevated Plus Maze, and Forced Swimming Test. These evaluations measured locomotion, anhedonia, memory, anxiety, and behavioral despair, respectively.
The results revealed that psilocybin significantly alleviated stress-induced behavioral and cognitive impairments. Biochemical analyses of blood and brain samples indicated that these benefits were likely due to the ECS-mediated downregulation of the HPA axis, a key regulator of stress responses.
“These findings suggest that early intervention with psilocybin has sustained beneficial effects on stress-related behavioral and cognitive disturbances, underscoring its potential as a novel therapeutic approach for stress-related mental health disorders”, concludes the study.
