Psychoplastogen is any chemical substance that places the human brain into an increased state of neuroplasticity; that is, a state in which increased neural connectivity and neurogenesis occur.
The term psychoplastogen is relatively new and is in some ways synonymous for terms such as entheogen and psychedelic, although these terms do have their own respective meanings according to the contexts in which they are used. The term psychoplastogen arose from the relatively recent understanding of the effects of certain psychoactive substances on the brain, specifically the increased neuroplasticity achieved while under the influence of certain psychoactive substances.
Psychoplastogens are of increasing interest to some researchers and clinicians working in the field of psychology and psychiatry. An increased state of neuroplasticity is strongly associated with the creation of new meaning, values, and impactful insights into one’s personal nature; as such, using psychoplastogens may be an effective means of increasing the effectiveness of a drug addiction rehabilitation or behavioral modification protocol1.
1 Hornick MG and Stefanski A (2023) Hallucinogenic potential: a review of psychoplastogens for the treatment of opioid use disorder. Front. Pharmacol. 14:1221719. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1221719
