Scientists probe Psilocybin's brain mechanism in tiny new study

NCT ID NCT07565493

First seen May 07, 2026

Summary

This early-phase study at Johns Hopkins University will give 18 healthy volunteers psilocybin (the active compound in magic mushrooms) along with either a drug that blocks the 5-HT1a receptor (pindolol) or a placebo. Researchers will use questionnaires and brain wave recordings (EEG) to see how blocking this receptor changes the psychedelic experience and its effects on sleep and dreaming. The goal is purely to understand the brain mechanisms behind psilocybin's effects, not to treat any disease.

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This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Contacts and locations

Study contacts

  • Contact

    Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

Locations

  • Center for Psychedelics and Consciousness Research

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21224-5010, United States

    Contact

    Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

    Contact

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

psilocybin and pindolol

What this could lead to

If successful, this could help scientists understand how psilocybin works in the brain, potentially leading to better-targeted therapies for mental health conditions.

What could go wrong

This is a very small, early-phase study in healthy volunteers, not patients. It is designed to measure brain activity and subjective experiences, not to test a treatment, so direct medical benefits are unlikely.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.