This article describes the Swiss limited access program for psychedelic/3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted therapy. The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health can issue authorizations for the limited medical use of otherwise prohibited substances. To be eligible, patients suffer from a mostly incurable disease, the prohibited substance can alle...
Psilocybin has profound therapeutic potential for various mental health disorders, but its mechanisms of action are unknown. Functional MRI studies have reported the effects of psilocybin on brain activity and connectivity; however, these measurements rely on neurovascular coupling to infer neural activity changes and assume that blood flow responses to neur...
Depression, a common mental disorder, affects people at different stages of life.Classic antidepressant treatment is generally effective, however, it is prolonged.Nonetheless, numerous patients who undergo various classic antidepressant therapies still suffer from depression.Therefore, the search for novel medications is essential.In this review, we explore ...
Both meditation and psychedelics are widely studied for their therapeutic potential in mental health. Recent research suggests potential synergies between mindfulness practice and psychedelics, though empirical studies have primarily focused on psilocybin. This study investigates the distinct and combined effects of mindfulness practice and an ayahuasca-insp...
IntroductionPsilocybin shows encouraging outcomes for patients with cancer and major depressive disorder (MDD). However, there is insufficient evidence on the use of evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions to consistently guide and standardize psilocybin preparation, dosing, and integration. Meaning-centered psychotherapy (MCP) is a manualized, brief ...
The serotonergic psychedelic psilocybin induces neural plasticity and profoundly alters consciousness. The benzodiazepine midazolam blunts neural plasticity and induces conscious sedation and amnesia at low doses. In our recent open label pilot study, we administered oral psilocybin (25 mg) along with intravenous midazolam at doses allowing a full psychedeli...
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....
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...
This study will test the hypothesis that brain systems are differentially regulated by serotonin in individuals with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder. To do this, the brain response to two single acute doses of partial serotonin (5HT)1A/2A receptor agonist psilocybin (COMP360) relative to a single dose of placebo (baseline serotonin activity) will be com...
Abstract Classical psychedelics such N,N -dimethyltryptamine (DMT), psilocybin, and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) modulate consciousness via serotonergic receptor agonism, and are increasingly investigated for their psychotherapeutic potential. When combined with the monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibitor harmine-mimicking the pharmacological profile of ay...
Sleep paralysis (SP), an REM parasomnia, can be characterized as one of the symptoms of narcolepsy. The SP phenomenon involves regaining meta-consciousness by the dreamer during REM, when the physiological atonia of skeletal muscles is accompanied by visual and auditory hallucinations that are perceived as vivid and distressing nightmares. Sensory impression...
The resurgence of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy marks a pivotal evolution in mental health treatment, challenging traditional paradigms by integrating compounds such as psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and ketamine into clinical practice. Historically marginalized due to regulatory and societal concerns, these agents are now gaining recognition for their unique n...
In previous clinical trial work, the investigators observed lasting reductions in headache burden after limited dosing of psilocybin. This purpose of this study is to examine potential sources for this observed effect. This study will measure brain resting state functional connectivity (fMRI), central synaptic density (SV2A PET), peripheral markers of inflam...
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Psilocybin has emerged as a potential treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD), but early efficacy data are inconsistent. Depression following alcohol detoxification significantly increases the risk of relapse. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy...
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...
BACKGROUND: People with HIV (PWH) are disproportionately affected by cigarette use, with a 40 - 70% prevalence rate. Although many express a strong interest in quitting, many PWH who smoke experience lower cessation rates with traditional treatments, in part due to their comorbid anxiety and depressive symptoms. Psilocybin, a classic psychedelic referred to ...
The purpose of the study is to assess the safety and acceptability of up to two sequential administrations of 25 mg psilocybin with additional therapeutic support in decreasing suicidality in patients with Bipolar Disorder (BD II) depression. This study aims to determine whether psilocybin paired with psychotherapy is a safe, feasible, and acceptable treatme...
The serotonergic hallucinogen psilocybin has shown potential as a treatment for psychiatric conditions like alcohol use disorder (AUD) and depression in clinical studies. Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, are hypothesized to contribute to its lasting therapeutic benefits. In this exploratory study, we present the first methylome-wide analysis...