Speaker Bio
I completed my Bachelor in Medicine at Federal Fluminense University in Brazil in 2019. During my Bachelor's, I spent an exchange year in The Netherlands (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and I took a Medical Elective in Psychiatry in England (Oxford University, United Kingdom). After graduating, I worked as a general practitioner and in the frontline against COVID-19 in Brazil, both in the private and public health systems. I moved to the Netherlands to pursue a Research Master in Clinical and Psychosocial Epidemiology - Track Health Systems and Prevention at the University of Groningen. I am currently working as a PhD researcher at the University Center for Psychiatry at the University Medical Center Groningen. My PhD thesis aims to improve the positioning of novel pharmacological agents in the treatment landscape of treatment-resistant depression.
ICPR 2024 Abstract
The neurobiological mechanisms of psilocybin as an antidepressant: An initial systematic review of human studies
Background. Recent evidence suggests that psilocybin represents a potential therapeutic approach for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who do not respond to conventional antidepressant treatment. Investigating the influence of psilocybin on the main pathophysiological processes involved in MDD could enhance our neurobiological understanding of the presumed antidepressant efficacy.
Research Question and Hypothesis. Our main research question was “Does psilocybin administration influence the pathophysiological mechanisms of MDD in humans?”. We hypothesized that neurobiological changes following psilocybin administration align with changes reported in preclinical studies with psilocybin and with clinical research on other antidepressant agents.
Methods. We conducted a systematic literature review of studies investigating changes in neurotrophic, immunologic, neuroendocrine, gastrointestinal, and metabolic biomarkers of MDD, following psilocybin administration in humans.
Main findings. Nine studies were included, describing findings on 15 different biomarkers exclusively in healthy participants. Studies consistently reported a significant decrease in interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor alpha, C-reactive protein, and eosinophils, as well as a significant increase in cortisol, prolactin, oxytocin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and free fatty acids.
Conclusion. The direction of the results is in line with preclinical studies on psilocybin and with clinical research on monoaminergic antidepressants. The results support the potential of psilocybin as an antidepressant given its anti-inflammatory effects, enhanced neuroplasticity, and altering neuroendocrine biomarkers, which counteract the pathophysiology of MDD. Further research should include larger samples, clinical populations, long-term assessment, and rigorous experimental designs.