Case report: Prolonged amelioration of mild red-green color vision deficiency following psilocybin mushroom use

Abstract

Background Recent survey data indicate that some people report long-term improvement in color vision deficiency (CVD), also known as color blindness, following use of psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin. However, there are no objective data reported in the medical literature quantifying the degree or duration of CVD improvement associated with psychedelic use. Case presentation Here we present the case of a subject with red-green CVD (mild deuteranomalia) who self-administered the Ishihara Test to quantify the degree and duration of CVD improvement following the use of 5 g of dried psilocybin mushrooms. Self-reported Ishihara Test data from the subject revealed partial improvement in CVD peaking at 8 days and persisting for at least 16 days post-psilocybin administration. This improvement may have lasted longer, though the subsequent observations are confounded by additional substance use. Conclusion A single use of psilocybin may produce partial improvements in CVD extending beyond the period of acute effect, despite this condition typically resulting from a genetic defect. Systematic exploration of this possible phenomenon is needed to confirm our findings, gauge their generalizability, and determine the mechanism of action.