This project will employ functional brain imaging to study the mechanism and immediate and long-term effects of psilocybin, a serotonin receptor 2A agonist, on cortical and cortico-subcortical brain networks in healthy adults. Psilocybin shows promise as a safe, transformational therapeutic across several psychiatric conditions. However, little is know about...
Adolescent depression is a significant public health concern, yet treatment options remain limited, particularly due to age- and sex-related differences in antidepressant efficacy. This study explored for the first time the potential antidepressant-like response of psilocybin in adolescence by examining acute, repeated and persistent effects in Sprague-Dawle...
Background: The treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) with available antidepressant drugs is characterized by considerable ineffectiveness. Classical psychedelics such as psilocybin and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which act primarily as 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A (5-HT2A ) receptor agonists, have shown preliminary efficacy for inducing long-term remissi...
A meta-analysis comprising 17 randomized trials has found that rates of control group improvement in depression studies were lower in psilocybin trials than in studies of esketamine or a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). The results suggest that psilocybin's overall efficacy in the treatment of depression might be overestimated.
Psilocybin increases social connectedness and has strong clinical transdiagnostic efficacy for mental illness, making it a candidate treatment to reduce maternal disconnect, anxiety, and blunted affect seen in peripartum mood disorders. However, the efficacy and safety of psilocybin in peripartum mood disorders has not been investigated. We used a social str...
BACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been a resurgence of scientific interest in psychedelics, including psilocybin, for their potential in treating neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the reward-related effects of psilocybin and its impact on behavior remain underexplored. AIMS: We aimed to evaluate the potential rewarding effects of high doses of psiloc...
BACKGROUND: Depression and burnout, which are common among healthcare workers, were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and psilocybin have been reported to reduce depressive symptoms, but the efficacy of the combination requires comparison to an active treatment control. We sought to evaluate the safety and prelim...
Background/Objectives: This study examines the development of clinical trials investigating psilocybin for the treatment of psychopathologies, with a comparative focus on the United States (US) and the European Union (EU). The objective is to identify regional differences in trial progression, research infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks. Methods: A mi...
Dementia is a progressive neurodegenerative disease which is characterised by cognitive decline, memory loss, and behavioural changes. Patients suffering from dementia often experience emotional distress, sadness and depression which also impacts the wellbeing of their caregivers. Recent research has explored the potential of psychedelics, such as psilocybin...
Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition for which there are few efficacious treatments. Psilocybin is being studied for use in treatment-resistant depression but has not yet been investigated in PTSD. Aims: The trial’s primary outcome was to investigate the safety and tolerability of single-dose psilocybin in participant...
Psychedelic Minimalism: The Case Against Music in Psychedelic Therapy SettingsIn response to: Kaelen et al. (2018), “The Hidden Therapist: Evidence for a Central Role ofMusic in Psychedelic Therapy.”Introduction: Reframing the Role of SettingIn recent years, renewed attention has been given to the centrality of set and setting inpsychedelic-assisted therapy....
Background: Cancer poses an existential threat for patients and caregivers. Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) has emerged as a potential tool to meet these existential needs, yet little is known about how patients describe this element of their cancer journey, and how it might be affected by PAT, especially in the group therapy context. Purpose: To explore h...
IMPORTANCE: Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy may offer a novel approach to treating depression, anxiety, and existential distress in individuals with life threatening illnesses, where current treatments show limited efficacy. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy versus active placebo and psychotherapy in adults...
Neurodegenerative diseases are marked by progressive neuronal loss, inflammation, and impaired plasticity. Although existing treatments provide limited protection for the brain or ability to slow disease progression, emerging research highlights the gut-brain axis and psychedelics as promising new areas for therapeutic development. The gut microbiome, a meta...
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...
Background: Although classic psychedelic trials show therapeutic potential, the limited diversity of participants raises concerns about generalizability and safety. Aims: This study assesses the representation of race, ethnicity, and sex in interventional clinical trials of psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) to evaluate disparities in participan...
Innovative therapies, such as psilocybin-assisted psychotherapies, hold great promises for treating anxiety, depression, and various other mental health disorders, addressing some of the challenges faced by conventional psychiatric medicine. This study focuses on developing and validating an HPLC-DAD methodology for detecting psilocybin and psilocin in extra...
Psilocybin, the naturally occurring psychedelic compound produced by hallucinogenic mushrooms, has received attention due to considerable clinical evidence for its therapeutic potential to treat various psychiatric and neurodegenerative indications. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain enigmatic, and few studies have explored its systemic impa...
Background/Objectives: Hallucinogenic substances such as psilocybin, psilocin, ergometrine, ergotamine, and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) have been demonstrated to enhance the force of contraction (FOC), in part due to the phosphorylation of phospholamban in human atrial preparations via 5-HT4 serotonin receptors and/or H2 histamine receptors. However, wh...
BACKGROUND: Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) is a promising treatment for various psychiatric disorders. However, the exact biological and psychological mechanisms of action of PAP remain to be determined. Examining predictors of PAP outcomes may help identify necessary processes for positive treatment outcomes. Mystical experiences are considered a k...
