With MDMA, LSD, and psilocybin receiving “Breakthrough Therapy” designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and moving into Phase 3 clinical trials, we are closer than ever to legal administration of these compounds for mental health treatment. Research from Lykos, Usona Institute, Mindmed, Compass Pathways, and Johns Hopkins, among others, ha...
BackgroundFluoxetine remains the only pharmacological treatment approved for Bulimia Nervosa, and no other drugs have been approved for eating disorders (EDs). The rationale for exploring psilocybin as a treatment for EDs is compelling, both from biological and psychological perspectives. Moreover, its safety profile in healthy individuals appears favorable....
There are few effective treatments for eating disorders (EDs), and new interventions are urgently needed. The MEDication and other drugs For Eating Disorders (“MED-FED”) survey investigated the lived experience of adults with EDs regarding their prescription and non-prescription drugs use. Psychedelic drugs were highly rated in this survey for their impact o...
Accumulating evidence suggests that psilocybin can produce rapid and sustained clinical benefits when administered in conjunction with psychological support. Though non-pharmacological procedures are considered integral, the field lacks therapeutic guidelines and little is known about current practices. This systematic review sought to provide a comprehensiv...
Background Classic psychedelics, such as psilocybin and LSD, evoke certain kinds of altered states of consciousness. Specific features of the experience, such as its allegedly ineffable nature, have been discussed as posing challenges to the informed consent process. A growing call for tailored informed consent documents (ICDs) in the psychedelic bioethics l...
The influence of ovarian hormone fluctuations on neurochemistry, cognition, and psychological responses remains insufficiently examined in current psychedelic research and clinical protocols. Traditional practices and case studies underscore the importance of accounting for these factors in investigations of psychedelic effects. This opinion paper explores t...
Background: Although classic psychedelic trials show therapeutic potential, the limited diversity of participants raises concerns about generalizability and safety. Aims: This study assesses the representation of race, ethnicity, and sex in interventional clinical trials of psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) to evaluate disparities in participan...
Psychedelics have been studied since the 1950s as a potential treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD), with over a dozen clinical trials of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and several contemporary trials of psilocybin and ayahuasca for this indication. Herein, we characterize foundational studies from the 1950s to the present, with emphasis on key design ...
Background Recent years have seen renewed clinical interest in the therapeutic potential of classical psychedelics, such as psilocybin, LSD, DMT, and mescaline. While modern studies have focused on adult populations, adolescents under 18 are routinely excluded due to regulatory, legal, and ethical challenges. Although there exists observational data and hist...
BackgroundResearch into psychedelics has gained renewed interest due to their potential to address psychiatric, neurological, and other peripheral conditions. These substances offer long-term therapeutic benefits, contrasting with the side effects and limitations of current psychiatric medicines.ObjectiveThis study examines the legislations and regulatory fr...
BACKGROUND: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common and disabling condition. A large proportion of patients fail to respond to first-line treatment with serotonin reuptake inhibitors either selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or clomipramine. Preliminary evidence suggests psilocybin, a serotonin receptor agonist, might be efficacious. We ...
Recent research with classic psychedelics suggests significant therapeutic potential, particularly for neuropsychiatric disorders. A mediating influence behind symptom resolution is thought to be the personal insight - at times, bordering on the mystical - one acquires during the acute phase of a psychedelic session. Indeed, current clinical trials have foun...
Both psychotherapeutic interventions and pharmacological agents have demonstrated limited efficacy in the treatment of personality disorders (PDs). Emerging evidence suggests that psychedelic therapy, already showing promise in treating various psychiatric conditions commonly comorbid with PDs, may exert therapeutic effects by promoting adaptive changes in p...
ImportancePsilocybin has demonstrated rapid and sustained antidepressant efficacy, with acute-phase effect sizes often more than double those for conventional antidepressants. However, concerns have been raised that high rates of functional unblinding in combination with trial participants with positive expectations of psychedelic use might bias treatment ou...
Psychedelic treatments are emerging as promising interventions for many mental health conditions. These interventions are not offered in a standardized fashion across studies and between different healthcare centers. Beyond differences in substances and doses, there is also a great heterogeneity in the interventions provided by therapists. The current review...
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by motor symptoms due to dopaminergic degeneration and non-motor symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment, which significantly affect patients' quality of life. Traditional dopaminergic therapies address motor symptoms but offer limited efficacy for neuropsychia...
Psychedelic research has traditionally focused on controlled, clinical settings to evaluate the therapeutic potential of substances such as psilocybin. However, in recent years, there has been growing interest in naturalistic research, which explores psychedelic use in real-world settings. This review aims to critically analyze trends in naturalistic psyched...
The coronavirus variant (causing the COVID-19 disease) that led to a pandemic sent global shockwaves, resulting in long-term effects on physical, mental, and social well-being and impacting both individuals and communities. With the pandemic's notable impact on mental health, one such potential treatment discussed in recent literature is psilocybin. Psilocyb...
Depression and anxiety are disabling and high incidence mental disorders characterized by phenotypic heterogeneity. Currently available treatments show severe limitations. Thus, there is an urgent need for effective treatments in this population. In the search for novel rapid-acting antidepressants, the psychedelic psilocybin has emerged as a promising thera...
Professor Stephen Ross is a prominent faculty member in the Departments of Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine who has transformed the landscape of psychedelic research since 2006. In this Genomic Press Interview, Dr. Ross reveals how as co-director of the NYU Langone Center for Psychede...
