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Zeifman, R. J., Singhal, N., Breslow, L., & Weissman, C. R.. (2022). Correction: On the Relationship between Classic Psychedelics and Suicidality: A Systematic Review (ACS Pharmacology and Translational Science (2021) 4:2 (436-451) DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.1c00024). ACS Pharmacology and Translational Science
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.2c00014
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“Upon further review, we identified two suicidality-related events that were not described in the original manuscript. both of these events were deemed not attributable to the administration of a psychedelic by the authors of the primary outcome trials. one completed suicide was reported by griffiths et al. (2016) 11 days following the administration of a very low dose (placebo-like) of psilocybin (1 mg/70 kg psilocybin). importantly, this individual was not administered an ‘active’ dose of psilocybin during the course of the study.1 one suicide attempt was reported by anderson et al. (2020) approximately 2 months after the administration of an active dose of psilocybin (21−25.2 mg/70 kg).2 for further details, see the supporting information of the respective manuscripts. although these events are likely not attributable to psychedelic therapy itself, they point to the importance of closely attending to safety within psychedelic therapy and research.”
Rieser, N., Rossgoderer, C., Bitar, R., Halm, S., Vollenweider, F. X., Herdener, M., & Preller, K. H.. (2021). P.0622 Cue-reactivity task in patients with alcohol use disorder. European Neuropsychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.10.587
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“Background: half a billion people globally exhibit a harmful use of alcohol, resulting in 3 million deaths (5.3% of all deaths) in 2016 and 132.6 million disability adjusted life years (dalys) lost (5.1% of all dalys) [1]. even though, a wide range of medication has been approved for the treatment of alcohol use disorders (auds), their efficacy is limited [2]. craving is a prominent factor leading to chronic alcohol use and, therefore, it is essential to understand its underlying mechanisms. drug-related cues act as trigger for craving and enhance drug-seeking behaviour [3]. cue-reactivity tasks were developed to induce craving within an experimental setting and investigate its underlying neurobiological mechanisms [4]. neural reactivity to alcohol-related cues is an important factor for developing effective treatments for aud. therefore, we are assessing neural reactivity to an alcohol-related cue-reactivity task in patients with aud. method(s): this analysis is part of a larger phase ii clinical trial, assessing the efficacy of psilocybin for relapse prevention in aud and studying its underlying neurobiological mechanisms in a randomized, placebo-controlled, between-subject, double-blind design. the study is ongoing, and we analysed seven patients with aud after undergoing withdrawal treatment. the fmri cue-reactivity task includes positive, neutral, and alcohol-related pictures showing the patients’ favourite beverage and lasted for about 7 minutes. approximately half of the patients received psilocybin-supported therapy, the other half treatment as usual. we compared neural reactivity to alcohol-related pictures before. furthermore, self-rated craving was assessed and included in the analysis. this analysis examines the general therapy effect across both groups. therapy (pre and post) and group effects will be investigated after completion of the study. furthermore, subjective craving measures, assessed with the penn alcohol craving scale, alcohol abstinence self-efficacy and quality of life were included in the analysis. cue-reactivity fmri data were preprocessed and analysed using spm12. result(s): patients with aud showed increased reactivity in addiction-related brain areas such as parahippocampal gyrus (p<.001, fdr-corrected), basal ganglia (p<.001, fdr-corrected), medial frontal gyrus (p<.05, fdr-corrected), and right thalamus (p<.05, fdr-corrected) in response to alcohol-related compared to neutral pictures before treatment. comparing alcohol…”
Carranza-Acevedo, J.. (1973). Behavioral changes induced by the chronic administration of amphetamines.. Foreign Psychiatry
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“Randomly divided male cfw swiss strain mice into 4 groups of 10 ss each. dextroamphetamine was administered for 35 days to groups 1 and 2 in intraperitoneal doses of 5 and 8 mg/kg daily, respectively, and to group 3 orally in a daily dose of 1 mg/kg. group 4 acted as a control. abnormal behaviors observed in groups 1 and 2 consisted of social disorganization, self-inflicted lesions, hallucinatory behavior, cannibalism, and autism. group 3 demonstrated hyperactivity and cannibalism. it is suggested that the model of behavioral abnormality produced by dextroamphetamine is indistinguishable from paranoid schizophrenia in humans and will better serve in analyzing psychotic syndromes than the psychoses produced by lsd, mescaline, and psilocybin. (psycinfo database record (c) 2021 apa, all rights reserved)”
Erratum: A Spectrum of Selves Reinforced in Multilevel Coherence: A Contextual Behavioural Response to the Challenges of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Development (Front. Psychiatry, (2021), 12, (727572), 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.727572). (2021). Frontiers in Psychiatry
Plain numerical DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.832766
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“Due to a production error, the word ‘story’ was misspelled in the article. a correction has been made to all instances of ‘storey’ and ‘storeys’ in the article. they have been corrected to ‘story’ and ‘stories.’ due to a production error, reference citation (1) was incorrectly linked in the introduction, line 3 and line 5. the citation on line 3 has now been linked to the corresponding reference, while the citation on line 5 has been un-linked. the publisher apologizes for thesemistakes. the original version of this article has been updated.”
Halpern, J. H., Suzuki, J., Huertas, P. E., & Passie, T.. (2015). Hallucinogen Abuse and Dependence. In Encyclopedia of Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-36172-2_43
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“Hallucinogen abuse and dependence are known complications resulting from the illicit use of drugs in this category, such as lsd and psilocybin. users do not experience withdrawal symptoms, but the general criteria for substance abuse and dependence otherwise apply. dependence is estimated in approximately 2% of recent-onset users in the united states. acute hallucinogen intoxication may induce a plethora of physical and psychological effects that can become so overwhelming to the user as to result in seeking emergency psychiatric care. providing supportive psychotherapy usually proves effective, though sometimes the use of a sedative hypnotic for anxiety is indicated in addition. no randomized controlled trials have examined treatments of hallucinogen abuse or dependence, but standard treatments (motivational interviewing, relapse prevention, outpatient counseling, participation in self-help groups, family therapy) should still be offered. (psycinfo database record (c) 2021 apa, all rights reserved)”
Matzopoulos, R., Morlock, R., Morlock, A., Lerer, B., & Lerer, L.. (2022). Psychedelic Mushrooms in the USA: Knowledge, Patterns of Use, and Association With Health Outcomes. Frontiers in Psychiatry
Plain numerical DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.780696
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“Introduction: popular media coverage of psychedelics use, growing research into this class of compounds for psychiatry and decriminalization initiatives, are transforming the public perception of psychedelics. however, little is known about levels of knowledge and psychedelic mushroom (pm) use among american adults. methods: we examined pm use and various measures of health status, quality of life, and self-reported mental health outcome measures obtained through a national on-line, cross-sectional survey of adults with a demographic composition representative of the us adult population by region, gender, age, and race (weighted n = 251,297,495) from november 2020–march 2021. results: general mental health and well-being were popular reasons for pm use (63.6%), although use for medically-diagnosed (31.8%) and self-diagnosed (19.0%) conditions was also common. pm users reported more depression and anxiety as reflected in higher gad-7 and phq-9 scores. factors predictive of pm use included being male [or 1.54 95%ci 1.09–2.15] and having higher charlson comorbidity index scores [or 1.42; 95%ci 1.22–1.65]. self-reported pm use was less likely among participants with health insurance [or = 0.50 (0.35–0.72)], increased age [or = 0.92 (0.90–0.93)] and, relative to those living in the west us census region, living in the northeast [or = 0.27 (0.15–0.50)], midwest [or = 0.34 (0.20–0.56)], and south [or = 0.38 (0.26–0.55)]. discussion and conclusions: a significant number of americans are already ‘self-medicating’ with pm and as growing positive media coverage of psychedelics drives public interest in the health benefits of pm, this number will increase. the association between pm use and poor mental health requires further research to inform policy.”
Abdallah, C. G.. (2021). Brain Functional Connectivity Scans, Acquired Years Before the Pandemic, Predict COVID-19 Infections in Older Adults: Data From 3,662 Participants. MedRxiv
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“Background our behavioral traits, and subsequent actions, could affect the risk of exposure to the coronavirus disease of 2019 (covid-19). the current study aimed to determine whether unique brain endophenotypes predict the covid-19 infection risk.methods this research was conducted using the uk biobank resource. functional magnetic resonance imaging scans acquired before the covid-19 pandemic in a cohort of general population older adults (n=3,662) were used to compute the whole-brain functional connectomes. a network-informed machine learning approach was used to identify connectome and nodal fingerprints that predicted positive covid-19 status during the pandemic up to february 4th, 2021.results brain scans, acquired an average of 3 years before covid-19 testing, significantly predicted the infection results. the predictive models successfully identified 6 fingerprints that were associated with covid-19 positive, compared to negative status (all p values < 0.005). overall, lower integration across the brain modules and increased segregation, as reflected by internal within module connectivity, were associated with higher infection rates. more specifically, covid-19 infections were predicted by 1) reduced connectivity between the central executive and ventral salience, as well as between the dorsal salience and default mode networks; 2) increased internal connectivity within the default mode, ventral salience, subcortical and sensorimotor networks; and 3) increased connectivity between the ventral salience, subcortical and sensorimotor networks.conclusion individuals are at increased risk of covid-19 infections if their brain connectome is consistent with reduced connectivity in the top-down attention and executive networks, along with increased internal connectivity in the introspective and instinctive networks.competing interest statementdr. abdallah has served as a consultant, speaker and/or on advisory boards for genentech, janssen, psilocybin labs, lundbeck, guidepoint, and fsv7, and as editor of chronic stress for sage publications, inc. he also filed a patent for using mtorc1 inhibitors to augment the effects of antidepressants (aug 20, 2018).funding statementthis work was supported by the department of veterans affairs, the va national center for ptsd and the beth k and stuart yudofsky chair in the neuropsychiatry of military post traumatic stress syndrome. the funding sources have had no involvement in the study design, the analysis an…”
Oliveira, J., Paixão, V., Cardoso, G., Xavier, M., de Almeida, J. M. C., & Oliveira-Maia, A. J.. (2021). P.0120 Childhood adversities and the comorbidity between mood and general medical disorders in adults. European Neuropsychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.10.120
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“Background: there is evidence for high levels of comorbidity between mood disorders and general medical disorders, raising the hypotheses that shared risk factors and a common pathophysiological pathway may be at play. although childhood adversities have been linked to poor health outcomes in adults, including both mood and physical disorders, it is unknown if they are a risk factor for the co-occurrence of such disorders. aim(s): to determine if childhood adversities specifically increase the risk of comorbidity between mood and general medical disorders, rather than increasing the risk of either one independently. method(s): mood disorders (dsm-iv major depressive, dysthymic and bipolar disorders), childhood adversities and general medical disorders (heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, seasonal allergies and asthma) were assessed in 2060 adults in the world mental health survey portugal using the who composite international diagnostic interview (cidi). this community survey representative of the portuguese population is a cross-sectional study, following a multi-stage, clustered probability sampling design. the presence of childhood adversities (i.e., occurring before the age of 18) was evaluated based on retrospective self-reports including childhood maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect), interpersonal loss (parental death, parental divorce and other types of parental loss), parental maladjustment (mental illness, substance abuse, criminal behaviour and family violence) and economic adversity. discrete-time survival analyses were used to investigate the association between: (i) mood disorders and subsequent first-onset general medical disorders in adults; (ii) general medical disorders and subsequent first-onset mood disorders in adults. the influence of childhood adversities on the comorbidity between mood disorders and general medical disorders was tested using multinomial logistic regression analyses. the analyses were also performed in anxiety disorders as a psychiatric control. result(s): adult-onset mood disorders were found to precede the onset of diabetes (or: 1.8; 95% ci: 1.2-2.9), arthritis (or: 1.6; 95% ci: 1.1-2.3) and seasonal allergies (or: 1.6; 95%ci: 1.1-2.5) while hypertension in adults was found to precede the onset of mood disorders (or: 1.7; 95% ci: 1.2-2.6). among these disorders, childhood maladaptive family functioning, including abuse, neglect and parental maladjustment, was a risk factor for su…”
Altered Consciousness in the Twentieth Century. (2019). Altered Consciousness in the Twentieth Century
Plain numerical DOI: 10.4324/9780429061196
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“The twentieth century saw an unprecedented spike in the study of altered states of consciousness (ascs). new ascs, such as those associated with lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin mushrooms, were cultivated and studied, while older ascs were given new classifications: out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences, psychokinesis and extrasensory perception. this book analyses these different approaches and methodologies, and includes exciting new research into neglected areas. it investigates the representation of ascs in the culture of the twentieth century and examines the theoretical models that attempt to explain them. the international contributors critically examine a variety of ascs, including precognition, near-death experiences, telepathy, new age ‘channelling’, contact with aliens and unidentified flying objects (ufos), the use of alcohol and entheogens, analysing both the impact of ascs on the culture and how cultural and technological changes influenced ascs. the contributors are drawn from the fields of english and american literature, religious studies, western esotericism, film studies, sociology and history of art, and bring to bear on ascs their own disciplinary and conceptual perspectives, as well as a broader interdisciplinary knowledge of the subject. the collection represents a vital contribution to the growing body of work on both ascs and the wider academic engagement with millennialism, entheogens, occulture and the paranormal. (psycinfo database record (c) 2021 apa, all rights reserved)”
Almeida, S., Frasquilho, D., Cotovio, G., Viana, F., Sousa, B., Oliveira, J., … Oliveira-Maia, A.. (2021). 132P The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with early breast cancer. Annals of Oncology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2021.03.146
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“Background: direct impact of the covid-19 pandemic, in addition to the measures adopted to control its spread, may cause a significant emotional burden, especially in patients with cancer. this study aims to understand the psychological impact of covid-19 pandemic on patients with early breast cancer. method(s): the bounce study, assessing, among others, depression and anxiety symptoms, has a longitudinal design and includes early breast cancer patients across 3 european countries and israel. the study was ongoing when the covid-19 pandemic started in europe and data collection has continued, allowing for measurements of associations between symptom severity in three time points and covid-related parameters (crp) retrieved from a publicly available database (our world in data). descriptive statistics and series of multilevel mixed-effects linear regression models were performed to assess variation in individual level symptom severity as a function of country-level covid-19 pandemic parameters across time. result(s): among 724 participants included in the analyses, 307 were exposed to the pandemic. for depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and general psychological distress, we did not find statistically significant associations with weekly covid-19 incidence, weekly covid-19 death rate or weekly stringency level of government-imposed covid-19 containment measures. for depressive symptoms only, we found statistically significant negative interactions with time for covid-19 incidence (beta= -0.002, se=0.001, p=0.04) and containment measures (beta= -0.001, se=0.001, p=0.02), that we are currently exploring in further analyses. conclusion(s): in women with early breast cancer across 3 european countries and israel, country-wide crps did not seem to have a significant psychological impact, namely regarding to symptoms of depression and anxiety. given the continuing nature of the pandemic, we will continue the data collection, including more time points of assessment to evaluate possible lagged effects. legal entity responsible for the study: albino oliveira-maia. funding(s): this project has received funding from the european union’s horizon 2020 research and innovationprogramme under grant agreement no 777167. disclosure: f. cardoso: advisory/consultancy, the funder had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing, or in the decision to publish the results: amgen; advisory/consultancy, the funder…”
DiBerto, J. F., & Roth, B. L.. (2021). The cranial windows of perception. Neuron
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.07.017
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“Psilocybin has emerged as a potentially rapidly acting antidepressant with enduring actions. in this issue of neuron, shao et al. (2021) show that psilocybin quickly induces dendritic spine formation in cortical layer v pyramidal neurons. these results provide a potential cellular substrate for psilocybin’s therapeutic actions.”
