In a suburb of Vancouver, Canada, a nondescript three-story building sits alongside a strip of parking lots. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary commercial office space. But inside is something more extraordinary: rows of shelves stacked with plastic tubs full of magic mushrooms-mushrooms that contain the hallucinogenic chemical psilocybin. In a year...
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-...
Psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, have garnered significant attention as potential therapeutic tools for treating substance use disorders (SUDs), such as those related to alcohol, nicotine, heroin (an opioid), or cocaine. Traditional treatments often fall short, leading to high relapse rates and an urgent need for innovative approaches. This article exp...
This study will examine the effect of a single high dose of psilocybin therapy (30 mg) versus a very low dose (1 mg) as an adjunctive therapy to individuals undergoing standard-of-care outpatient buprenorphine treatment for Opioid use disorder (OUD). The participants will have previously undergone buprenorphine induction before. Effects of adjunctive psilocy...
Opioid-related overdose deaths have reached record high levels, and novel treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD) are needed. The three United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications for OUD function primarily at the mu-opioid receptor. While these remain the gold-standard treatment for OUD, they have shortcomings and treatment option...
This study will examine the synaptotrophic effects of psilocybin among medically healthy, detoxified OUD subjects. Eligible OUD participants will undergo pre- and post- psilocybin administration PET scans with the \[11C\]-UCB-J radiotracer while inpatient. Participants will undergo screening as outpatients at the Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit (CNRU). O...
BACKGROUND: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a debilitating health condition that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in the U.S. While preliminary studies have demonstrated that psilocybin is associated with lowered odds of OUD, current research in this domain suffers from a lack of investigation into the impact of race/ethnicity on this asso...
The current chapter presents the literature evaluating the effects of classic psychedelic treatments on five substance use disorders: alcohol, tobacco, opioid, stimulant, and cannabis. Most work on psychedelics and substance use disorders was conducted for alcohol use disorder. A range of classic psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, and ayahuasca) appear to be ben...
Psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic, may have therapeutic benefits for Substance Use Disorders (SUDs), but its overall efficacy and safety remain uncertain. This systematic review assessed the safety and efficacy of psilocybin for SUDs through a systematic database search conducted via OVID on May 22, 2024, and summarized 26 ongoing clinical trials regist...
After decades of limited progress in depression treatment, recent advancements have sparked renewed interest in developing novel antidepressants, particularly rapid-acting antidepressants (RAADs). Despite these promising developments, there remains a significant gap in research on bipolar depression. While several antipsychotics have been investigated for th...
PurposeTo evaluate the current level of evidence for the use of psychedelics for the management of cancer pain and associated psychological distress.ContentPain is a common symptom of cancer and treatment. However, there are high rates of undertreatment of cancer pain due to the complex underlying biology of the condition, and potentially due to a decrease i...
Epilepsy, a chronic neurological disorder affecting around 65 million people globally, is characterized by recurrent, unprovoked epileptic seizures. Psilocin, the active metabolite of psilocybin, a well-known psychedelic compound, has recently gained attention for its potential antidepressant and anxiolytic properties. This study aims to investigate the anti...
Psychedelic drugs, known for their perception-altering properties, are gaining popularity in the treatment of mental health and pain disorders. As exploratory studies demonstrate clinical efficacy with few adverse events, it is expected that more patients will ingest psychedelic drugs. For therapeutic reasons, as with any drug, anaesthesiologists must be awa...
IntroductionA substantial number of patients exhibit treatment-resistant depression (TRD), posing significant challenges to clinicians. The discovery of novel molecules or mechanisms that may underlie TRD pathogenesis and antidepressant actions is highly needed.Areas coveredUsing the PubMed database, the authors searched for emerging evidence of novel approa...
Background and aimsThis is the first systematic review of the extant literature on all major psychedelic-assisted treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD), tobacco use disorder (TUD) and other substance use disorders (SUD). We aimed to summarise the evidence for efficacy of psychedelic-assisted treatment for AUD, TUD, and SUD; to evaluate its quality; and to...
The opioid crisis continues to exert a tremendous toll in North America, with existing interventions often falling short of addressing ongoing needs. Psychedelics are emerging as a possible alternative therapy for mental health and substance use disorders. This study aimed to gather insights on how people use or are considering using psychedelics to manage o...
Psychedelics have recently (re)emerged as therapeutics of high potential for multiple mental health conditions, including substance use disorders (SUDs). Despite early mid-20th century anecdotal reports and pilot studies demonstrating the possibility of these substances in efficaciously treating conditions such as alcohol and opioid use disorders, legal rest...
Psychedelics have recently (re)emerged as therapeutics of high potential for multiple mental health conditions, including substance use disorders (SUDs). Despite early mid-20th century anecdotal reports and pilot studies demonstrating the possibility of these substances in efficaciously treating conditions such as alcohol and opioid use disorders, legal rest...
