Magic mushroom compound tested for brain effects in healthy adults
NCT ID NCT07079852
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study will give 48 healthy adults either psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) or a placebo, then test their memory with picture tasks and scan their brains with MRI. The goal is to see how psilocybin changes memory accuracy and brain activity. It is not a treatment study, but aims to gather basic knowledge about how this substance affects the mind.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- psilocybin
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help scientists understand how psilocybin alters memory and brain function, potentially guiding future research on its therapeutic uses.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase study in healthy volunteers, not a treatment trial. Results may not apply to clinical populations, and the small sample size limits general conclusions.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 1/2
Runs two stages together: safety and dose first, then whether the treatment works.
- Participants
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About 48 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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21 to 45 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * 21 to 45-years-old. * 3-30 lifetime psychedelic uses. * English as a first language. * High school education (or equivalent) * Psychiatrically healthy (as assessed by the SCID-5). * Medically healthy (as assessed by a physical examination and ECG). * Willingness to attend all study sessions and complete all procedures. * BMI between 19 and 30. Exclusion Criteria: * Current or past diagnosis of psychiatric disorders except panic attacks, depressive disorder, or anxiety, or disorder from ≥1 year prior. * Current or past medical conditions that might interfere with study participation or be contraindicated for psilocybin administration (e.g., hypertension, history of stroke, cardiovascular disease, etc.) * Current daily medications except birth control (females). * Pregnant, nursing, or planning to become pregnant (assessed with urine pregnancy test). * Ingestion of a psychedelic \<2 months prior to an experimental session (with the exception of psilocybin administered in the context of the current study's repeated measures design). * History of serious adverse event with a psychedelic and/or self-reported hypersensitivity to psychedelics. * Inability to abstain from alcohol 48 hours prior to an experimental session. * Use of other psychoactive drugs (other than caffeine or nicotine) 1 week prior to an experimental session. * Positive urine drug screening for drugs of abuse during experimental sessions. * Self-reported ferrous metal, metallic implants, or implanted medical devices that would preclude participation in MRI procedures, including but not limited to cochlear implants, implanted brain stimulators, and aneurysm clips. * Self-reported past penetrating brain injury or any head injury resulting in a loss of consciousness for 30 minutes or more or post-concussive symptoms for more than seven days following a head injury. * Self-reported claustrophobia (prohibiting MRI acquisition). * Any other factors such as unstable housing or life-threatening circumstances, erratic behavior, etc. that are judged by the investigators to be a significant barrier to participation in the study protocol and/or to establishing rapport necessary for safe administration of psilocybin. * Participant unwillingness to not ingest or use additional serotonergic psychedelics outside the context of study procedures for the duration of the study. * Resting blood pressure \>140/90 mm hg at study entry. * Lifetime history of cardiomyopathy, stroke, heart disease, heart attack, tachycardia, elongated QT-interval corrected by Friderichia (\> 450ms for men and \> 470ms for women); clinically significant cardiac arrhythmia within 1 year of study entry; and/or abnormal electrocardiogram on study entry. * Left-handedness (given that functional lateralizations may differ from those of right-handed individuals).
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School
Austin, Texas, 78712, United States
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