Roscoe, J., & Lozy, O.. (2022). Can psilocybin be safely administered under medical supervision? A systematic review of adverse event reporting in clinical trials. Drug Science, Policy and Law
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1177/20503245221085222
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“This systematic review investigates whether clinical trials of psilocybin support criterion number three of the drug’s schedule i designation: there is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision. data were collected by using the pubmed database and conducting a search on november 24, 2021, with the search term psilocybin and applying the clinical trial filter. only primary reports on the sole administration of psilocybin by a medical professional were included for analysis, excluding trials wherein psilocybin was not administered, trials wherein psilocybin was exclusively co-administered with other drugs, articles that were not clinical trials, and articles that were repeat analyses of already included trials. 52 included publications were closely examined for reports of adverse events, drug tolerability, and drug safety. zero of these articles reported psilocybin to be unsafe, while 27 of the included trials suggested that psilocybin is safe to administer under proper medical supervision.”
Silveira, F. M., Mendes, A. P., Santos, M. R. dos, Cerchi, J. R., Umeda, I. T. T., Melo, B. B. de, … Abdalla, D. R.. (2021). Use of alternative therapy with Psilocybin in oncologic patients with depression and/or anxiety disorders – integrative review. Research, Society and Development
Plain numerical DOI: 10.33448/rsd-v10i10.19297
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“Cancer is not limited to the physical dimension, but it also affects the entire biopsychosocial context in which the patient is inserted, making him more susceptible to psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. these often require pharmacological intervention, and the use of psilocybin, a substance found in mushroom species, is one of the alternatives considered today. the present study aims to carry out an integrative review regarding the use of alternative therapies, in this case psilocybin, in cancer patients suffering from anxiety and / or depression disorders. the type of study carried out was an integrative literature review, which was based on a bibliographic survey of texts published between 2010 and 2021 on the pubmed platform. this survey took place between december 2020 and february 2021, with a review of three articles in total. studies show a potential new line of alternative treatment for anxiety and depression in cancer patients, the use of psilocybin. the treatment is done quickly, sustained and lasting, in conjunction with psychotherapy there is improvement in a single dose. all the studies analyzed so far have been shown to be effective for the treatment of anxiety and depression in cancer patients. with this, psilocybin can be an alternative therapy for those patients in psychological distress due to cancer, especially for those who did not obtain a satisfactory response with the use of conventional treatment, allowing that in the future the substance may become a definitive therapeutic modality for patients in psychological distress due to cancer.”
Sherwood, A. M., Kargbo, R. B., Kaylo, K. W., Cozzi, N. V., Meisenheimer, P., & Kaduk, J. A.. (2022). Psilocybin: Crystal structure solutions enable phase analysis of prior art and recently patented examples. Acta Crystallographica Section C: Structural Chemistry
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1107/S2053229621013164
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“Psilocybin {systematic name: 3-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]-1h-indol-4-yl dihydrogen phosphate} is a zwitterionic tryptamine natural product found in numerous species of fungi known for their psychoactive properties. following its structural elucidation and chemical synthesis in 1959, purified synthetic psilocybin has been evaluated in clinical trials and has shown promise in the treatment of various mental health disorders. in a recent process-scale crystallization investigation, three crystalline forms of psilocybin were repeatedly observed: hydrate a, polymorph a, and polymorph b. the crystal structure for hydrate a was solved previously by single-crystal x-ray diffraction. this article presents new crystal structure solutions for the two anhydrates, polymorphs a and b, based on rietveld refinement using laboratory and synchrotron x-ray diffraction data, and density functional theory (dft) calculations. utilizing the three solved structures, an investigation was conducted via rietveld method (rm) based quantitative phase analysis (qpa) to estimate the contribution of the three different forms in powder x-ray diffraction (pxrd) patterns provided by different sources of bulk psilocybin produced between 1963 and 2021. over the last 57 years, each of these samples quantitatively reflect one or more of the hydrate and anhydrate polymorphs. in addition to quantitatively evaluating the composition of each sample, this article evaluates correlations between the crystal forms present, corresponding process methods, sample age, and storage conditions. furthermore, revision is recommended on characterizations in recently granted patents that include descriptions of crystalline psilocybin inappropriately reported as a single-phase ‘isostructural variant.’ rietveld refinement demonstrated that the claimed material was composed of approximately 81% polymorph a and 19% polymorph b, both of which have been identified in historical samples. in this article, we show conclusively that all published data can be explained in terms of three well-defined forms of psilocybin and that no additional forms are needed to explain the diffraction patterns.”
Grob, C. S.. (2021). 6.3 CURRENT RESEARCH ON PSILOCYBIN TREATMENT ON END-OF-LIFE ANXIETY AND MDMA TREATMENT OF SOCIAL ANXIETY IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2021.07.053
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“Objectives: over the past 15 years, funding and implementation of research projects exploring the range of effects and therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs have notably increased. this presentation will examine the rationale, methodology, and findings of 2 recent areas of research attention, the use of a psilocybin treatment model for existential anxiety reactive to advanced cancer and the use of an mdma (3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine) treatment model for social anxiety in adults with autism spectrum disorder. methods: double-blind, placebo-controlled methodologies were utilized in both studies. the psilocybin study utilized a within-subject control design, with each subject administered 2 blinded treatment sessions, one with the experimental drug and the other with the placebo control. the mdma study randomized subjects into either the experimental drug group or the placebo group, administering 2 treatment sessions to all subjects. following the 6-month data-collection follow-up period, the blind was broken and 2 open-label mdma sessions were offered to each of the subjects who had been randomized to the placebo group. results: the psilocybin and mdma studies each established feasibility as well as effective safety parameters. with the psilocybin investigation, statistically significant reductions in anxiety were identified at various points over the 6-month follow-up period, along with a notable reduction in depression scores at the 6-month data point. the mdma study demonstrated a drug effect size of 1.4 for reduction of social anxiety. conclusions: both the psilocybin and mdma studies demonstrated trends toward therapeutic efficacy, with amelioration of identified target symptoms. each of these pilot investigations succeeded in obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals, requisite funding, and outcome measures consistent with therapeutic outcome. both studies support further clinical explorations of the treatment potential of these novel psychoactive compounds. ad, asd, ppc”
Trial of psilocybin does not show major difference from antidepressant. (2021). The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1002/pu.30751
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“A 6‐week study comparing the psychedelic psilocybin with the antidepressant escitalopram found no significant difference in antidepressant effects in patients with moderate to severe depression. some secondary outcome measures favored psilocybin, but those analyses were not adjusted for multiple comparisons. study results were published in the april 15, 2021 issue of the new england journal of medicine.”
Penedos, S., Ramos, C., Miguel, M., Alves, M., Paulino, L., Azevedo, A., … Gamito, A.. (2021). P.0729 Highlights of psychedelic history and current research on psilocybin application for treatment of depression – a comprehensive literature review. European Neuropsychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.10.797
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“Introduction: psychedelics have seen various labels: mystical sacrament aids, potential interrogation tools for the cold war, agents for social change in the hippie counter movement, a panacea for various mental disorders, and a tool to ‘hack’ of the psyche. this has led to their reputation as both societal threat and a psychopharmacological breakthrough. after the loss of data on over 1000 clinical papers spanning 40000 study subjects in the 60′s, a 40-year hiatus, and a few very determined researchers, new insights of increasingly quality have been emerging from research on the potential benefits of the use of psilocybin in depression. we aim to review available data on psilocybin for treating depression, providing a bird’s-eye view on the literature (historical and current), while reporting potential neurobiological, psychological and cognitive mechanisms involved, safety and methodological concerns (as well as recent advancements), emerging modalities of treatment, with a commentary on social and cultural movements occurring in parallel to the scientific endeavor to create regulated and scientifically approved treatments. methods: eligible studies will be identified through an electronic search of medline and clinicaltrials.gov from inception to the date of abstract submission. the search strategy will combine relevant standardized subject terms and text words for psychedelics, psilocybin, and depression, with relevant boolean operators implemented. only articles written in the english language will be included. reference lists from eligible studies will be cross-checked to identify potential additional studies. for data synthesis, results and outcomes will be explored narratively, along reporting and critical analysis of relevant statistical data. results: psilocybin emulates serotonin, with special affinity for the 5-ht2a receptor. neuroimaging studies suggest an attenuation of the default mode network and an overall increase in multiple brain area connectivity [1]. current treatment models involve previous psychological profiling and preparation, followed by one to two sessions where administration of 25 mg of psilocybin under supervision and support from the researcher, a physician, and a therapist, with post-treatment integration. since 2011, five clinical studies, evaluated psilocybin treatment efficacy on patients suffering from clinical depression [2,3,4]. limited by small samples, variability of setting, timeline, and methodology, they comb…”
Hesselgrave, N.. (2021). Psilocybin as a rapid acting antidepressant: Are hallucinations necessary?. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering
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“Major depressive disorder (mdd) is a leading cause of mental illness world-wide. economists estimate mdd to be one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. the cost is not just due to treatment, but comorbidities, lost work and suicide, too. however, treatments are available and range from psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy or more invasive treatments like electroconvulsive therapy or deep brain stimulation. for decades, the standard of pharmacotherapy care has been selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (ssris). yet, ssris are only effective in 60% of mdd patients and require weeks of treatment before reaching therapeutic efficacy. thus, a large proportion of individuals experiencing mdd endure symptoms for weeks without guaranteed relief.in 2000, low doses of ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic, was found to have rapid acting antidepressant effects. prior to this, electroconvulsive therapy was the only treatment known to induce rapid antidepressant effects. the use of ketamine as an antidepressant has been met with resistance since it is a known drug of abuse, has an addictive potential and psychotomimetic side effects.findings from recent human studies suggest a single oral administration of psilocybin has antidepressant effects within 7 days. however, the hallucinatory effects of psilocybin, like ketamine, severely limit its clinical use. currently, psilocybin is administered in a controlled environment with psychological support, which greatly increases the cost of care and patient burden. administration of ketanserin, a serotonin 2 receptor (5ht2r) antagonist, prior to psilocybin attenuates the psychedelic side effects. but whether ketanserin would also block the antidepressant effect is unknown.i sought to test the hypothesis that psilocybin has an antidepressant-like effect in rodents independent of the 5ht2r. to this end, i have demonstrated that psilocybin has a rapid antidepressant effect in anhedonic mice and increases synaptic strength in hippocampus following chronic stress. prior administration of ketanserin blocks neither psilocybin’s antidepressant-like effect nor the increase in synaptic strength. in vitro electrophysiology experiments failed to show acute effects of psilocin, possibly due to psilocin’s rapid oxidation. while the antidepressant mechanism of action of psilocybin remains unknown, my data suggest the 5ht2r may not be necessary for the antidepressant effects. (psycinfo database record (c) 2021 apa, all rights reserved)”
Podrebarac, S. K., O’Donnell, K. C., Mennenga, S. E., Owens, L. T., Malone, T. C., Duane, J. H., & Bogenschutz, M. P.. (2021). Spiritual experiences in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: Case reports of communion with the divine, the departed, and saints in research using psilocybin for the treatment of alcohol dependence.. Spirituality in Clinical Practice
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1037/scp0000242
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“Psychedelic substances have been central to religious and shamanic healing practices of various cultures for generations. more recently, in western medicine, psychedelic substances have demonstrated promise in the treatment of various mental health indications. a growing evidence base supports not only the therapeutic potential of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, but also the importance of integrating spiritual aspects of psychedelic experiences into the traditional therapeutic process. psilocybin, a classic psychedelic, is a serotonergic hallucinogen that can elicit profound spiritual experiences even in the research setting. our group is currently conducting a randomized controlled trial exploring the therapeutic potential of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol dependence. over the course of the trial, many individuals have reported experiences that take a variety of forms, including spiritual insights, beatific visions, and communion with the divine. here we present three case studies of experiences involving communion with a deceased loved one, with a holy figure, and with the divine from our clinical trial. these cases have been selected to illustrate the diverse nature of the spiritual experiences observed in this clinical trial, and to also explore elements of spiritual care that may be supportive in the psychotherapeutic process during and after the medication experiences. should psychedelic medicine continue to show treatment promise in clinical trial stages, there is a strong possibility that these medicines will become an integral part of psychotherapy, which will require integration of direct spiritual experiences and spiritual care into the healing process. (psycinfo database record (c) 2021 apa, all rights reserved)”
