Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is typically characterized by altered linear functional connectivity (FC) across large-scale brain networks. Yet, it is unclear whether similar alterations are observed when nonlinear FC is examined. This study investigated how antidepressant treatment (i.e., psilocybin and escitalopram) modulates both linear FC and nonlinear ...
This study aims to investigate the effects of oral psilocybin on OCD symptomatology and provide the first evidence of the neural mechanism that may mediate psilocybin's purported therapeutic effects on OCD. Aim 1: To investigate the effects of psilocybin on OCD symptomatology. OCD symptom severity will be assessed before treatment and 24 and 48 hours after t...
Psilocybin has been shown to induce fast and sustained improvements in mental well-being across various populations, yet its long-term mechanisms of action are not fully understood. Initial evidence suggests that longitudinal functional and structural brain changes implicate fronto-striatal-thalamic (FST) circuitry, a broad system involved in goal-directed b...
This study is an open-label, single-arm, proof-of-concept study, wherein treatment resistant bipolar depression (TRBD) participants will receive one 25 mg dose of oral psilocybin accompanied by preparatory, monitoring, and integration psychotherapy sessions (psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy, or PAP). Using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), the f...
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a severe psychiatric condition characterized by preoccupation with perceived flaws in one's appearance, which the individual views as defective or ugly. Psilocybin, a serotonin 2A receptor agonist with psychedelic properties, has emerged as a potential therapeutic agent for depression and other psychiatric disorders. This st...
Background Recent studies have intensively explored the potential antidepressant effects of psilocybin. However, important variables such as previous experience, repeated administration, setting and sex remain underexplored. This study describes the acute psilocybin experience and long-term effects in a small sample of healthy individuals. Methods In a doubl...
Disorders of consciousness (DoC), including the unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and the minimally conscious state (MCS), have limited treatment options. Recent research suggests that psychedelic drugs, known for their complexity-enhancing properties, could be promising treatments for DoC. This study uses whole-brain computational models to explore th...
This work utilized fMRI to assess the influence of the psychedelics, Psilocybin, a serotonergic agonist, and Salvinorin-A, a kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) agonist, on functional connectivity (FC) in non-human primates. We used a seed-based FC analysis, probing regions of interest associated with psychedelic hallucinogens. Our findings highlight the overlapping...
Background: Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a common cause of neurological symptoms including paralysis, seizures, and movement disorders. It is often debilitating, is associated with high health and social care costs, and can have a poor prognosis. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has suggested FND is a multi-network disorder; the defa...
Ketamine is classified as a dissociative anaesthetic that, in sub-anaesthetic doses, can produce an altered state of consciousness characterised by dissociative symptoms, visual and auditory hallucinations, and perceptual distortions. Given the anaesthetic-like and psychedelic-like nature of this compound, it is expected to have different effects on brain dy...
The extent of changes in functional connectivity (FC) within functional networks as a common feature across hallucinogenic drug classes is under-explored. This work utilized fMRI to assess the dissociative hallucinogens Psilocybin, a classical serotonergic psychedelic, and Salvinorin-A, a kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) agonist, on resting-state FC in nonhuman p...
Background: Chronic pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Fibromyalgia is a particularly debilitating form of widespread chronic pain. Fibromyalgia remains poorly understood, and treatment options are limited or moderately effective at best. Here, we present a protocol for a mechanistic study investigating the effects of psychedelic-assisted-thera...
The neurobiological mechanisms underpinning psychiatric disorders such as treatment-resistant major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorders, remain unknown. Psychedelic compounds, such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, and N,N-dimethyltryptamine, have emerged as potential therapies for these disorders because of their...
This pilot study investigated psilocybin-induced changes in neural reactivity to alcohol and emotional cues in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Participants were recruited from a phase II, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial investigating psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) for the treatment of AUD (NCT02061293). Eleven adult p...
This open-label fMRI study will assess the effects of a single dose of psilocybin on rumination and the neural correlates of rumination in individuals with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder.
Abstract Background: Psychological distress is a common reaction to a cancer diagnosis and its treatment. Distress impacts quality of life, adherence to treatment, decision making and survival. Patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) experience exceptionally high rates of psychological distress, most commonly depression, anxiety and suicidality. Psilo...
BACKGROUND: Serotonergic psychedelics, such as psilocybin, alter perceptual and cognitive systems that are functionally integrated with the amygdala. These changes can alter cognition and emotions that are hypothesized to contribute to their therapeutic utility. However, the neural mechanisms of cognitive and subcortical systems altered by psychedelics are n...
