Psilocybin for Post-Concussion Symptoms: Assessing Feasibility

Abstract

Research on psilocybin has become increasingly popular during the current “psychedelic renaissance,” which began in the early 1990s. While psilocybin’s effects on mental health are promising, its effects on cognition are not as well understood. In phase one of this project, we conducted a scoping review to synthesize data from 34 studies reporting psilocybin’s effects on cognition. The review found that psilocybin had mostly neutral but some positive long-term effects on both cognitive performance and creativity. This potential for long-term benefits to cognition is of interest to a range of clinical populations including athletes experiencing persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS), the subject of phase two of this project. For this phase, we aim to recruit 500 adults involved in sports at any level as either an athlete or staff member. Participants will be asked to complete a 25-minute anonymous online questionnaire which includes items related to (i) experience taking psychedelics and (ii) openness to using psilocybin to treat PPCS in athletes. Analyses will be conducted to provide insight into the feasibility of assessing psilocybin as a treatment for PPCS in athletes, which may indirectly lead to improved outcomes in affected individuals.