Benville, J., Agin-Liebes, G., Roberts, D. E., Lo, S., Ghazal, L., Franco-Corso, S. J., & Ross, S.. (2021). Effects of Psilocybin on Suicidal Ideation in Patients With Life-Threatening Cancer. Biological Psychiatry
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.02.591
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“Background: a cancer diagnosis is a known risk factor for suicidal ideation (si). our study sought to evaluate longitudinal changes in si and a more subtle manifestation, desire for hastened death (dhd), after psilocybin intervention in patients with cancer. method(s): this study entailed a secondary analysis of data collected in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover-design trial of psilocybin (0.3mg/kg) versus active placebo (niacin 250mg) in conjunction with psychotherapy in participants with cancer (n=29). of those who endorsed si at baseline (n = 11), roughly half were randomized to the psilocybin-first pf (n=6) versus niacin-first nf (n=5) groups. si was assessed by summing scores on the suicidality items on the beck depression inventory-ii and the brief symptom inventory. dhd was assessed by combining two items from the demoralization scale. result(s): after the first medication session, prior to crossover, the nf group exhibited no within-group change in si compared to baseline. however, the pf group showed significant within-group reduction in si from baseline to all three pre-crossover time points (p<0.001). post-crossover, at 6.5-month follow-up, both groups showed significant reductions in si compared to baseline (p<0.005). we found no between-group differences in dhd prior to the first medication session. however, the pf group endorsed significantly less dhd after the first medication session prior to crossover (p<0.01). post-crossover, the combined groups showed significant reductions in dhd compared to baseline at three time points (p<0.005). conclusion(s): our results support the hypothesis that a single dose of psilocybin may have rapid and persisting anti-suicidal properties in patients with cancer. supported by: this research was supported by grants from the heffter research institute, the riverstyx foundation, and the new york university-health and hospitals corporation (nyu-hhc) clinical and translational science institute (ctsi) (nyu ctsa grant ul1 tr000038 from the national center for advancing translational sciences, national institutes of health). funding for the trial was also provided by carey and claudia turnbull, william linton, robert barnhart, arthur altschul, kelly fitzsimmons, george goldsmith, and ekaterina malievskaia. the source research foundation funded the long-term follow-up study. keywords: psilocybin, suicide, cancer, anxiety, psychological distresscopyright © 2021”
Mason, N., Kuypers, K., Reckweg, J., Muller, F., & Ramaekers, J.. (2021). P.214 (Sub)acute effects of psilocybin on creative cognition: a double-blind, placebo-controlled experimental study. European Neuropsychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.01.043
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“Background: creative thinking is a ubiquitous form of cognition, allowing us to adapt to an ever changing environment. the creative process consists of two modes: divergent thinking (dt) which consists of generating novel and original ideas, and convergent thinking (ct), the subsequent evaluation of generated ideas in regards to their usefulness [1]. importantly, as well as being essential for everyday functioning, the (in)ability to ‘think outside of the box’ has been associated with disorders such as depression, with patients demonstrating rigid, inflexible thought patterns. thus finding a way to enhance creativity is of broad interest. since the mid-20th century, there has been a large number of anecdotal reports suggesting consumption of psychedelics enhances creativity [2]. however, no study has yet directly assessed the (sub)acute effect of a psychedelic on creative thinking in a controlled trial. therefore, the aim of this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was to assess the acute and persisting effect of the classic psychedelic, psilocybin, on dt and ct. method(s): 60 healthy participants were allocated to a treatment condition (0.17 mg/kg psilocybin or placebo), and completed creative thinking tasks at two time points (120 minutes and 7 days post-administration). the alternate uses test (aut) and the picture concept task (pct) were administered in accordance with previous studies [3,4]. as evidence suggests a distinction between deliberate (task-based) creative cognition and spontaneous (insight) creative cognition [5], subjective feelings of spontaneous creative thinking were also assessed. baseline change scores of the task outcome measures entered a mixed-model anova consisting of the between-subject factor treatment (psilocybin or placebo) and the within-subject factor time (acute and follow-up) and construct (dependent variables of the task). in case of a treatment*time*construct interaction, independent samples t-tests were conducted to assess group differences. mann-whitney u tests assessed treatment group differences in ratings of ‘insightfulness’, and a spearman’s correlation assessed the correlation between acute ratings of ‘insightfulness’ and long-term changes in dt or ct. result(s): administration of psilocybin was associated with acute decreases in task-based creative cognition, namely measures of ct (d=0.85) and dt on the pct (fluency, d=0.84; originality, d= 0.65), and on one measure of dt on the aut (fluency, d=0.80). conve…”
Douglass, H., Spriggs, M. J., Park, R. J., Read, T., Danby, J. L., De Magalhães, F. J. C., … Carhart-Harris, R. L.. (2021). P.0353 Study protocol: psilocybin as a treatment for anorexia nervosa: a pilot study. European Neuropsychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.10.335
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“Background: anorexia nervosa is a serious and life‐threatening eating disorder. it has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder, and fewer than half of those diagnosed reach full recovery. with the current absence of approved pharmacological treatments, there is a desperate need for novel treatment avenues to be explored. recent clinical trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of psilocybin‐assisted therapy in the treatment of depression [1,2], obsessive‐compulsive disorder [3], addiction, and end of life psychological distress [2]. additionally, a limited number of non‐clinical studies have reported positive outcomes following a psychedelic experience in those with eating disorders [4,5]. here we present an overview of the study protocol for a trial of psilocybin‐assisted psychotherapy for anorexia nervosa. the trial has ethical and medicines and healthcare products regulation agency (mhra) approval and is due to commence in 2021. additionally, we outline how public patient involvement (ppi) has enriched our trial design. methods: the aims of this within‐subject pilot study are: 1) to assess the feasibility and efficacy of treating anorexia nervosa with psilocybin, and 2) to use magnetic resonance imaging (mri) and electroencephalography (eeg) to examine the neuronal mechanisms underlying psilocybin treatment in this patient group. we will recruit 20 female participants (21‐65 years old, body mass index (bmi) ≥15kg/m2) who have had a primary diagnosis of anorexia nervosa for 3 years or more, and who have found past treatments ineffective. over a 6‐week period, each participant will receive three doses of psilocybin (up to 25 mg) in a therapeutic environment. the enveloping psychological preparation and integration sessions will draw upon both psychedelic and anorexia nervosa therapeutic approaches, including an emphasis on support person involvement. there will be an extended, remote, follow‐up period of 12 months. the two primary outcome measures for the study are: 1) the readiness and motivation questionnaire (rmq), and 2) the eating disorder examination (ede) and the eating disorder examination questionnaire (ede‐q). secondary outcome measures will include (but are not limited to) additional scales assessing eating disorder psychopathology, depressive and anxiety symptoms, psychological well‐being and self‐compassion. neurophysiological outcome measures will be: 1) functional (fmri) brain changes, including a change in task‐ba…”
Brennan, W. T.. (2021). A qualitative inquiry into ethical relationship and boundary-setting in underground psychedelic healing. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering
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“As both mdma- and psilocybin-assisted psychedelic psychotherapy near fda approval and gain acceptance as efficacious clinical approaches, concerns have been raised about their alleged proneness to therapist sexual abuse and other relational boundary transgressions. in the current study, 23 practitioners who have administered mdma and psilocybin to clients in underground healing contexts were interviewed about their experiences navigating multiple relationships, non-sexual touch, and maintaining sexual boundary-setting in their work. twelve of these practitioners have undergone formal, graduate-level training in psychotherapy. a phenomenological research design was used to assess what unique relational challenges they have faced in this work and what practices they have found helpful in doing so. two sets of themes addressing these two questions were developed from the data. descriptive themes represent the unique challenges that psychedelic practitioners have encountered in their work, and prescriptive themes are made up of the ‘best practices’ they have found most useful in confronting these challenges. some themes are unique to psychedelic work (e.g., client nudity, the use of touch, the belief that therapists must continue to have their own psychedelic experiences), while others represent a psychedelic-specific take on standard ethical considerations (e.g., transference, supervision, staying within one’s scope of competence). discussion of these results includes implications for the training of psychedelic psychotherapists and other regulatory decisions facing the field. (psycinfo database record (c) 2021 apa, all rights reserved)”
Ona, G.. (2020). Development and validation of a questionnaire to detect the risk of serious adverse reactions due to the use of psychedelic drug in therapy.. Elaboracion y Validacion de Un Cuestionario Para Deteccion Del Riesgo de Reacciones Adversas Graves Por Empleo de Drogas Psicodelicas En Terapia.
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“The use of psychedelic drugs for the treatment of some mental disorders is increasing. however, their use is associated to certain risks, being the most important the exacerbation of mental disorders, mainly psychosis or bipolar disorder. while both 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (mdma) and psilocybin are on the phase-iii of the process of drug commercialization, there are not enough screening strategies in order to ensure the safety of patients who will receive those treatments. this article presents the development and validation of a test that assesses the risk of developing psychotic or bipolar disorders using two samples of 156 and 510 participants. the graded response model from item response theory was used. the final version of the test, composed by 30 items, shows very satisfactory psychometric indices, allowing its use as a screening tool in experimental or clinical settings. (psycinfo database record (c) 2021 apa, all rights reserved)”
Khamsehzadeh, J.. (2020). Psychedelic (R)Evolution. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses
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“Psilocybin mushrooms may have played a role in the origin of humanity, and consciousness-expanding medicines may contribute to the future evolution of our species. neuroscientists from imperial college london recently discovered that psilocybin, found in over 200 species of mushrooms worldwide, stimulates neurogenesis, particularly in the hippocampus, a region of the brain involved in learning. aside from participating in the formation of new neurons, the variety of psychedelic states of consciousness psilocybin catalyzes dissolves the brain’s default mode network, which scientists call the ego state of consciousness. instead, a more hyperconnected brain state takes the place of the physiological configuration representative of our habitual state of consciousness. some neural pathways that are catalyzed by psilocybin stabilize, establishing lasting effects in the individual’s physiology and consciousness. these results are in agreement with the findings of a recent study on psilocybin conducted at johns hopkins university, in which doctors found long-term positive changes in the participants’ personalities. terence and dennis mckenna hypothesized that psilocybin mushrooms might have been the key ingredient that catalyzed the evolution of humanity. terence mckenna was an intellectual who was a spread cultural awareness of psilocybin mushrooms, and dennis is an ethno-pharmacologist who has received post-doctoral research fellowships from both the national institute of mental health and the department of neurology at the stanford university school of medicine. a mounting body of evidence over the last several decades appears to support their hypothesis. an example is that 9,000-year-old cave paintings, located relatively close to the region where humanity emerged in africa, arguably depict the shamanic use of mushrooms; this shows psilocybin mushroom evolved where early humans also evolved. currently, surveys intended to find the regularity of psychedelic use estimate that 1 in 10 americans use psychedelics, and rigorous experiments are finding that psychedelic treatments can enhance creativity and heal trauma. federal legalization of mdma is projected to occur in 2021, with legalization of psilocybin to follow shortly after. as psychedelic treatments enter mainstream culture through legal legitimacy, these medicines may influence our values, ecological awareness, creativity, and identities.”
Rucker, J., Jafari, H., Mantingh, T., Bird, C., Modlin, N. L., Knight, G., … Young, A.. (2021). Psilocybin-assisted therapy for the treatment of resistant major depressive disorder (PsiDeR): Protocol for a randomised, placebo-controlled feasibility trial. BMJ Open
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056091
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“Introduction psilocybin-assisted therapy may be a new treatment for major depressive disorder (mdd), with encouraging data from pilot trials. in this trial (short name: psider) we aimed to test the feasibility of a parallel-group, randomised, placebo-controlled design. the primary outcomes in this trial are measures of feasibility: recruitment rates, dropout rates and the variance of the primary outcome measure of depression. methods and analysis we are recruiting up to 60 participants at a single centre in london, uk who are unresponsive to, or intolerant of, at least two evidence-based treatments for mdd. participants are randomised to receive a single dosing session of 25 mg psilocybin or a placebo. all participants receive a package of psychological therapy. the primary outcome measure for depression is the montgomery asberg depression rating scale collected by blinded, independent raters. the primary endpoint is at 3 weeks, and the total follow-up is 6 weeks. with further informed consent, this study collects neuroimaging and omics data for mechanism and biomarker analyses and offers participants an open label extension consisting of a further, open label dose of 25 mg of psilocybin. ethics and dissemination all participants will be required to provide written informed consent. the trial has been authorised by the national research ethics committee (20-lo/0206), health research authority (252750) and medicine’s and healthcare products regulatory agency (cta 14523/0284/001-0001) in the uk. dissemination of results will occur via a peer-reviewed publication and other relevant media. trial registration numbers eudract2018-003573-97; nct04959253.”
Cotovio, G., Maia, A., Velosa, A., Seybert, C., & Oliveira-Maia, A. J.. (2021). Treating Major Depression Disorder with Psychedelics: A Potential Therapeutic Application for Psilocybin?. Revista Portuguesa de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental
Plain numerical DOI: 10.51338/rppsm.2021.v7.i3.241
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Boszormenyi, Z.. (1962). On the effect of some hallucinogen drugs in furthering psychotherapy.. Egyes Hallucinogen Anyagok Pszichoterapiat Elosegito Hatasarol.
