A new study highlights the potential of psilocybin, a psychedelic compound, in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette’s Syndrome. Research conducted on mice showed that psilocybin and psychedelic mushroom extract significantly reduced OCD-like behaviors and tic-like head-body twitches. These promising results pave the way for clinical trials and offer hope for new, effective treatments for OCD and Tourette’s Syndrome.

[Hebrew University] A new study, published in Molecular Psychiatry, led by Prof. Bernard Lerer from the Department of Psychiatry at the Hadassah - Hebrew University Medical Center shows promising results for using psilocybin, a psychedelic compound, as a potential treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette’s Syndrome. The research provides significant insights into the benefits of psilocybin for managing symptoms similar to those experienced by people with OCD and Tourette’s Syndrome.

The study included 50 genetically modified mice that displayed excessive grooming and anxiety, similar to human OCD behaviors and head-body twitches similar to tics suffered by patients with Tourette’s Syndrome. These mice were randomly given either a single injection of psilocybin, a psychedelic mushroom extract, or a placebo. Raters, unaware of which treatment each mouse received, evaluated the effects at several points over a three-week period.

Key outcomes of the study include:

• Mice treated with psilocybin showed a 14.60% decrease in excessive grooming, while those receiving the mushroom extract saw a 19.20% reduction, compared to a significant increase of 118.71 in grooming in the placebo group.
• The study also observed reductions in other symptoms like tic-like movements and anxiety, with the mushroom extract showing greater benefit in its effect on anxiety.
• The positive effects from a single treatment lasted up to seven weeks in some mice.

"Understanding that over 40% of OCD patients don't find relief with current treatments, our findings are crucial as they suggest a new way to help these individuals," Prof. Lerer noted. "We look forward to advancing to human trials and further exploring how these treatments can provide long-term benefits. The effects observed on tic-like head body twitches raise the previously unreported possibility that psilocybin may be effect in patients with Tourette’s Syndrome.”

This research highlights the potential of psilocybin and similar substances in treating psychiatric conditions and supports ongoing efforts to discover new, effective mental health therapies.

The research paper titled “Striking Long Term Beneficial Effects of Single Dose Psilocybin and Psychedelic Mushroom Extract in the SAPAP3 Rodent Model of OCD-Like Excessive Self-Grooming” is now available in Molecular Psychiatry and can be accessed at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-024-02786-0.

Researchers:

Michal Brownstien¹, Michal Lazar¹, Alexander Botvinnik¹, Chloe Shevakh¹, Karin Blakolmer², Leonard Lerer^2,3, Tzuri Lifschytz¹, Bernard Lerer¹

Institution:

1. Biological Psychiatry Laboratory and Hadassah BrainLabs Center for Psychedelic Research, Hebrew University
2. Parow Entheobiosciences (ParowBio)
3. Back of the Yards Algae Sciences (BYAS)

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is Israel’s premier academic and research institution. With over 23,000 students from 90 countries, it is a hub for advancing scientific knowledge and holds a significant role in Israel’s civilian scientific research output, accounting for nearly 40% of it and has registered over 11,000 patents. The university’s faculty and alumni have earned eight Nobel Prizes, two Turing Awards a Fields Medal, underscoring their contributions to ground-breaking discoveries. In the global arena, the Hebrew University ranks 81st according to the Shanghai Ranking. To learn more about the university’s academic programs, research initiatives, and achievements, visit the official website at http://new.huji.ac.il/en