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Review
. 2025 May 26;15(6):572.
doi: 10.3390/brainsci15060572.

The Potential Role of Psilocybin in Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery: A Narrative Review

Charles Palmer  1 , Ally T Ferber  2 , Brian D Greenwald  2
Affiliations
Review

The Potential Role of Psilocybin in Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery: A Narrative Review

Charles Palmer et al. Brain Sci. .

Abstract

Background: This narrative review explores psilocybin's potential use as a therapeutic agent in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: We engaged in a search of PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane's databases for information on the effects of psilocybin. We also reviewed articles where psilocybin was used in patients with TBI. Articles from 2000-2025 were included. Results: A total of 29 articles met our initial inclusion criteria. Additionally, 13 articles were obtained from reference lists and 3 more articles on the legality of psilocybin from public websites. Conclusions: Assisted psilocybin use may have benefits in TBI by reducing inflammation, promoting neuroplasticity and neuroregeneration, and alleviating associated mood disorders. 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.

Keywords: addiction; medical psilocybin; psychedelic; traumatic brain injury.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The depicted method behind the inclusion and exclusion of the studies used in this review.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Map with the states and their current status in regard to psilocybin legalization [10].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Map showing the current psilocybin legalization status of countries across the world [11].
Figure 4
Figure 4
Biosynthetic pathway of psilocybin [21].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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