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“Reports on comparative use of 3 hallucinogen drugs; diethyltryptamin, psilocybin, and lsd-25. det helped a great deal in breaking through autistic behavior patterns in psychotics, but did not seem to achieve a desired effect on neurotics. on the contrary, in many cases, it heightened anxiety and the hyperamnesia after the administration. psilocybin was seen to be excellent in breaking through contact difficulties and inhibitions. the psychic exploration of anxiety and compulsive neurotics was greatly enhanced by psilocybin. lsd-25 had the greatest vegetative reaction on the patients but helped to break the patient’s isolation, even in cases where the other 2 drugs were inaffective. notes that a great number of volunteers who came for the experiment, did this in order to receive indirect psychiatric help. (psycinfo database record (c) 2021 apa, all rights reserved)”
Borissova, A., & Rucker, J. J.. (2023). The development of psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression: an update. BJPsych Bulletin
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1192/bjb.2023.25
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“Psilocybin is a classic psychedelic drug that has attracted increasing research interest over the past 10 years as a possible treatment for mood, anxiety and related conditions. initial phase 2 clinical trials of psilocybin given alongside psychological support for major depression and treatment-resistant depression (trd) demonstrated encouraging signs of basic safety, further confirmed by a large study in groups of healthy volunteers. the first international multi-centre randomised controlled trial was published in 2022, with signs of efficacy for the 25 mg dose condition in people with trd when compared with an active placebo. phase 3 trials in trd are scheduled to start in 2023. early evidence suggests that single doses of psilocybin given with psychological support induce rapid improvement in depressive symptoms that endure for some weeks. we therefore provide a timely update to psychiatrists on what psilocybin therapy is, what it is not, and the current state of the evidence-base.”
Hodge, A. T., Sukpraprut-Braaten, S., & Strayhan, R. C.. (2022). The Efficacy of Psilocybin in the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis. Current Psychiatry Research and Reviews
Plain numerical DOI: 10.2174/2666082218666220513142002
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“Background: the use of psychedelic compounds to treat psychiatric disorders has become a very significant topic of research over the past several years. psilocybin has risen to prominence as one of the most studied among these psychedelic compounds. multiple trials have already shown that it can be a safe and efficacious treatment for various medical conditions. this study intends to perform a meta-analysis of data reported in clinical trials studying psilocybin’s effect on depression and anxiety. methods: articles were searched, screened, and ultimately selected using predetermined inclusion criteria. data was collected from commonly used psychometric tests that measured mood and anxiety symptoms. effect sizes were calculated by comparing scores in these tests at baseline and control to experimental groups. sub-group analysis was performed to assess psilocybin’s effect on depression and anxiety during short, medium, and long-term time frames. results: statistical significance was achieved in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms compared to controls in multiple subgroups. heterogeneity of the effect sizes was calculated using an i2 value which showed low to moderate values. multiple tools were used to assess publication bias, and none could be found. conclusion: although research on psilocybin continues to show promise, the evidence is still at a preliminary phase, and more trials need to be conducted with larger patient populations over longer periods for psilocybin to potentially be approved in a community setting. © 2023 bentham science publishers.”
Wang, K., Sun, Y., Nava, B., Sampiere, L., & Jacobs, R. J.. (2023). Predictors of Medical Students’ Perceptions of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Use in Medical Practice. Cureus
Plain numerical DOI: 10.7759/cureus.37450
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“Background psilocybin use, along with other psychedelics, has seen an increased interest among professionals in the medical community due to its potential therapeutic benefits for psychiatric disorders, substance use disorders (sud), and palliative care. while it is certain that more research is necessary as psychedelic -assisted therapy becomes more prevalent, it will most likely be future physicians at the forefront of this neoteric care. currently, physicians receive minimal training because of psilocybin’s contextual information and its current enlistment as a schedule 1 drug per the united states drug enforcement administration. schedule 1 drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. as a rule, formal education on psilocybin is not included in medical school curricula, and very little is known about how medical students perceive it. the aim of this study was thus to assess current medical students’ perceptions of their knowledge, concern for possible negative effects, and perceptions about medical psilocybin to provide a deeper understanding of which factors may predict their overall perceptions of its future therapeutic use. methods medical students’ knowledge, concern for potential adverse effects, and perceptions of medical psilocybin were investigated using a cross-sectional survey study design. data were collected in january 2023 from a convenience sample of united states medical students in years one to four of their program using a 41-item anonymous quantitative online survey. multivariate linear regression modeling was performed to determine if perceived knowledge and beliefs about legalization would predict medical students’ attitudes about psilocybin use for therapeutic purposes. results two hundred and thirteen medical students completed the survey. seventy-three percent (n=155) were osteopathic medical students (oms), and 27% (n=58) were allopathic medical students (mds). regression modeling produced a statistically significant equation: (f(3, 13) = 78.858, p < .001), with an r2 = 0.573 (adjusted r2 = 0.567), indicating that greater (perceived) knowledge about medical psilocybin, less concern for its possible adverse effects, and greater belief in the legalization of psilocybin for recreational use significantly contributed to positive perceptions of psilocybin use in medical practice. conclusions in this sample, medical students with greater self-assessment …”
Inouye, A., & Wolfgang, A.. (2022). Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-Assisted Therapy in Hawaii: A Brief Review. Cureus
Plain numerical DOI: 10.7759/cureus.26402
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“The food and drug administration (fda) granted breakthrough therapy status to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted therapy (mdma-at) in 2017 due to preliminary evidence supporting its efficacy and safety in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd). a series of six phase-ii clinical trials studying mdma-at for treatment-resistant ptsd found that 54% of mdma-at full-dose participants no longer met the diagnosis of ptsd after two mdma sessions, compared to 23% in the control group. in the first phase-iii clinical trial, 67% no longer met the criteria for ptsd after three sessions. the effects are durable, with 67% no longer diagnosable after one year and 74% at nearly four years. the mdma-at is being fast-tracked for potential fda approval by 2023. in 2021, hawaii’s senate bill 738 unsuccessfully proposed that psilocybin be removed from the schedule i controlled substances list due to its clinical efficacy for major depressive disorder. methylenedioxymethamphetamine is also a schedule i controlled substance and has proven to be a treatment option that could potentially benefit the people of hawaii.”
EUCTR2020-000829-55-DK. (2020). Can a single dose of psilocybin reduce alcohol intake in patients with alcohol use disorder?. Https://Trialsearch.Who.Int/Trial2.Aspx?TrialID=EUCTR2020-000829-55-DK
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“INTERVENTION: product name: psilocybin pharmaceutical form: capsule inn or proposed inn: psilocybine cas number: 520‐52‐5 concentration unit: mg milligram(s) concentration type: equal concentration number: 25‐ pharmaceutical form of the placebo: capsule route of administration of the placebo: oral use condition: alcohol use disorder ; meddra version: 21.1 level: llt classification code 10001594 term: alcohol dependence syndrome system organ class: 100000004873 ; meddra version: 21.1 level: llt classification code 10001590 term: alcohol addiction system organ class: 100000004873 therapeutic area: psychiatry and psychology [f] ‐ mental disorders [f03] primary outcome: main objective: the aim of this research project is to evaluate the effect of a single administration of the 5‐ht2a receptor agonist psilocybin on heavy drinking days from baseline to follow‐up after 12 weeks in patients with alcohol use disorder, in a randomized, double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled clinical trial. primary end point(s): 1. percentage of heavy drinking days during the last 28 days. a heavy drinking day is defined as a day with an excess intake of 60/48 grams (men/women) of alcohol per day. data will be registered via tlfb. secondary objective: in addition, we will establish pharmacokinetics of the active metabolite, psilocin. we will explore characteristics of the acute psychedelic experience in relation to treatment outcome as well as possible brain network changes affected by psilocybin by use of brain imaging techniques. timepoint(s) of evaluation of this end point: q1 2023 secondary outcome: secondary end point(s): 2. total alcohol consumption (gram/day) during the last 28 days. data will be registered via tlfb.; 3. percentage of days without any alcohol consumption during the last 28 days. data will be registered via tlfb.; 4. penn alcohol craving scale (pacs) score.; 5. alcohol use disorders identification test (audit) score.; 6. drug use disorders identification test (dudit) score.; 7. alcohol abstinence self‐efficacy (aase) score.; 8. major depression inventory (mdi) score.; 9. mindful attention awareness scale (maas) score.; 10. neo personality inventory score.; 11. acceptance and action questionnaire score.; 12. fagerström test for nicotine dependence (ftnd) score.; 13. phosphatidyl‐ethanol (peth).; 14. liver parameters gamma‐glutamyltransferase (ggt) and alanine aminotransferase (alat).; 15. brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf).; 16. markers of inflammation (tnf…”
Euctr, D. K.. (2020). Can a single dose of psilocybin reduce alcohol intake in patients with alcohol use disorder?. Https://Trialsearch.Who.Int/Trial2.Aspx?TrialID=EUCTR2020-000829-55-DK
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“INTERVENTION: product name: psilocybin pharmaceutical form: capsule inn or proposed inn: psilocybine cas number: 520‐52‐5 concentration unit: mg milligram(s) concentration type: equal concentration number: 25‐ pharmaceutical form of the placebo: capsule route of administration of the placebo: oral use condition: alcohol use disorder ; meddra version: 21.1 level: llt classification code 10001594 term: alcohol dependence syndrome system organ class: 100000004873 ; meddra version: 21.1 level: llt classification code 10001590 term: alcohol addiction system organ class: 100000004873 therapeutic area: psychiatry and psychology [f] ‐ mental disorders [f03] primary outcome: main objective: the aim of this research project is to evaluate the effect of a single administration of the 5‐ht2a receptor agonist psilocybin on heavy drinking days from baseline to follow‐up after 12 weeks in patients with alcohol use disorder, in a randomized, double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled clinical trial. primary end point(s): 1. percentage of heavy drinking days during the last 28 days. a heavy drinking day is defined as a day with an excess intake of 60/48 grams (men/women) of alcohol per day. data will be registered via tlfb. secondary objective: in addition, we will establish pharmacokinetics of the active metabolite, psilocin. we will explore characteristics of the acute psychedelic experience in relation to treatment outcome as well as possible brain network changes affected by psilocybin by use of brain imaging techniques. timepoint(s) of evaluation of this end point: q1 2023 secondary outcome: secondary end point(s): 2. total alcohol consumption (gram/day) during the last 28 days. data will be registered via tlfb.; 3. percentage of days without any alcohol consumption during the last 28 days. data will be registered via tlfb.; 4. penn alcohol craving scale (pacs) score.; 5. alcohol use disorders identification test (audit) score.; 6. drug use disorders identification test (dudit) score.; 7. alcohol abstinence self‐efficacy (aase) score.; 8. major depression inventory (mdi) score.; 9. mindful attention awareness scale (maas) score.; 10. neo personality inventory score.; 11. acceptance and action questionnaire score.; 12. fagerström test for nicotine dependence (ftnd) score.; 13. phosphatidyl‐ethanol (peth).; 14. liver parameters gamma‐glutamyltransferase (ggt) and alanine aminotransferase (alat).; 15. brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf).; 16. markers of inflammation (tnf…”
Ross, S., & Bossis, A. P.. (2023). Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy in Palliative Care. In Handbook of Psychiatry in Palliative Medicine 3rd edition
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1093/med/9780197583838.003.0042
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“For the person diagnosed with cancer or other life-threatening illnesses, the prospect of facing the end of life is often fraught with emotional distress and marked elevations in depression and anxiety, with prevalence rates as high as one-third or more, which are associated with poor outcomes such as increased mortality and up to four-fold increase in suicide. treatment of depressive and anxiety spectrum disorders in cancer by pharmacologic and psychosocial interventions is common, but effectiveness is limited and mixed. medications are prescribed for daily use over a period of months to years, and significant side effects adversely affect adherence. clinical response to antidepressants is slow, relapse rates are high, and meta-analyses of placebo-controlled trials of antidepressants for cancer elated depression found no clear superiority of antidepressants over placebo. this chapter reviews the rationale of researching and developing psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy as a novel pharmacologic-psychotherapeutic intervention to treat psychiatric and existential in palliative care. it discusses the history, anthropology, ethnobotany, neuropharmacology, safety, efficacy data from first and second waves of psychedelic research, putative mechanisms of action, and future directions. (psycinfo database record (c) 2023 apa, all rights reserved)”
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Witkin, J. M., Martin, A. E., Golani, L. K., Xu, N. Z., & Smith, J. L.. (2019). Rapid-acting antidepressants. In Advances in Pharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2019.03.002
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“Conventional antidepressants (biogenic amine mechanisms) are not fully efficacious (e.g., symptoms remain after treatment, not all patients respond), produce effects only after weeks of daily dosing, and do not impact all disease symptoms. in contrast, a new class of antidepressants has been emerging since 2006 that has demonstrated rapid onset, large effect size, activity after only a single or few dose applications, and positive impact in treatment refractory patients and against some treatment-resistant symptoms (e.g., anhedonia). rapid-acting antidepressant drug action has been demonstrated in controlled clinical studies for ketamine, a few other nmda receptor antagonists, and scopolamine. less clinical data are currently available for psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, and ayahuasca. the mechanisms of action of rapid-acting antidepressants are not fully understood. however, a general triggering mechanism appears to involve the potentiation of ampa receptor function. although the durability of antidepressant effects of ketamine and scopolamine is limited, psychedelic drugs have been reported to produce effects for many months. the primary impediment to generating a medicine of this type for depressed patients is side effects and the lack of methods to ensure enduring antidepressant effects. thus, further exploration of drug possibilities continues. esketamine ((s)-ketamine) was recently fda approved. compounds currently in clinical development include the nmda receptor antagonist (r)-ketamine, the nmda receptor modulator, glyx-13 (rapastinel), and the ampa receptor potentiator tak-653. additional pharmacological classes have produced effects in the preclinical laboratory to suggest their potential as rapid-acting agents. these include mglu2/3 receptor antagonists, ampa receptor potentiators, and negative allosteric modulators of gaba a (α5) receptors. in all cases, molecules exist that could be used to provide clinical proof of concept testing.”
