The effect of psychedelics on the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Arman Shafiee, Razman Arabzadeh Bahri, Mohammad Ali Rafiei, Fatemeh Esmaeilpur Abianeh, Parsa Razmara, Kyana Jafarabady, Mohammad Javad Amini
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) May 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1177/02698811241234247 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA systematic review and meta-analysis of nine studies found that people who consume psychedelics have higher levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) than healthy controls, with a pooled standardized mean difference of 0.26. This suggests psychedelics may influence neuroplasticity by altering BDNF, potentially enhancing synaptic plasticity and neuron growth. However, due to limited data, the conclusions remain uncertain, and more research with larger samples is needed.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 9 |
| Population | Psychedelic consumers and healthy controls |
| Topics | LSD MDMA Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Bdnf Brain-derived neurotrophic factor |
| Citations | 21 |
| Key finding | Psychedelic consumers had significantly higher BDNF levels compared to healthy controls, with a pooled standardized mean difference of 0.26. |
Abstract
Recent interest in the potential therapeutic effects of psychedelics has led to investigations into their influence on molecular signaling pathways within the brain. Integrated review and analysis of different studies in this field. A systematic search was conducted across international databases including Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed from inception to 9 July 2023. Eligibility criteria encompassed published and peer-reviewed studies evaluating changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels after psychedelic consumption. A total of nine studies were included in our study. The meta-analysis demonstrated significantly higher BDNF levels in psychedelic consumers compared to healthy controls, with a pooled standardized mean difference of 0.26 (95% CI: 0.10-0.42, I2 = 38.51%, p < 0.001). Leave-one-out analysis indicated robustness in results upon removal of individual psychedelics. No significant publication bias was observed. The results highlight the potential influence of psychedelics on neuroplasticity by altering BDNF levels. More precisely, the documented rise in BDNF levels indicates a neurobiological mechanism by which psychedelics could enhance synaptic plasticity and foster the growth of neurons. Given the limited data available on this topic, the conclusions remain uncertain. Consequently, we highly recommend additional research with more extensive sample sizes to yield more reliable evidence in this field.