The Action on Psilocybin in Neural Plasticity, Brain Reorganization and Cognitive Enhancement

Abstract

Psilocybin and psilocin do not cause addiction or dependence, as they do not interact with the dopaminergic reward system. New pharmacological treatment strategies for substance abuse disorders have targeted craving, which is characterized, in a simplified way, by an intense desire to use the substance. Psilocybin is an indole alkaloid of the hallucinogenic tryptamine group whose molecular structure resembles that of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which you may know as psilocin, especially in its dephosphorylated form. In Brazil, it is authorized by Anvisa through Ordinance 344 of 1998, provided that special authorization is obtained from the Health Surveillance Secretariat of the Ministry of Health. The manuscript aims to verify the Action of psilocybin in neural plasticity, brain reorganization, and cognitive enhancement. This paper is a narrative review of the literature, which is designed to explain and discuss a certain subject from a theoretical or contextual perspective, to allow the reader to acquire or update knowledge on a specific topic. The search for scientific articles that comprised this review was carried out in Academic.edu, Biological Abstract, Google Scholar, HAL, Qeios, ResearchGate, Scielo, and SSRN. The inclusion criteria were original articles and reviews, published nationally and internationally in full, available electronically, and published in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. There is also a growing popularity of psilocybin and other psychedelics for health purposes. Mushrooms can be important for improving various conditions and symptoms of disorders. People report that this type of mushroom specifically works against fatigue, discouragement, depression, anxiety, and cognition, and helps to deal with withdrawal symptoms from some addiction. Increased concentration can be observed, with improved brain activity.