Preliminary research shows the psychedelic psilocybin to be a promising potential treatment for psychiatric illnesses. Recent U.S. government legislation and policy indicate that access to psilocybin, which remains illegal on the federal level despite increasing efforts to decriminalize it at the state and local levels, will be expanded to enable further res...
The revival of psilocybin in psychopharmacological research heralds a potential paradigm shift for treating mood and anxiety disorders, and other psychiatric conditions beyond the psychotic spectrum. This critical review evaluates current evidence on psilocybin's efficacy, juxtaposing potential benefits with the practical aspects of psychedelic-assisted psyc...
BackgroundThe interest in psychedelics as a therapeutic intervention for existential distress of people with terminal illness grounds on their mechanism of action and effect on the spiritual/existential aspects accompanying end-of-life experiences.AimsThis systematic review and network meta-analysis aimed at examining the efficacy and safety of psychedelic c...
Although studies of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy are accumulating, there is no consensus regarding best practice of the psychotherapeutic component. In this systematic review, we summarised the quality of reporting on psychological interventions in research about psychedelic treatments. The design followed PRISMA guidelines and was preregistered in PRO...
Serotonergic psychedelics induce altered states of consciousness and have shown potential for treating a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression and addiction. Yet their modes of action are not fully understood. Here, we provide a novel, synergistic understanding of psychedelics arising from systematic reviews and meta-analyses of three h...
Therapeutic claims about many psychedelic drugs have not been evaluated in any studies of even modest rigor. The science of psychedelic drugs is strengthening, however, making it easier to differentiate some promising findings amid the hype that suffuses this research area. Ketamine has risks of adverse side effects (e.g., addiction and cystitis), but multip...
IntroductionThere is growing interest in the use of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) for major depressive disorder (MDD), including treatment-resistant depression. We used randomized controlled trial (RCT) data to compare summary estimates of change in depression ratings with PAT versus comparator treatments in MDD. We also compared response and remission ...
ImportanceA clear and comprehensive understanding of risks associated with psychedelic-assisted therapy is necessary as investigators extend its application to new populations and indications.ObjectiveTo assess adverse events (AEs) associated with classic psychedelics, particularly serious AEs (SAEs) and nonserious AEs (NSAEs) requiring medical or psychiatri...
Psychedelics are emerging as potential treatments for a range of mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression, treatment-resistant depression, and substance use disorders. Recent studies have also suggested that the psychedelic psilocybin may be able to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Since the 1960s, case studies have reported impro...
Psilocybin therapy has recently emerged as a promising new treatment for depression and other mental health disorders. This chapter summarizes the most recent data on its safety and efficacy. The delivery of psilocybin therapy and its subjective effects are also presented. Furthermore, this chapter outlines our current understanding of psilocybin's pharmacol...
BackgroundTreatment with so-called psychedelic drugs, including psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and others, is among the most promising recent developments in psychiatry. This review focuses on psilocybin, a substance found in all mushrooms of the genus Psilocybe, because the largest amount of available evidence relates to this drug.MethodsThis...
Purpose of reviewIn this narrative review, we discuss evidence for psilocybin- and LSD-assisted treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). We describe limitations of psychedelic research and posit methodological considerations when designing a trial in patients with both disorders.Recent findingsIn AUD, a growing evidence ba...
BackgroundPeripheral levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are often used as a biomarker for the rapid plasticity-promoting effects of ketamine, psychedelics, and other psychoplastogens in humans. However, studies analyzing peripheral BDNF after psychoplastogen exposure show mixed results. In this meta-analysis, we aimed to test whether the rapi...
BackgroundPersons with schizophrenia are excluded from psychedelic-assisted therapy due to concerns about the risk of triggering or worsening psychosis. However, there is limited meta-analytic data on the risk of psychedelic-induced psychosis in individuals with pre-existing psychotic disorders.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review, meta-analysis, and over...
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychiatric condition that develops following exposure to a traumatic event. Individuals with this condition experience numerous physiological and behavioral alterations, including intrusive memories, avoidance of trauma-related stimuli, heightened anxiety, hypervigilance, impaired cognition, elevated r...
BackgroundCannabis Use Disorder (CUD) is an increasingly prevalent disorder affecting millions of Americans each year. Psychedelic compounds have recently been investigated for their therapeutic potential in treating substance use disorders, yet no prior work has examined the relationship between naturalistic use of specific psychedelic compounds and rates o...
Purpose of the studyPsilocybin is a rapidly-emerging treatment for depression, yet its impact on sleep is not well understood. We sought to explore the literature on sleep and psilocybin use, and explore the topic using our own primary data.FindingsWhilst clinical trials demonstrate large depressive symptom improvements, the impact of psilocybin on sleep qua...
Recent advancements in the study of mushroom-derived tryptamines, particularly psilocybin and its metabolite psilocin, highlight their unique psychedelic properties and potential therapeutic applications, especially for mental health conditions like depression. This study examines how the position of the hydroxyl group on the indole ring affects the 5-HT2A r...
Psychedelic-assisted therapy is becoming increasingly acknowledged as an effective therapeutic intervention for various psychiatric illnesses. However, the evaluation of masking success is rarely reported in trials. The objective of the present systematic review was to evaluate placebo-control and masking in studies exploring psychedelic-assisted therapy. Ni...
As clinical trials for psychedelics move into phase III in the USA, Europe must address its lag in integrating professional education around psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) and supporting psychedelic drug research. This paper evaluates the necessary frameworks for implementing PAT in Germany, emphasizing the nation's potential leadership role within the E...
