‘Magic mushrooms’ may help ‘reset’ depressive brains
“Magic mushrooms can 'reboot' brain to treat depression,” reports the Daily Telegraph.
The news is based on a small UK study that looked at the effects of psilocybin, a chemical found in magic mushrooms, on patients with severe depression.
All 19 patients said their depression improved immediately after taking psilocybin and almost half said they still felt the benefits 5 weeks later.
The effects of psilocybin were measured using a functional MRI scan, an advanced MRI machine that measures blood flow in the brain.
The researchers believe psilocybin helps to change how networks of nerves communicate in the brain, which might disrupt negative thought patterns. A fall in blood flow suggests that brain activity has reduced.
