OBJECTIVE: Anxiety is common in patients receiving end-of-life care and significantly impacts their quality of life. However, pharmacological management remains challenging due to complex clinical presentations and potential side effects, emphasizing the need for systematically reviewing existing treatments. Here we aim to systematically evaluate the efficac...
BackgroundPalliative Care is concerned with relieving suffering and improving the quality of life of patients and their families. Currently, questions arise about how to provide patients with good end-of-life care. There has been increasing interest in the beneficial effects of using psilocybin-assisted therapy in patients with severe chronic illnesses near ...
“Magic mushrooms” produce a naturally occurring psychedelic compound called psilocybin. Public opinion surrounding psilocybin mushrooms generally holds that they are primarily used for recreational purposes, which may have contributed to their widespread prohibition in the United States. However, prior studies have demonstrated the potential efficacy of psil...
This narrative review synthesized the use of psilocybin-assisted therapy as a promising treatment for alleviating death anxiety in terminally ill patients. The insights presented are derived from findings reported in previous studies. Therefore, this review aimed to assess the efficacy, pharmacology, and mechanisms by which psilocybin alters brain function b...
This multicenter, triple-blind, phase 2, randomized controlled trial will evaluate the efficacy and safety of psilocybin therapy compared to an active control in treating demoralization in adults near the end of life (≤2 years life expectancy). After providing written informed consent, participants deemed eligible for this trial will be randomized to a brief...
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by recurrent distressing thoughts and substantial anxiety, accompanied by repetitive behaviors or mental rituals. Individuals with OCD often have diminished quality of life, and functional impairment. The disorder cause high personal, societal and economic costs. Current availab...
This pilot study will collect preliminary data that measures the effects of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy vs ketamine-assisted psychotherapy on patients struggling with alcohol use. This pilot study will be a double blind, randomized, active-comparator controlled trial with two study arms. Subjects randomized to Arm 1 (n=10) will receive individual psych...
Primary Aim: In participants with OUD, to characterize adverse events associated with adding two psilocybin doses to a stable buprenorphine-naloxone formulation. Secondary Aim: To evaluate the effect of psilocybin treatment on the effectiveness of a buprenorphine-naloxone maintenance therapy. Secondary Aim: To evaluate the effect of concurrent buprenorphine-...
Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition for which there are few efficacious treatments. Psilocybin is being studied for use in treatment-resistant depression but has not yet been investigated in PTSD. Aims: The trial’s primary outcome was to investigate the safety and tolerability of single-dose psilocybin in participant...
Existential and spiritual suffering are frequently reported by individuals facing serious illnesses, particularly at the end of life, and are associated with diminished quality of life, increased psychological distress, and requests for hastened death. While Palliative Care (PC) aims to provide holistic support, existing therapeutic options often fail to ade...
This phase I trial evaluates the side effects of psilocybin and how well it works under supportive care conditions in cancer survivors living with demoralization and chronic pain. Cancer patients often experience demoralization, which is characterized by feelings of hopelessness, loss of meaning, and existential distress. Psilocybin psychotherapy, together w...
Psilocybin, also known as “magic mushrooms,” is naturally found in psychedelic compound from different types of mushrooms. The utility of psilocybin for spiritual and therapeutic purposes has already go through several centuries. Scientific research on these compounds gained traction in the mid-20th century, the increasing interest in the possible therapeuti...
MLS101 is being developed as a low dose psilocybin, that can be administered to treat neurological and psychiatric conditions. The purpose of this clinical trial is to assess how safe and tolerated MLS101 is; to see how MLS101 is distributed and cleared by the body (pharmacokinetics); and to assess the psychedelic effects of MLS101 in healthy, adult particip...
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and associated trauma and stressor-related disorders are common and debilitating, presenting significant treatment challenges due to their complex interplay of biological, cognitive, affective, somatic and social factors. Current treatments, while advancing and effective, yield limited efficacy for many individuals, unde...
Psychedelic substances are increasingly recognized for their therapeutic potential to ease psychological suffering linked to end-of-life issues. However, amid renewed scientific and public interest, policy remains restrictive. Existing reviews have made progress in synthesizing the results of studies of psychedelic interventions, especially psilocybin, and p...
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy represents a promising addition to palliative care interventions, potentially improving quality of life by addressing existential distress. Despite its safety and effectiveness, this therapy remains limited in Canada, underscoring the need for improved access to ease suffering from life-threatening illnesses. However, import...
The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current findings and data on the therapeutic effects of psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic alkaloid primarily found in Psilocybe mushrooms. This review covers psilocybin's efficacy and safety profile, therapeutic effects, proposed indications and contraindications, drug-drug ...
The incidence of mental health disorders is increasing worldwide. While there are multiple factors contributing to this problem, neuroinflammation underlies a significant subset of psychiatric conditions, particularly major depressive and anxiety disorders. Anti-inflammatory interventions have demonstrated benefit in these conditions. Psilocin, the active in...
Since physician-assisted dying (PAD) has become a part of the clinical dialogue in the United States (US) and other Western countries, it has spawned controversy in the moral, ethical, and legal realm, with significant cross-country variation. The phenomenon of PAD includes 2 practices: Euthanasia and medical aid in dying (MAiD). Although euthanasia has been...
This Comment explores the legal, ethical, and regulatory challenges surrounding the use of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for terminally ill patients under the federal Right to Try (RTT) Act. While psychedelics like psilocybin are demonstrating extraordinary therapeutic potential, particularly in easing end-of-life psychological distress, patients remain ...
