Cognitive Flexibility
OverlapThe capacity to shift between different mental perspectives, strategies, or ways of thinking about a problem — the opposite of the rigid, repetitive thought patterns common in depression.
Example: A 2021 open-label study of 24 patients with major depressive disorder, published in Translational Psychiatry, found psilocybin therapy increased cognitive flexibility on a standard set-shifting task for at least 4 weeks post-treatment — though the improvement didn't correlate with how much each patient's depression actually improved.
What is cognitive flexibility?
The capacity to shift between different mental perspectives, strategies, or ways of thinking about a problem — the opposite of the rigid, repetitive thought patterns common in depression.
Does psilocybin therapy improve cognitive flexibility?
A 2021 open-label study of 24 patients with major depressive disorder, published in Translational Psychiatry, found psilocybin therapy increased cognitive flexibility on a standard set-shifting task for at least 4 weeks post-treatment — though the improvement didn't correlate with how much each patient's depression actually improved.