Evidence suggests that psilocybin has therapeutic benefit for treating depression. However, there is little consensus regarding the mechanism by which psilocybin elicits antidepressant effects. This systematic review summarizes existing evidence. Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, psychINFO, and Web of Science were searched, for both human and animal studies, using a com...
BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence to support the use of the psychedelic drug psilocybin for difficult-to-treat depression. This paper compares the cost-effectiveness of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) with conventional medication, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and the combination of conventional medication and CBT. METHODS: A decision mode...
Classic psychedelics, lysergic acid diethylamide, psilocybin, mescaline and N,N-dimethyltryptamine, are potent psychoactive substances that have been studied for their physiological and psychological effects. However, our understanding of the potential interactions and outcomes of using these substances are used in combination with other psychoactive drugs i...
Psilocybin, a naturally occurring hallucinogenic component of magic mushrooms, has significant psychoactive effects in both humans and rodents. But the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Blood-oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a useful tool in many preclinical and clinical trials to investigate ps...
The primary objective of the RECAP Study Program is to investigate the role played by conscious experience in the antidepressant effects of the psychedelic agent psilocybin. This pilot dosing study (PILOT RECAP) is designed to determine the optimal dose of midazolam that allows a psychedelic experience to occur while inducing amnesia for the experience. This...
Psychedelic substances are under investigation in several drug development programs. Controlled clinical trials are providing evidence for safe and effective use of psychedelic therapies for treating mental health conditions. With the anticipated FDA approval of MDMA-assisted therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in 2023 and psilocybin therapy for depres...
This study is seeking to find the optimal microdose or low dose of psilocybin (magic mushrooms) that provides general enhancements to mood, memory, sleep, and other measures of general well-being without any hallucinogenic effects. Psilocybin is a natural psychoactive alkaloid component of more than 200 species of naturally growing mushrooms that can be foun...
Inflammation is an organism’s biological defense mechanism. Acute and chronic inflammation of the body triggers the production of pro- and anti-inflammatory pathways that can affect the content of cytokines in the brain and thus cause brain inflammation. Disorders such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are often associated with elevated ...
One in three adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) do not experience clinically significant improvement after multiple sequential courses of antidepressants and have treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The presence of TRD contributes to the morbidity and excess mortality associated with MDD and has been linked to significantly increased health care e...
Psychedelics were used in the treatment of psychiatric conditions prior to their prohibition in the late 1960s. In the past three decades, there is a revived research interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs with expected FDA approvals for treatment of various conditions. Given the exponential scientific growth of this field, we sought to c...
BackgroundPsilocybin is a serotonin type 2A (5-HT2A) receptor agonist and naturally occurring psychedelic. 5-HT2A receptor density is known to be associated with body mass index (BMI), however, the impact of this on psilocybin therapy has not been explored. While body weight-adjusted dosing is widely used, this imposes a practical and financial strain on the...
ImportanceAlthough classic psychedelic medications have shown promise in the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD), the efficacy of psilocybin remains unknown.ObjectiveTo evaluate whether 2 administrations of high-dose psilocybin improve the percentage of heavy drinking days in patients with AUD undergoing psychotherapy relative to outcomes observed with a...
In this study, Pseudospermaarenarium is proposed as a new species, based on morphological, ecological, molecular and biochemical evidence. The new species grows on sandy ground under Populus and Pinussylvestris in north-western China and northern Europe, respectively. It is characterised by the combination of the robust habit, nearly glabrous pileus, large c...
Psilocybin microdosing involves repeated self-administration of mushrooms containing psilocybin at doses small enough to not impact regular functioning. Microdose practices are diverse and include combining psilocybin with substances such as lion's mane mushrooms (Hericium erinaceus; HE) and niacin (vitamin-B3). Public uptake of microdosing has outpaced evid...
BackgroundCurrent first-line treatment for social anxiety disorder (SAD), one of the most prevalent anxiety disorders, is limited in its efficacy. Hence, novel treatment approaches are urgently needed. The current review suggests a combination of meditation-based interventions and the administration of a psychedelic as a future alternative treatment approach...
In recent years, psychedelic substances with serotonergic mechanisms have accumulated substantial evidence that they may provide therapeutic benefits for people suffering with psychiatric symptoms. Psychiatric disorders targeted by these psychedelic-assisted therapies are managed with serotonergic drugs like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) as...
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental illness with limited treatment options and a high treatment dropout rate. Psychedelics, often in combination with psychotherapy, are now under investigation as a potential treatment option for a variety of psychiatric conditions including PTSD. This paper reviews the proposed mechanism of action ...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical & ResearchFull AccessPsilocybin-Assisted Therapy Found to Improve Depression, Offer Other BenefitsRichard KarelRichard KarelSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:23 May 2022https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2022.06.6.30AbstractA small study involving 24 participants found that psi...
Effects of serotonin 2A/1A receptor stimulation by psilocybin on mood and emotion processing in major depressive disorder: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the world's greatest contributor to the global burden of disease and MDD affects around 17% of the Swiss population (Tomonaga et al. 2013). It i...
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), characterized by abnormally persistent and distressing memories, is a chronic debilitating condition in need of new treatment options. Current treatment guidelines recommend psychotherapy as first line management with only two drugs, sertraline and paroxetine, approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for trea...
