Psilocybin is a serotonergic psychedelic with growing evidence for efficacy in mood disorders, and its therapeutic potential in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related conditions is increasingly recognised but remains understudied. We systematically evaluated clinical and preclinical evidence on psilocybin's effects on obsessive and compulsive behavi...
Participants in this study will undergo a series of non-invasive tests and activities designed to understand how a single dose of psilocybin might influence cognition and emotional well-being in healthy older adults. After providing written informed consent, eligible participants, aged between 60 and 85, will be randomly assigned to receive a dose of psilocy...
Psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, have shown therapeutic potential across several psychiatric conditions, including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anorexia nervosa (AN). These disorders often share social deficits that may be effectively alleviated by psychedelics considering their use has been linked with emotional empathy and ...
Psilocybin, an indoleamine alkaloid derived from various fungal species, is the subject of renewed, rigorous investigation for its therapeutic potential in psychiatry. This compound, a prodrug for the active metabolite psilocin, functions primarily as a partial agonist at the serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor. Its administration within a structured psychotherap...
The purpose for this study is to observe the real world experience of participants who are receiving psilocybin in the context of (alcoholism) Alcohol Use Disorder without intervening in the model of care. The study team will engage directly with the participants to examine the outcomes in participants who have been deemed eligible and appropriate to receive...
Psychedelics such as psilocybin and ketamine are gaining attention as rapid-acting treatments for psychiatric disorders, yet the mechanisms by which they alter cognition remain unclear. A key hypothesis-the REBUS model-proposes that psychedelics relax high-level priors, allowing bottom-up sensory information to exert greater influence over perception and beh...
Rationale: Recent evidence shows that Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), even when administered in low, non-hallucinogenic doses, can produce analgesic effects and improve pain tolerance in a sample of healthy volunteers. Such results complement what was already observed with other serotonergic psychedelics such as psilocybin: survey studies and case series i...
Schizophrenia is a highly polygenic disease, and several genetic variants associated with the disease converge on altered synaptic homeostasis. In particular, the gene encoding complement component 4 (C4) showed the strongest association with schizophrenia, and this protein is involved in complement-dependent and microglia-mediated synaptic pruning. As a mat...
Serotonergic psychedelics have shown promise in clinical trials for treating an array of mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Despite these findings, our understanding of how these drugs mechanistically exert their therapeutic effects remains incomplete. While researchers have regularly employed rodent p...
Abstract Background Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability and economic loss, with high recurrence and treatment resistance. Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) shows promise in reducing depressive symptoms, but long-term effects are unknown. We aimed to determine the long-term safety and efficacy of PAT for MDD over a five-year follo...
Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) has been shown in early trials to reduce the symptoms of treatment-resistant depression (TRD). This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of PAT as a third-line treatment for major depressive disorder compared to standard of care (SOC). We used an individual-level, probabilistic simulation model that portrays representative...
We quantify cellular- and circuit-resolution neural network dynamics following therapeutically relevant doses of the psychedelic psilocybin. Using chronically implanted Neuropixels probes, we recorded local field potentials (LFP) alongside action potentials from hundreds of neurons spanning infralimbic, prelimbic and cingulate subregions of the medial prefro...
Through its widespread reciprocal connections with the cerebral cortex, the claustrum is implicated in sleep and waking cortical network states. Yet, basic knowledge of neuromodulation in this structure is lacking. The claustrum is richly innervated by serotonergic fibers, expresses serotonin receptors, and is suggested to play a role in the ability of psilo...
Introduction: Psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic, has shown therapeutic potential in treating mental health disorders by, amongst the many effects, promoting neuroplasticity and reorganising functional connectivity across cortical and subcortical networks involved in emotion and cognition. Veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) often experience chr...
Microdosing psychedelics, the regular use of low doses of LSD or psilocybin, have attracted growing public and scientific interest. This review synthesizes findings from 57 human studies on psychological and physiological outcomes in clinical and non-clinical populations. Reported benefits include improved mood, enhanced cognition, social functioning, and me...
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...
Recent advancements in the study of psilocybin and its active metabolite psilocin have highlighted their unique psychedelic properties and potential therapeutic applications, particularly in the rapid and sustained treatment of depression. However, the potent acute psychedelic effects of psilocybin necessitate a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms ...
Psychoactive substances are compounds that can influence perception, consciousness, cognition, and emotions. The psychoactive substances caffeine, nicotine, cannabis, and psilocybin all originate from natural sources and can be used without complex processing or synthesis. Their natural availability has contributed to a long-standing history of human use and...
IntroductionNatural hallucinogens derived from fungi and animals have been used for centuries in shamanic, ritualistic, and medicinal practices across diverse cultures. These compounds exhibit a widerange of structures and mechanisms of action, affecting various neurotransmitter systems pathways. Fungal hallucinogens, primarily indole alkaloids like psilocyb...
