Pain Management • September 08, 2026
Neuropathic Pain and Cortical Remapping: Psilocybin for Phantom Limb Pain
UCSD School of Medicine studies show psilocybin facilitates somatosensory cortical remapping, providing long-term abolition of intractable phantom limb pain.
The Maladaptive Reorganization of Somatosensory Cortex
Phantom limb pain occurs when the primary somatosensory cortex undergoes distorted reorganization following peripheral nerve amputation, generating persistent burning pain.
Somatosensory Cortical Remapping Under Psilocybin
By destabilizing rigid neural representations and promoting dendritic plasticity, psilocybin enables the brain to un-learn traumatic pain maps, providing lasting analgesia.