Translated from our German original by AI. The German text was researched, written, and edited by the Psychedelia Foundation team and remains the authoritative version.
According to a new scientific review, classic psychedelics such as psilocybin and LSD could offer new impulses for research into autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A team at Roma Tre University in Rome analyzed recent preclinical animal studies on behavioral and brain processes connected with ASD. Since there is so far no drug therapy that addresses the core symptoms of autism directly (social interaction or repetitive behaviors, for example), interest in alternative approaches is growing.
The evaluation of the animal studies gives a differentiated picture: acute effects of psychedelic substances on social behavior were inconsistent. Repeated doses or measurements taken after a delay did, however, lead to increased sociability in several studies. Substances such as psilocybin also reduced repetitive or compulsive behavior patterns in established animal models. The researchers attribute this among other things to neuroplastic processes and to changes in signaling pathways such as BDNF/TrkB, which could support synaptic adaptation.
The authors stress considerable limitations for any possible therapeutic use, however. The evidence base rests almost entirely on animal experiments, often outside established ASD models and frequently in heavily simplified behavioral tests. Whether and how the complex neuronal changes in autistic people respond to psychedelics is largely unresolved. The review therefore understands itself primarily as a mechanistic signpost for future basic research.
Ascone, F., Giangiacomo, D., & Trezza, V. (2026), Classic psychedelics and autism spectrum disorder: preclinical evidence, mechanistic insights and unresolved challenges, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 106761.
