The McMurray lab is a behavioral neuroscience lab that focuses on the study of tryptamines commonly found in “magic” mushrooms. The main tryptamine found in these mushrooms is psilocybin, and this has been extensively studied as a therapeutic because of its promising antidepressant effects. The leading theory for why psilocybin possesses this antidepressant efficacy is […]
C09: The Effects of Psilocybin on Maternal Behavior
Certain psychiatric medications, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), can be harmful during pregnancy and the postnatal period, having been shown to lead to birth defects and reduce helpful maternal behaviors. These factors may require birthing parents to temporarily stop taking such medications, but ceasing them may pose a risk to the parent. This presents […]
A44: The Effects of Psilocybin on Decision Making and Motivation
There has been a resurgence in research regarding the therapeutic potential of hallucinogenic psilocybin. Although this research is promising, much is unknown about how psilocybin impacts behavior from a pharmacological perspective. It is established that psilocybin is a serotonergic agonist with affinities for several different serotonin receptors; binding affinity data indicate that psilocybin has a […]
C48: Estrogen Improves Psilocybin Efficacy
Recent study of the hallucinogenic drug psilocybin points towards potential therapeutic benefits for serotonin-linked mood disorders, such as major depressive disorder and PMDD, a depressive disorder that is associated with women’s estrous cycles and the cycling of estradiol. The primary mechanism of action of psilocybin is agonistic on the 5HT2A receptor. Estradiol has been shown […]
B24-P: Twitching for Psilocybin: Evidence for an Entourage Effect in Psilocybin Containing Mushrooms
Preliminary research with psilocybin has shown its potential therapeutic efficacy as a treatment for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance use disorders. However, we do not know much about the drug’s pharmacological mechanisms and if related tryptamines, like norbaeocystin, could have similar efficacy or better when administered alone. We also were curious as to if norbaeocystin […]