Williams, M., & Warner, M.. (2019). The Psychedelic Renaissance. Australasian Science, 40(2), 16–18. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/2186072464?accountid=44394
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“Mental health statistics are sobering to read: 45% of australians will experience a serious mental health illness in their lifetime, suicide is the leading cause of death among young people in australia, and mental illness is predicted to become the leading cause of disability and disease worldwide by 2020. recently the us food and drug administration awarded psilocybin (a naturally occurring compound in numerous species of ‘magic mushrooms’) and mdma (commonly known as the recreational drug ‘ecstasy’) breakthrough status as therapies for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd), respectively. nonetheless, interest remained just below the surface throughout the 30-year moratorium, and a more sophisticated conversation about the use of psychedelic medicines began to evolve with the development of improved research techniques. since 2001, a significant number of randomised controlled trials (rcts) has profoundly changed the research landscape and paved the way for psychedelic psychotherapy. […]at imperial college london, an open-label trial ofpsilocybin-assisted therapy among 12 participants with treatment-resistant depression (https://bit.ly/2mc39ko) showed promising results, eliciting a significant improvement in eight of the participants (67%) a week after the psilocybin session.”
Webster, P.. (2019). Denver votes to decriminalise psilocybin mushrooms. The Lancet, 393(10185), 2023.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(19)31082-7
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Webb, M., Copes, H., & Hendricks, P. S.. (2019). Narrative identity, rationality, and microdosing classic psychedelics. International Journal of Drug Policy, 70, 33–39.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.04.013
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“Background: microdosing involves ingesting a small dose of a classic psychedelic (e.g., lsd and psilocybin) at regular intervals for prolonged periods. the practice is said to reduce anxiety, improve mood, and offer several creative and practical benefits to users. using the narrative identity theoretical framework, our aim was to explore the experiences of those who microdosed classic psychedelics. specifically, we sought to understand how and why they began microdosing and how they made sense of their actions in the context of their conventional lives. methods: to understand the experiences of those who microdose classic psychedelics, we rely on data collected from semi-structured interviews with 30 people who had microdosed. results: participants saw themselves as conventional citizens who microdosed for rational and instrumental purposes. they emphasized the rationality of microdosing by discussing (1) the practicality of their procurement and administration processes, (2) the connection between their microdosing practice and their general awareness in health and wellness, and (3) the benefits of the practice. conclusion: participants described their microdosing in the context of embracing traditional middle-class values. this created social distance between themselves and those who use drugs recreationally. while people who use drugs recreationally typically construct boundaries by distancing themselves from symbolic others (i.e., ‘crackheads,’ ‘meth heads,’ ‘junkies’), microdosers constructed boundaries by emphasizing connections to conventional citizens who embrace middle-class values. this connection to conventional citizens allows them to normalize their drug use and facilitates persistence.”
Varley, T., Carhart-Harris, R., Roseman, L., Menon, D. K., & Stamatakis, E.. (2019). Serotonergic Psychedelics LSD & Psilocybin Increase the Fractal Dimension of Cortical Brain Activity in Spatial and Temporal Domains. BioRxiv, 517847.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1101/517847
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“Psychedelic drugs, such as psilocybin and lsd, represent unique tools for researchers investigating the neural origins of consciousness. currently, the most compelling theories of how psychedelics exert their effects is by increasing the complexity of brain activity and moving the system towards a critical point between order and disorder, creating more dynamic and complex patterns of neural activity. while the concept of criticality is of central importance to this theory, few of the published studies on psychedelics investigate it directly, testing instead related measures such as algorithmic complexity or shannon entropy. we propose using the fractal dimension of functional activity in the brain as a measure of complexity since findings from physics suggest that as a system organizes towards criticality, it tends to take on a fractal structure. we tested two different measures of fractal dimension, one spatial and one temporal, using fmri data from volunteers under the influence of both lsd and psilocybin. the first was the fractal dimension of cortical functional connectivity networks and the second was the fractal dimension of bold time-series. we were able to show that both psychedelic drugs significantly increased the fractal dimension of functional connectivity networks, and that lsd significantly increased the fractal dimension of bold signals, with psilocybin showing a non-significant trend in the same direction. with both lsd and psilocybin, we were able to localize changes in the fractal dimension of bold signals to brain areas assigned to the dorsal-attentional network. these results show that psychedelic drugs increase the fractal character of activity in the brain and we see this as an indicator that the changes in consciousness triggered by psychedelics are associated with evolution towards a critical zone.”
Trope, A., Anderson, B. T., Hooker, A. R., Glick, G., Stauffer, C., & Woolley, J. D.. (2019). Psychedelic-Assisted Group Therapy: A Systematic Review. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2019.1593559
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“Contemporary research with classic psychedelic drugs (e.g., lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd) and psilocybin) is indebted to the twentieth-century researchers and clinicians who generated valuable clinical knowledge of these substances through experimentation. several recent reviews that highlight the contributions of this early literature have focused on psychedelic-assisted individual psychotherapy modalities. none have attempted to systematically identify and compile experimental studies of psychedelic-assisted group therapy. in therapeutic settings, psychedelics were often used to enhance group therapy for a variety of populations and clinical indications. we report on the results of a systematic review of the published literature in english and spanish on psychedelic-assisted group therapies. publications are characterized by their clinical approach, experimental method, and clinical outcomes. given the renewed interest in the clinical use of psychedelic medicines, this review aims to stimulate hypotheses to be tested in future research on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, group process, and interpersonal functioning.”
The Johns Hopkins University. (2019). Roland R. Griffiths, Ph.D.
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“Roland griffiths, ph.d., is professor in the departments of psychiatry and neurosciences at the johns hopkins university school of medicine. his principal research focus in both clinical and preclinical laboratories has been on the behavioral and subjective effects of mood-altering drugs. his research has been largely supported by grants from the national institute on health and he is author of over 360 journal articles and book chapters. he has been a consultant to the national institutes of health, and to numerous pharmaceutical companies in the development of new psychotropic drugs. he is also currently a member of the expert advisory panel on drug dependence for the world health organization. he has conducted extensive research with sedative-hypnotics, caffeine, and novel mood-altering drugs. in 1999 he initiated a research program at johns hopkins investigating the effects of the classic hallucinogen psilocybin that includes studies of psilocybin-occasioned mystical-type experiences in healthy volunteers, psilocybin-facilitated treatment of psychological distress in cancer patients, psilocybin-facilitated treatment of cigarette smoking cessation, psilocybin effects in beginning and long-term meditators, and psilocybin effects in religious leaders. the hopkins laboratory has also conducted a recent series of internet survey studies characterizing the effects hallucinogen-occasioned mystical experiences, challenging experiences, and effects on substance abuse.”
Stenbæk, D. S., Kristiansen, S., Burmester, D., Madsen, M. K., Frokjaer, V. G., Knudsen, G. M., & Fisher, P. M. D.. (2019). Trait Openness and serotonin 2A receptors in healthy volunteers: A positron emission tomography study. Human Brain Mapping, 40(7), 2117–2124.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24511
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“© 2019 wiley periodicals, inc. recent research found lasting increases in personality trait openness in healthy individuals and patients after administration of the serotonin 2a receptor (5-ht2ar) agonist psilocybin. however, no studies have investigated whether 5-ht2ar availability as imaged using positron emission tomography (pet) is associated with this trait. in 159 healthy individuals (53 females), the association between 5-ht2ar binding in neocortex imaged with [18f]altanserin or [11c]cimbi-36 pet and personality trait openness was investigated using linear regression models. in these models the influence of sex on the association was also investigated. trait openness was assessed with the neo personality inventory-revised. no significant associations between neocortical 5-ht2ar binding and trait openness were found for [18f]altanserin (p = 0.5) or [11c]cimbi-36 (p = 0.8). pooling the data in a combined model did not substantially change our results (p = 0.4). no significant interactions with sex were found (p > 0.35). our results indicate that differences in 5-ht2ar availability are not related to variations in trait openness in healthy individuals. although stimulation of the 5-ht2ar with compounds such as psilocybin may contribute to long-term changes in trait openness, there is no evidence in favor of an association between 5-ht2ar and trait openness.”
Stenbæk, D. S., Kristiansen, S., Burmester, D., Madsen, M. K., Frokjaer, V. G., Knudsen, G. M., & Fisher, P. M. D.. (2019). Trait Openness and serotonin 2A receptors in healthy volunteers: A positron emission tomography study. Human Brain Mapping, 40(7), 2117–2124.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24511
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“© 2019 wiley periodicals, inc. recent research found lasting increases in personality trait openness in healthy individuals and patients after administration of the serotonin 2a receptor (5-ht2ar) agonist psilocybin. however, no studies have investigated whether 5-ht2ar availability as imaged using positron emission tomography (pet) is associated with this trait. in 159 healthy individuals (53 females), the association between 5-ht2ar binding in neocortex imaged with [18f]altanserin or [11c]cimbi-36 pet and personality trait openness was investigated using linear regression models. in these models the influence of sex on the association was also investigated. trait openness was assessed with the neo personality inventory-revised. no significant associations between neocortical 5-ht2ar binding and trait openness were found for [18f]altanserin (p = 0.5) or [11c]cimbi-36 (p = 0.8). pooling the data in a combined model did not substantially change our results (p = 0.4). no significant interactions with sex were found (p > 0.35). our results indicate that differences in 5-ht2ar availability are not related to variations in trait openness in healthy individuals. although stimulation of the 5-ht2ar with compounds such as psilocybin may contribute to long-term changes in trait openness, there is no evidence in favor of an association between 5-ht2ar and trait openness.”
Solano, J., Anabalón, L., Figueroa, S., Lizama, C., Reyes, L. C., & Gangitano, D.. (2019). Psychedelic fungus (Psilocybe sp.) authentication in a case of illegal drug traffic: sporological, molecular analysis and identification of the psychoactive substance. Science and Justice, 59(1), 102–108.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2018.08.005
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“In nature, there are >200 species of fungi with hallucinogenic properties. these fungi are classified as psilocybe, gymnopilus, and panaeolus which contain active principles with hallucinogenic properties such as ibotenic acid, psilocybin, psilocin, or baeocystin. in chile, fungi seizures are mainly of mature specimens or spores. however, clandestine laboratories have been found that process fungus samples at the mycelium stage. in this transient stage of growth (mycelium), traditional taxonomic identification is not feasible, making it necessary to develop a new method of study. currently, dna analysis is the only reliable method that can be used as an identification tool for the purposes of supporting evidence, due to the high variability of dna between species. one way to identify the species of a distinctive dna fragment is to study pcr products analyzed by real time pcr and sequencing. one of the most popular sequencing methods of forensic interest at the generic and intra-generic levels in plants is internal transcribed spacer (its). with real time pcr it is possible to distinguish pcr products by differential analysis of their melting temperature ™ curves. this paper describes morphological, chemical, and genetic analysis of mycelia of psychedelic fungi collected from a clandestine laboratory. the fungus species were identified using scanning electron microscopy (sem), mass spectrometry, hrm analysis, and its sequencing. the sporological studies showed a generally smooth surface and oval shape, with maximum length 10.1 μm and width 6.4 μm. the alkaloid psilocyn was identified by mass spectrometry, while hrm analysis and its sequencing identified the species as psilocybe cubensis. a genetic match was confirmed between the hrm curves obtained from the mycelia (evidence) and biological tissue extracted from the fruiting bodies. mycelia recovered from the evidence and fruiting bodies (control) were genetically indistinguishable.”
Smigielski, L., Scheidegger, M., Kometer, M., & Vollenweider, F. X.. (2019). Psilocybin-assisted mindfulness training modulates self-consciousness and brain default mode network connectivity with lasting effects. NeuroImage, 196, 207–215.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.04.009
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“Both psychedelics and meditation exert profound modulatory effects on consciousness, perception and cognition, but their combined, possibly synergistic effects on neurobiology are unknown. accordingly, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with 38 participants following a single administration of the psychedelic psilocybin (315 μg/kg p.o.) during a 5-day mindfulness retreat. brain dynamics were quantified directly pre- and post-intervention by functional magnetic resonance imaging during the resting state and two meditation forms. the analysis of functional connectivity identified psilocybin-related and mental state–dependent alterations in self-referential processing regions of the default mode network (dmn). notably, decoupling of medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortices, which is thought to mediate sense of self, was associated with the subjective ego dissolution effect during the psilocybin-assisted mindfulness session. the extent of ego dissolution and brain connectivity predicted positive changes in psycho-social functioning of participants 4 months later. psilocybin, combined with meditation, facilitated neurodynamic modulations in self-referential networks, subserving the process of meditation by acting along the anterior–posterior dmn connection. the study highlights the link between altered self-experience and subsequent behavioral changes. understanding how interventions facilitate transformative experiences may open novel therapeutic perspectives. insights into the biology of discrete mental states foster our understanding of non-ordinary forms of human self-consciousness and their concomitant brain substrate.”
Scott, G., & Carhart-Harris, R. L.. (2019). Psychedelics as a treatment for disorders of consciousness. Neuroscience of Consciousness, 2019(1)
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1093/nc/niz003
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“Based on its ability to increase brain complexity, a seemingly reliable index of conscious level, we propose testing the capacity of the classic psychedelic, psilocybin, to increase conscious awareness in patients with disorders of consciousness. we also confront the considerable ethical and practical challenges this proposal must address, if this hypothesis is to be directly assessed.”
Sakloth, F., Leggett, E., Moerke, M. J., Townsend, E. A., Banks, M. L., & Negus, S. S.. (2019). Effects of Acute and Repeated Treatment With Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptor Agonist Hallucinogens on Intracranial Self-Stimulation in Rats. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1037/pha0000253
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“The prototype 5-ht2a receptor agonist hallucinogens lsd, mescaline, and psilocybin are classified as schedule 1 drugs of abuse by the u.s. drug enforcement administration. accumulating clinical evidence has also suggested that acute or repeated ‘microdosing’ with these drugs may have utility for treatment of some mental health disorders, including drug abuse and depression. the goal of the present study was to evaluate lsd, mescaline, and psilocybin effects on intracranial self-stimulation (icss), a procedure that has been used to evaluate abuse-related effects of other classes of abused drugs. effects of repeated lsd were also examined to evaluate potential changes in its own effects on icss or changes in effects produced by the abused psychostimulant methamphetamine or the prodepressant kappa opioid receptor (kor) agonist u69,593. male sprague-dawley rats were implanted with microelectrodes targeting the medial forebrain bundle and trained to respond under a ‘frequency-rate’ icss procedure, in which many drugs of abuse increase (or ‘facilitate’) icss. in acute dose-effect and time-course studies, evidence for abuse-related icss facilitation was weak and inconsistent; the predominant effect of all 3 drugs was dose- and time-dependent icss depression. repeated lsd treatment failed to alter either its own icss depressant effects or the abuse-related effects of methamphetamine; however, repeated lsd did attenuate icss depression by u69,593. these results extend those of previous preclinical studies to suggest weak expression of abuse-related effects by 5-ht2a agonist hallucinogens and provide supportive evidence for therapeutic effects of repeated lsd dosing to attenuate kor-mediated depressant effects but not abuse potential of psychostimulants. (psycinfo database record (c) 2019 apa, all rights reserved).”
Sakloth, F., Leggett, E., Moerke, M. J., Townsend, E. A., Banks, M. L., & Negus, S. S.. (2019). Effects of Acute and Repeated Treatment With Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptor Agonist Hallucinogens on Intracranial Self-Stimulation in Rats. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1037/pha0000253
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“The prototype 5-ht2a receptor agonist hallucinogens lsd, mescaline, and psilocybin are classified as schedule 1 drugs of abuse by the u.s. drug enforcement administration. accumulating clinical evidence has also suggested that acute or repeated ‘microdosing’ with these drugs may have utility for treatment of some mental health disorders, including drug abuse and depression. the goal of the present study was to evaluate lsd, mescaline, and psilocybin effects on intracranial self-stimulation (icss), a procedure that has been used to evaluate abuse-related effects of other classes of abused drugs. effects of repeated lsd were also examined to evaluate potential changes in its own effects on icss or changes in effects produced by the abused psychostimulant methamphetamine or the prodepressant kappa opioid receptor (kor) agonist u69,593. male sprague-dawley rats were implanted with microelectrodes targeting the medial forebrain bundle and trained to respond under a ‘frequency-rate’ icss procedure, in which many drugs of abuse increase (or ‘facilitate’) icss. in acute dose-effect and time-course studies, evidence for abuse-related icss facilitation was weak and inconsistent; the predominant effect of all 3 drugs was dose- and time-dependent icss depression. repeated lsd treatment failed to alter either its own icss depressant effects or the abuse-related effects of methamphetamine; however, repeated lsd did attenuate icss depression by u69,593. these results extend those of previous preclinical studies to suggest weak expression of abuse-related effects by 5-ht2a agonist hallucinogens and provide supportive evidence for therapeutic effects of repeated lsd dosing to attenuate kor-mediated depressant effects but not abuse potential of psychostimulants. (psycinfo database record (c) 2019 apa, all rights reserved).”
Russ, S. L., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Maruyama, G., & Elliott, M. S.. (2019). States and traits related to the quality and consequences of psychedelic experiences. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory Research, and Practice, 6(1), 1–21.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1037/cns0000169
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“Many individuals experience significant positive psychological change after ingesting psychedelic agents such as psilocybin, lsd, and ayahuasca, but some do not. such changes appear to be mediated by definable and measurable mystical experiences (mes) during the psychedelic session, which have been shown in previous research (e.g., griffiths, richards, mccann, & jesse, 2006) to be related to long-term positive personal change. individual responses to psychedelic agents are characteristically difficult to predict, however, necessitating improved identification of predictors to (a) reduce the possibility of significant challenging experiences and sequelae and (b) increase the possibility of mes and long-term beneficial outcomes. our study utilized crowdsourced retrospective survey data from 143 amazon mechanical turk participants who self-administered psilocybin in the past year to identify factors related to mes and/or challenging experiences. the best performing regression model explained 66% of the variance in me scores on the 30-item mystical experience questionnaire (maclean, leoutsakos, johnson, & griffiths, 2012) and 56% of the variance in scores on the dread subscale of the sacred emotions scale (burdzy, 2014). a state of surrender at the start of the psilocybin session most strongly explained mes, and a state of preoccupation most strongly explained challenging experiences. the trait absorption was a strong secondary predictor in both models, along with smaller predictors. additionally, the occurrence of mes during the psilocybin session explained long-term positive change. based on these findings, the presented models appear to provide a powerful framework for explaining the immediate quality and long-term consequences of psychedelic experiences. limitations as well as implications for therapeutic applications are discussed. (psycinfo database record (c) 2018 apa, all rights reserved)”
Rocha, J. M., Osório, F. L., Crippa, J. A. S., Bouso, J. C., Rossi, G. N., Hallak, J. E. C., & dos Santos, R. G.. (2019). Serotonergic hallucinogens and recognition of facial emotion expressions: a systematic review of the literature. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, 9, 204512531984577.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1177/2045125319845774
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“Background recognition of emotions in facial expressions (refe) is a key aspect of social cognition. anxiety and mood disorders are associated with deficits in refe, and anxiolytics and antidepressants reverse these deficits. recent studies have shown that serotonergic hallucinogens (i.e. ayahuasca, dimethyltryptamine, psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide [lsd], and mescaline) have anxiolytic and antidepressant properties, but their effects on refe are not well understood. the purpose of the study was to conduct a systematic review analyzing the effects of serotonergic hallucinogens on refe in humans. methods studies published in the pubmed, psycinfo, and web of science databases until 19 october 2018 which analyzed the effects of serotonergic hallucinogens on refe in humans were included. results of the 62 studies identified, 8 studies were included. included studies involved the administration of a single or a few doses of lsd or psilocybin, and most trials were randomized and controlled with placebo. lsd and psilocybin reduced the recognition of negative emotions in most studies and modulated amygdala activity to these stimuli, which was correlated with antidepressive effects in patients. both drugs were well tolerated. conclusions serotonergic hallucinogens reduced the recognition of negative emotions by modulating amygdala activity. despite the small sample sizes, results suggest that serotonergic hallucinogens show promising beneficial effects on deficits in refe.”
Rácz, N., Nagy, J., Jiang, W., & Veress, T.. (2019). Modeling Retention Behavior on Analysis of Hallucinogenic Mushrooms Using Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography. Journal of Chromatographic Science, 57(3), 230–237.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1093/chromsci/bmy104
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“The goal of this work was to investigate and compare the selectivity of three different hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (hilic) charge modulated amide columns, ihilic(r)-fusion, ihilic(r)-fusion(+) and ihilic(r)-fusion(p), for analysis of compounds in hallucinogen mushrooms. an extract of a truffle-like fungus containing psilocin, psilocybin and baeocystin was chosen as test material. three different modeling methods were applied to describe the retention times of constituents in isocratic separation mode as a function of mobile phase composition, ph and temperature. two models using drylab(r) 2010 assumed quadratic and exponential relationship between the retention time and solvent fraction of aqueous component of the mobile phase, respectively. these models also illustrate the van’t hoff like equation to describe the temperature-dependence of the retention factor and the theory of snyder et al. to estimate the retention factor as a function of ph of the aqueous mobile phase component. the third model using statistica(r) multivariate data analysis in a predefined experimental space was able to predict the retention times. all hilic columns in this comparison were proved to be suitable for separation of the two hallucinogenic alkaloids from each other and from the matrix components. majority of compounds were separated with satisfactory resolutions required by the comparative analysis despite some of them were not fully baseline separated. it was found the best modeling was obtained by using the quadratic approach to predict chromatograms for predefined chromatographic conditions (volumetric ratio of acetonitrile to buffer, ph of the buffer and temperature), while the exponential model proved to be the worst for prediction. the modeling with multivariate data analysis fell between the other two methods.”
Ording, P.. (2019). Psychedelic. In 99 Variations on a Proof (pp. 229–230)
Plain numerical DOI: 10.2307/j.ctvc77m52.101
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“Psychedelics (serotonergic hallucino- gens) are powerful psychoactive substances that alter perception and mood and affect numerous cognitive processes. they are generally considered physiologi- cally safe and do not lead to dependence or addiction. their origin predates written history, and they were employed by early cultures in many sociocultural and ritual contexts. after the virtually contemporaneous discovery of (5r,8r)-(+)-lysergic acid-n,n-diethylamide (lsd)-25 and the identification of serotonin in the brain, early research focused intensively on the possibility that lsd and other psychedelics had a serotonergic basis for their action. today there is a consensus that psychedelics are agonists or partial agonists at brain serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine 2a receptors, with particular importance on those expressed on apical dendrites of neocortical pyramidal cells in layer v. several useful rodent models have been developed over the years to help unravel the neurochemical correlates of serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine 2a receptor activation in the brain, and a variety of imaging techniques have been employed to identify key brain areas that are directly affected by psychedelics. recent and exciting developments in the field have occurred in clinical research, where several double-blind placebo-controlled phase 2 studies of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in patients with cancer-related psychosocial distress have demonstrated unprecedented positive relief of anxiety and depression. two small pilot studies of psilocybin- assisted psychotherapy also have shown positive benefit in treating both alcohol and nicotine addiction. recently, blood oxygen level–dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging and magnetoencephalography have been employed for in vivo brain imaging in humans after administration of a psychedelic, and results indicate that intravenously administered psilocybin and lsd produce decreases in oscillatory power in areas of the brain’s default mode network.”
Morita, I., Oyama, H., Tanaka, R., Kikura-Hanajiri, R., & Kobayashi, N.. (2019). Generation of monoclonal antibodies for on-site analysis of psilocin and psilocybin in hallucinogenic mushrooms. Clinica Chimica Acta, 493, S62–S63.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2019.03.139
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Mason, N. L., Mischler, E., Uthaug, M. V., & Kuypers, K. P. C.. (2019). Sub-Acute Effects of Psilocybin on Empathy, Creative Thinking, and Subjective Well-Being. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2019.1580804
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“Creative thinking and empathy are crucial for everyday interactions and subjective well-being. this is emphasized by studies showing a reduction in these skills in populations where social interaction and subjective well-being are significantly compromised (e.g., depression). anecdotal reports and recent studies suggest that a single administration of psilocybin can enhance such processes and could therefore be a potential treatment. however, it has yet to be assessed whether effects outlast acute intoxication. the present study aimed to assess the sub-acute effects of psilocybin on creative thinking, empathy, and well-being. participants attending a psilocybin retreat completed tests of creative (convergent and divergent) thinking and empathy, and the satisfaction with life scale on three occasions: before ingesting psilocybin (n = 55), the morning after (n = 50), and seven days after (n = 22). results indicated that psilocybin enhanced divergent thinking and emotional empathy the morning after use. enhancements in convergent thinking, valence-specific emotional empathy, and well-being persisted seven days after use. sub-acute changes in empathy correlated with changes in well-being. the study demonstrates that a single administration of psilocybin in a social setting may be associated with sub-acute enhancement of creative thinking, empathy, and subjective well-being. future research should test whether these effects contribute to the therapeutic effects in clinical populations. article history”
Madsen, M. K., Fisher, P. M., Burmester, D., Dyssegaard, A., Stenbæk, D. S., Kristiansen, S., … Knudsen, G. M.. (2019). Psychedelic effects of psilocybin correlate with serotonin 2A receptor occupancy and plasma psilocin levels. Neuropsychopharmacology, 44(7), 1328–1334.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0324-9
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“The main psychedelic component of magic mushrooms is psilocybin, which shows promise as a treatment for depression and other mental disorders. psychedelic effects are believed to emerge through stimulation of serotonin 2a receptors (5-ht2ars) by psilocybin’s active metabolite, psilocin. we here report for the first time the relationship between intensity of psychedelic effects, cerebral 5-ht2ar occupancy and plasma levels of psilocin in humans. eight healthy volunteers underwent positron emission tomography (pet) scans with the 5-ht2ar agonist radioligand [11c]cimbi-36: one at baseline and one or two additional scans on the same day after a single oral intake of psilocybin (3–30 mg). 5-ht2ar occupancy was calculated as the percent change in cerebral 5-ht2ar binding relative to baseline. subjective psychedelic intensity and plasma psilocin levels were measured during the scans. relations between subjective intensity, 5-ht2ar occupancy, and plasma psilocin levels were modeled using non-linear regression. psilocybin intake resulted in dose-related 5-ht2ar occupancies up to 72%; plasma psilocin levels and 5-ht2ar occupancy conformed to a single-site binding model. subjective intensity was correlated with both 5-ht2ar occupancy and psilocin levels as well as questionnaire scores. we report for the first time that intake of psilocybin leads to significant 5-ht2ar occupancy in the human brain, and that both psilocin plasma levels and 5-ht2ar occupancy are closely associated with subjective intensity ratings, strongly supporting that stimulation of 5-ht2ar is a key determinant for the psychedelic experience. important for clinical studies, psilocin time-concentration curves varied but psilocin levels were closely associated with psychedelic experience.”
Madsen, M. K., Fisher, P. M., Burmester, D., Dyssegaard, A., Stenbæk, D. S., Kristiansen, S., … Knudsen, G. M.. (2019). Psychedelic effects of psilocybin correlate with serotonin 2A receptor occupancy and plasma psilocin levels. Neuropsychopharmacology, 44(7), 1328–1334.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0324-9
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“The main psychedelic component of magic mushrooms is psilocybin, which shows promise as a treatment for depression and other mental disorders. psychedelic effects are believed to emerge through stimulation of serotonin 2a receptors (5-ht2ars) by psilocybin’s active metabolite, psilocin. we here report for the first time the relationship between intensity of psychedelic effects, cerebral 5-ht2ar occupancy and plasma levels of psilocin in humans. eight healthy volunteers underwent positron emission tomography (pet) scans with the 5-ht2ar agonist radioligand [11c]cimbi-36: one at baseline and one or two additional scans on the same day after a single oral intake of psilocybin (3–30 mg). 5-ht2ar occupancy was calculated as the percent change in cerebral 5-ht2ar binding relative to baseline. subjective psychedelic intensity and plasma psilocin levels were measured during the scans. relations between subjective intensity, 5-ht2ar occupancy, and plasma psilocin levels were modeled using non-linear regression. psilocybin intake resulted in dose-related 5-ht2ar occupancies up to 72%; plasma psilocin levels and 5-ht2ar occupancy conformed to a single-site binding model. subjective intensity was correlated with both 5-ht2ar occupancy and psilocin levels as well as questionnaire scores. we report for the first time that intake of psilocybin leads to significant 5-ht2ar occupancy in the human brain, and that both psilocin plasma levels and 5-ht2ar occupancy are closely associated with subjective intensity ratings, strongly supporting that stimulation of 5-ht2ar is a key determinant for the psychedelic experience. important for clinical studies, psilocin time-concentration curves varied but psilocin levels were closely associated with psychedelic experience.”
Madsen, M. K., Burmester, D., Stenbæk, D. S., Kristiansen, S., Dyssegaard, A., Lehel, S., … Knudsen, G. M.. (2019). Psilocybin occupancy of brain serotonin 2A receptors correlates with psilocin levels and subjective experience: a [11C]Cimbi-36 PET study in humans. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 29, S304–S305.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.11.474
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“Psilocybin is a serotonergic psychedelic and recent clinical trials suggest that 1-2 doses in a supportive environment has long-lasting antidepressive and anxiolytic effects [1,2]. although psilocybin binds to several targets, it is stimulatory effects on brain serotonin 2a receptors (5-ht2ar) that are central to its perceptual effects [3]. however, 5-ht2ar occupancy in the living human brain and its association with psilocybin’s active metabolite, psilocin, is unknown. here we modelled the relationship between plasma psilocin levels and brain 5-ht2ar occupancy using [11c] cimbi-36, a positron emission tomography (pet) 5-ht2ar agonist radiotracer. further, we explored the association between self-reported intensity and occupancy and psilocin levels. five participants (one female, mean age±s.d.: 30.9±1.6 years) were included. participants were healthy and without substance abuse. participants underwent one baseline and two post-intervention high-resolution dynamic 120-min [11c]cimbi-36 pet scans (mean radioactivity± s.d.: 502.5±116.1 mbq). in the morning on the intervention day, psilocybin capsules at a total dose between 3 and 18 mg were administered. after approximately one and five hours, pet scans were undertaken in order to assess occupancy at high and low plasma drug levels. venous blood samples were acquired every 20 minutes during imaging to determine plasma psilocin levels using ultra performance liquid chromatography ms-ms. we extracted pet time-activity curves from neocortex (region of interest) and cerebellum (reference region) to quantify non-displaceable binding potential (bpnd) using the simplified reference tissue model. neocortical 5-ht2ar occupancy was calculated as the percent change in bpnd after psilocybin administration [4]. subjective intensity of psilocybin was indexed every 20 minutes after administration and during pet scans using a 0-10 likert scale (0 = not intense at all, 10 = very intense). neocortical 5-ht2ar occupancy and psilocin area under curve (auc) were modeled using non-linear regression that assumes single-site binding (occupancy = b/bmax = occupancymax*psilocinfree-auc/(kdauc + psilocinfree-auc)). occupancy and mean subjective intensity ratings were modeled using a linear mixed effects model to account for repeated within-subject observations. all doses of psilocybin induced measurable neocortical 5-ht2ar occupancy during the first intervention scan, and occupancies were dose-related: 43% (3 mg), 56% (9 mg), 66% (1…”
Madsen, M. K., Burmester, D., Stenbæk, D. S., Kristiansen, S., Dyssegaard, A., Lehel, S., … Knudsen, G. M.. (2019). Psilocybin occupancy of brain serotonin 2A receptors correlates with psilocin levels and subjective experience: a [11C]Cimbi-36 PET study in humans. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 29, S304–S305.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.11.474
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Lord, L.-D., Expert, P., Atasoy, S., Roseman, L., Rapuano, K., Lambiotte, R., … Cabral, J.. (2019). Dynamical exploration of the repertoire of brain networks at rest is modulated by psilocybin. NeuroImage
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/J.NEUROIMAGE.2019.05.060
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“Growing evidence from the dynamical analysis of functional neuroimaging data suggests that brain function can be understood as the exploration of a repertoire of metastable connectivity patterns (‘functional brain networks’), which potentially underlie different mental processes. the present study characterizes how the brain’s dynamical exploration of resting-state networks is rapidly modulated by intravenous infusion of psilocybin, a tryptamine psychedelic found in ‘magic mushrooms’. we employed a data-driven approach to characterize recurrent functional connectivity patterns by focusing on the leading eigenvector of bold phase coherence at single-tr resolution. recurrent bold phase-locking patterns (pl states) were assessed and statistically compared pre- and post-infusion of psilocybin in terms of their probability of occurrence and transition profiles. results were validated using a placebo session. recurrent bold pl states revealed high spatial overlap with canonical resting-state networks. notably, a pl state forming a frontoparietal subsystem was strongly destabilized after psilocybin injection, with a concomitant increase in the probability of occurrence of another pl state characterized by global bold phase coherence. these findings provide evidence of network-specific neuromodulation by psilocybin and represent one of the first attempts at bridging molecular pharmacodynamics and whole-brain network dynamics.”
Linszen, M., Kleijer, H., & Sommer, I.. (2019). Visual hallucinations and lifetime use of HPPD-related drugs: Results from a large online survey. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 29, S118.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.11.224
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“Discussion: our results indicate that lifetime use of hppd- related drugs is associated with a slight but significant in- crease in the current presence of vh. however, the experi- enced distress of current vh and their impact on daily func- tioning do not differ between the exposed and unexposed group. these results indicate that burdensome vh can also occur in the general population without exposure to hppd-related drugs. this is in line with previous studies on hppd, which consider the presence of chronic, burdensome per- ceptual disturbances after psychedelic drug use a rare phe- nomenon, whose occurrence may rather rely on an overall vulnerability based on several risk factors, than on the life- time exposure to hppd-related drugs alone [2–5]. our re- sults are applicable to a more general population and rely on cross-sectional assessments that were not specifically de- signed for hppd-like experiences. hence, our recommenda- tion would be to incorporate assessment of hppd-like expe- riences in upcoming therapeutic trials involving hallucino- genic drugs. this facilitates close monitoring of such expe- riences before and after drug exposure in a controlled set- ting, and would thus enhance insight in this phenomenon and potentially contributive factors in clinical populations.”
Langlitz, N.. (2011). Delirious Brain Chemistry and Controlled Culture: Exploring the Contextual Mediation of Drug Effects. In Critical Neuroscience: A Handbook of the Social and Cultural Contexts of Neuroscience (pp. 253–262)
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1002/9781444343359.ch11
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“This chapter explores the potential of critical neuroscience in the context of an ethnographic case study from contemporary neuropsychopharmacology showing how neurochemistry and culture broadly conceived interact. it is based on anthropological fieldwork in two laboratories in zurich and san diego, which study the effects of hallucinogenic drugs on humans and animals respectively. hallucinogen research is particularly suitable to explore the tense relationship between cerebral nature and scientific culture because substances such as lsd (lysergic acid diethylamide) and psilocybin are pharmacologically powerful agents and yet their effects depend on a multitude of non-pharmacological, including cultural, factors. this raises the question whether anthropological second-order observations of how drug researchers observe their scientific objects can be fed back into these neuropsychopharmacological practices of first-order observation. the chapter addresses this issue by critically discussing a stillborn proposal from the 1950s concerning a research paradigm at the intersection of psychopharmacology and anthropology to investigate the cultural determinants of drug action. (psycinfo database record (c) 2019 apa, all rights reserved)”
Johnson, M. W., Hendricks, P. S., Barrett, F. S., & Griffiths, R. R.. (2019). Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2018.11.010
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“The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrative review and offer novel insights regarding human research with classic psychedelics (classic hallucinogens), which are serotonin 2a receptor (5-ht 2a r)agonists such as lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd), mescaline, and psilocybin. classic psychedelics have been administered as sacraments since ancient times. they were of prominent interest within psychiatry and neuroscience in the 1950s to 1960s, and during this time contributed to the emergence of the field of molecular neuroscience. promising results were reported for treatment of both end-of-life psychological distress and addiction, and classic psychedelics served as tools for studying the neurobiological bases of psychological disorders. moreover, classic psychedelics were shown to occasion mystical experiences, which are subjective experiences reported throughout different cultures and religions involving a strong sense of unity, among other characteristics. however, the recreational use of classic psychedelics and their association with the counterculture prompted an end to human research with classic psychedelics in the early 1970s. we provide the most comprehensive review of epidemiological studies of classic psychedelics to date. notable among these are a number of studies that have suggested the possibility that nonmedical naturalistic (non-laboratory)use of classic psychedelics is associated with positive mental health and prosocial outcomes, although it is clear that some individuals are harmed by classic psychedelics in non-supervised settings. we then review recent therapeutic studies suggesting efficacy in treating psychological distress associated with life-threatening diseases, treating depression, and treating nicotine and alcohol addictions. we also describe the construct of mystical experience, and provide a comprehensive review of modern studies investigating classic psychedelic-occasioned mystical experiences and their consequences. these studies have shown classic psychedelics to fairly reliably occasion mystical experiences. moreover, classic-psychedelic-occasioned mystical experiences are associated with improved psychological outcomes in both healthy volunteer and patient populations. finally, we review neuroimaging studies that suggest neurobiological mechanisms of classic psychedelics. these studies have also broadened our understanding of the brain, the serotonin system, and the neurobiological basis of consciousness. ove…”
Jefsen, O., Højgaard, K., Christiansen, S. L., Elfving, B., Nutt, D. J., Wegener, G., & Müller, H. K.. (2019). Psilocybin lacks antidepressant-like effect in the Flinders Sensitive Line rat. Acta Neuropsychiatrica, 1–7.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1017/neu.2019.15
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“
objective:
psilocybin is a serotonin receptor agonist with a therapeutic potential for treatment-resistant depression and other psychiatric illnesses. we investigated whether the administration of psilocybin had an antidepressant-like effect in a rat model of depression.
methods:
using the flinders sensitive line (fsl) rat model of depression, we assessed the antidepressant-like effect of psilocin and psilocybin, measured as a reduction in immobility time in the forced swim test (fst). we measured locomotor activity in an open field test (oft) to control for stimulant properties of the drugs. we performed a set of experiments to test different doses, treatment paradigms, and timing of the tests in relation to the drug administration.
results:
psilocin and psilocybin showed no effect on immobility, struggling, or swimming behaviour in the fst and no effect on locomotor activity in the oft. fsl rats did show significantly more immobility than their control strain, the flinders resistant line, as expected.
conclusion:
psilocin and psilocybin showed no antidepressant-like effect in the fsl rats, despite a positive effect in humans. this suggests that other animal models of depression and other behavioural tests may be more appropriate for translational studies in the effects of psilocybin.
”
Hupli, A., Berning, M., Zhuparris, A., & Fadiman, J.. (2019). Descriptive assemblage of psychedelic microdosing: Netnographic study of YoutubeTM videos and on-going research projects. Performance Enhancement and Health
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.peh.2019.01.001
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“Background: despite increasing clinical and neuroscientific research, pharmacological neuroenhancement literature rarely discusses psychedelic drugs. however, psychedelic microdosing, the ingestion of sub-perceptual doses of psychedelics like psilocybin, has gained increasing public and scientific attention. published research on the topic is scarce and systematic studies of the digital milieus surrounding psychedelic microdosing are currently non-existent. methods: in this netnographic study, we explore psychedelic microdosing by focusing on youtubeTM and listing current research projects as a descriptive assemblage. we used the youtube data tool (ydt) for data extraction from the youtubeTM platform. we selected videos that specifically focused on microdosing with a psychoactive substance and descriptively analysed the ecology of practices of the six most viewed videos focusing on definitions, dosages per substance and claimed effects. results: our initial data extraction, completed in 2016, resulted in total of 115 youtubeTM videos. additional data extractions done in 2017 and 2018 showed a 290% increase of ‘microdosing’ videos between 2016 and 2018, indicating that the phenomenon is growing, at least online. the digital milieu of microdosing in 2016 included 48 videos (41,7%) which mentioned a psychoactive substance. the six most viewed videos comprised 92% (n = 934,819) of the total view count and the ecology of practices depicted psychedelic microdosing as beneficial, but the claimed effects and dosing require critical evaluation. contrary to how typical users of illicit drugs are often portrayed in the media and science, these videos revolved around themes like research, experiments, self-monitoring and the imperative of sharing results. as our descriptive assemblage demonstrates several psychedelic microdosing research projects are under way, potentially influencing user practices and knowledge. conclusion: this type of online drug research can be used to gather knowledge of under-researched topics, like psychedelic microdosing. however, further digital and non-digital drug research is needed to investigate this potentially rising phenomenon.”
Hibicke, M., Landry, A. N., Talman, Z. K., & Nichols, C.. (2019). Psychedelics Improve the Mental Health of Rats. The FASEB Journal, 33(1_supplement), 666.1-666.1.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.666.1
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“Introduction psilocybin has recently demonstrated profound efficacy to alleviate depression and anxiety in several clinical trials and has received breakthrough status by the fda. symptomatic relief after only one or two therapeutic treatments last for at least several months in the vast majority of individuals. it is unclear whether the persistent antidepressant and anxiolytic effects are a psychological integration of the subject?s personal experience while under the influence of the drug, or are a consequence of neurochemical changes induced by psilocybin that correct abnormalities leading to a healthier brain state. to distinguish between these possibilities, we investigated the antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of psilocybin in a rat model of treatment resistant depression, wistar-kyoto (wky) rats. rats do not, as we currently believe, have a sense of self to reflect upon during a psychedelic experience. therefore, if the effects are purely psychological, psilocybin should not occasion long lasting therapeutic effects as are seen in humans. objective to evaluate the long-term effects of psychedelics on depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviors in a rat model of depression. methods two experiments were performed in which rats were administered a single bolus dose of saline or treatment in saline vehicle: psilocybin (1 mg/kg), lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd, 0.15 mg/kg), or ketamine (5.0 mg/kg) intraperitoneally at a volume of 1 ml/kg. saline (experiment 1, n=8) and repeat measures psilocybin (experiment 1, n=8) groups were evaluated in the forced swim test (fst) weekly for five weeks, and then the evaluated plus maze (epm) on the sixth week. interval psilocybin (experiment 1, n=8), saline (experiment 2, n=6), lsd (experiment 2, n=6), and ketamine (experiment 2, n=6) were evaluated in the fst a single time on the fifth week, and then in the epm on the sixth week. all measures were evaluated with one-way anova using holm-sidak post hoc, or with t-test as appropriate. results remarkably, we have found that a single treatment with psilocybin produces context-dependent, long lasting antidepressant-like (p=0.046, p=0.026, and p<0.0001) and anxiolytic effects (p=0.039) in male wky rats as measured by the fst and epm. we have also found that lsd, a related psychedelic, produces a long lasting antidepressant-like effect in male wky rats (p=0.003), while ketamine does not. conclusions these results indicate that at least a substantial portion of the abi…”
Hibicke, M., Landry, A. N., Talman, Z. K., & Nichols, C.. (2019). Psychedelics Improve the Mental Health of Rats. The FASEB Journal, 33(1_supplement), 666.1-666.1.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.666.1
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“Introduction psilocybin has recently demonstrated profound efficacy to alleviate depression and anxiety in several clinical trials and has received breakthrough status by the fda. symptomatic relief after only one or two therapeutic treatments last for at least several months in the vast majority of individuals. it is unclear whether the persistent antidepressant and anxiolytic effects are a psychological integration of the subject?s personal experience while under the influence of the drug, or are a consequence of neurochemical changes induced by psilocybin that correct abnormalities leading to a healthier brain state. to distinguish between these possibilities, we investigated the antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of psilocybin in a rat model of treatment resistant depression, wistar-kyoto (wky) rats. rats do not, as we currently believe, have a sense of self to reflect upon during a psychedelic experience. therefore, if the effects are purely psychological, psilocybin should not occasion long lasting therapeutic effects as are seen in humans. objective to evaluate the long-term effects of psychedelics on depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviors in a rat model of depression. methods two experiments were performed in which rats were administered a single bolus dose of saline or treatment in saline vehicle: psilocybin (1 mg/kg), lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd, 0.15 mg/kg), or ketamine (5.0 mg/kg) intraperitoneally at a volume of 1 ml/kg. saline (experiment 1, n=8) and repeat measures psilocybin (experiment 1, n=8) groups were evaluated in the forced swim test (fst) weekly for five weeks, and then the evaluated plus maze (epm) on the sixth week. interval psilocybin (experiment 1, n=8), saline (experiment 2, n=6), lsd (experiment 2, n=6), and ketamine (experiment 2, n=6) were evaluated in the fst a single time on the fifth week, and then in the epm on the sixth week. all measures were evaluated with one-way anova using holm-sidak post hoc, or with t-test as appropriate. results remarkably, we have found that a single treatment with psilocybin produces context-dependent, long lasting antidepressant-like (p=0.046, p=0.026, and p<0.0001) and anxiolytic effects (p=0.039) in male wky rats as measured by the fst and epm. we have also found that lsd, a related psychedelic, produces a long lasting antidepressant-like effect in male wky rats (p=0.003), while ketamine does not. conclusions these results indicate that at least a substantial portion of the abi…”
Haines, L.. (2019). How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 22(4), 468–468.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2018.0644
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“‘When michael pollan set out to research how lsd and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are being used to provide relief to people suffering from difficult-to-treat conditions such as depression, addiction and anxiety, he did not intend to write what is undoubtedly his most personal book. but upon discovering how these remarkable substances are improving the lives not only of the mentally ill but also of healthy people coming to grips with the challenges of everyday life, he decided to explore the landscape of the mind in the first person as well as the third. thus began a singular adventure into the experience of various altered states of consciousness, along with a dive deep into both the latest brain science and the thriving underground community of psychedelic therapists …’– prologue: a new door — a renaissance — natural history: bemushroomed — history: the first wave. part i: the promise ; part ii: the crack-up — travelogue: journeying underground. trip one: lsd ; trip two: psilocybin ; trip three: 5-meo-dmt (or, the toad) — the neuroscience: your brain on psychedelics — the trip treatment: psychedelics in psychotherapy. one: dying ; two: addiction ; three: depression ; coda: going to meet my default mode network — epilogue: in praise of neural diversity.”
Griffiths, R. R., Hurwitz, E. S., Davis, A. K., Johnson, M. W., & Jesse, R.. (2019). Survey of subjective “God encounter experiences”: Comparisons among naturally occurring experiences and those occasioned by the classic psychedelics psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT. PLoS ONE
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214377
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“Naturally occurring and psychedelic drug–occasioned experiences interpreted as personal encounters with god are well described but have not been systematically compared. in this study, five groups of individuals participated in an online survey with detailed questions characterizing the subjective phenomena, interpretation, and persisting changes attributed to their single most memorable god encounter experience (n = 809 non-drug, 1184 psilocybin, 1251 lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd), 435 ayahuasca, and 606 n,n-dimethyltryptamine (dmt)). analyses of differences in experiences were adjusted statistically for demographic differences between groups. the non-drug group was most likely to choose ‘god’ as the best descriptor of that which was encountered while the psychedelic groups were most likely to choose ‘ultimate reality.’ although there were some other differences between non-drug and the combined psychedelic group, as well as between the four psychedelic groups, the similarities among these groups were most striking. most participants reported vivid memories of the encounter experience, which frequently involved communication with something having the attributes of being conscious, benevolent, intelligent, sacred, eternal, and all-knowing. the encounter experience fulfilled a priori criteria for being a complete mystical experience in approximately half of the participants. more than two-thirds of those who identified as atheist before the experience no longer identified as atheist afterwards. these experiences were rated as among the most personally meaningful and spiritually significant lifetime experiences, with moderate to strong persisting positive changes in life satisfaction, purpose, and meaning attributed to these experiences. among the four groups of psychedelic users, the psilocybin and lsd groups were most similar and the ayahuasca group tended to have the highest rates of endorsing positive features and enduring consequences of the experience. future exploration of predisposing factors and phenomenological and neural correlates of such experiences may provide new insights into religious and spiritual beliefs that have been integral to shaping human culture since time immemorial.”
Fricke, J., Lenz, C., Wick, J., Blei, F., & Hoffmeister, D.. (2019). Production Options for Psilocybin: Making of the Magic. Chemistry – A European Journal, 25(4), 897–903.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1002/chem.201802758
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“Monounsaturated oils, virgin olive oil (voo) and high oleic sunflower oil (hoso) are suggested to have selective physiologic effects on humans in the fasting state. the aim of the study was to evaluate whether two oils with equal amounts of oleic acid but with different compositions of minor fatty acids and triacylglycerol molecular species (tag) could produce different triacylglycerol-rich lipoprotein (trl)-tag responses in the postprandial state. eight normolipidemic men consumed the following three meals in random order on separate occasions with 2 wk between meals: control meal, control meal plus voo and control meal plus hoso. plasma total tag and trl-tag were measured hourly for 7 h after ingestion. tag and sn-2 positional fatty acids within tag were analyzed in the trl fraction. plasma total tag concentrations in response to the dietary oils did not differ. however, trl triglyceridemia was significantly lower after voo intake (p < 0.05). the molecular species in the trl fraction returned toward basal levels more quickly (p < 0.05) after voo than hoso intake. 2-positional fatty acid analysis demonstrated higher proportions of stearic and palmitic acids and a lower proportion of oleic acid (p < 0.05) in trl-tag derived from hoso. this study shows that voo intake results in attenuated postprandial tag concentration and faster trl-tag disappearance from blood compared with hoso, suggesting that the oleic acid content may not be the main factor affecting tag metabolism. minor fatty acids such as linoleic acid and the 2-positional distribution of saturated stearic and palmitic acids into the tag molecule may be important determinants of postprandial lipemia in normolipidemic men.”
Farb, N. A. S., Petranker, R., Hui, K., Hapke, E., Anderson, T., Weissman, C. R., … Rosenbaum, D.. (2019). Microdosing psychedelics: personality, mental health, and creativity differences in microdosers. Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5106-2
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“Rationale: microdosing psychedelics-the regular consumption of small amounts of psychedelic substances such as lsd or psilocybin-is a growing trend in popular culture. recent studies on full-dose psychedelic psychotherapy reveal promising benefits for mental well-being, especially for depression and end-of-life anxiety. while full-dose therapies include perception-distorting properties, microdosing mayprovide complementary clinical benefits using lower-risk, non-hallucinogenic doses.
objective(s): this pre-registered study aimed to investigate whether microdosing psychedelics is related to differences in personality, mental health, and creativity.
method(s): in this observational study, respondents recruited from online forums self-reported their microdosing behaviors and completed questionnaires concerning dysfunctional attitudes, wisdom, negative emotionality, open-mindedness, and mood. respondents also performed the unusual uses task to assess their creativity.
result(s): current and former microdosers scored lower on measures of dysfunctional attitudes (p < 0.001, r = – 0.92) and negative emotionality (p = 0.009, r = – 0.85) and higher on wisdom (p < 0.001, r = 0.88), openmindedness(p = 0.027, r = 0.67), and creativity (p < 0.001, r = 0.15) when compared to non-microdosing controls.
conclusion(s): these findings provide promising initial evidence that warrants controlled experimental research to directly test safety and clinical efficacy. as microdoses are easier to administer than full-doses, this new paradigm has the exciting potential to shape future psychedelic research.
copyright © 2019, springer-verlag gmbh germany, part of springer nature.”
objective(s): this pre-registered study aimed to investigate whether microdosing psychedelics is related to differences in personality, mental health, and creativity.
method(s): in this observational study, respondents recruited from online forums self-reported their microdosing behaviors and completed questionnaires concerning dysfunctional attitudes, wisdom, negative emotionality, open-mindedness, and mood. respondents also performed the unusual uses task to assess their creativity.
result(s): current and former microdosers scored lower on measures of dysfunctional attitudes (p < 0.001, r = – 0.92) and negative emotionality (p = 0.009, r = – 0.85) and higher on wisdom (p < 0.001, r = 0.88), openmindedness(p = 0.027, r = 0.67), and creativity (p < 0.001, r = 0.15) when compared to non-microdosing controls.
conclusion(s): these findings provide promising initial evidence that warrants controlled experimental research to directly test safety and clinical efficacy. as microdoses are easier to administer than full-doses, this new paradigm has the exciting potential to shape future psychedelic research.
copyright © 2019, springer-verlag gmbh germany, part of springer nature.”
Farb, N. A. S., Petranker, R., Hui, K., Hapke, E., Anderson, T., Weissman, C. R., … Rosenbaum, D.. (2019). Microdosing psychedelics: personality, mental health, and creativity differences in microdosers. Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5106-2
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“Rationale: microdosing psychedelics-the regular consumption of small amounts of psychedelic substances such as lsd or psilocybin-is a growing trend in popular culture. recent studies on full-dose psychedelic psychotherapy reveal promising benefits for mental well-being, especially for depression and end-of-life anxiety. while full-dose therapies include perception-distorting properties, microdosing mayprovide complementary clinical benefits using lower-risk, non-hallucinogenic doses.
objective(s): this pre-registered study aimed to investigate whether microdosing psychedelics is related to differences in personality, mental health, and creativity.
method(s): in this observational study, respondents recruited from online forums self-reported their microdosing behaviors and completed questionnaires concerning dysfunctional attitudes, wisdom, negative emotionality, open-mindedness, and mood. respondents also performed the unusual uses task to assess their creativity.
result(s): current and former microdosers scored lower on measures of dysfunctional attitudes (p < 0.001, r = – 0.92) and negative emotionality (p = 0.009, r = – 0.85) and higher on wisdom (p < 0.001, r = 0.88), openmindedness(p = 0.027, r = 0.67), and creativity (p < 0.001, r = 0.15) when compared to non-microdosing controls.
conclusion(s): these findings provide promising initial evidence that warrants controlled experimental research to directly test safety and clinical efficacy. as microdoses are easier to administer than full-doses, this new paradigm has the exciting potential to shape future psychedelic research.
copyright © 2019, springer-verlag gmbh germany, part of springer nature.”
objective(s): this pre-registered study aimed to investigate whether microdosing psychedelics is related to differences in personality, mental health, and creativity.
method(s): in this observational study, respondents recruited from online forums self-reported their microdosing behaviors and completed questionnaires concerning dysfunctional attitudes, wisdom, negative emotionality, open-mindedness, and mood. respondents also performed the unusual uses task to assess their creativity.
result(s): current and former microdosers scored lower on measures of dysfunctional attitudes (p < 0.001, r = – 0.92) and negative emotionality (p = 0.009, r = – 0.85) and higher on wisdom (p < 0.001, r = 0.88), openmindedness(p = 0.027, r = 0.67), and creativity (p < 0.001, r = 0.15) when compared to non-microdosing controls.
conclusion(s): these findings provide promising initial evidence that warrants controlled experimental research to directly test safety and clinical efficacy. as microdoses are easier to administer than full-doses, this new paradigm has the exciting potential to shape future psychedelic research.
copyright © 2019, springer-verlag gmbh germany, part of springer nature.”
F., S., E., L., M.J., M., E.A., T., M.L., B., & S.S., N.. (2019). Effects of Acute and Repeated Treatment With Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptor Agonist Hallucinogens on Intracranial Self-Stimulation in Rats. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology
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“The prototype 5-ht2a receptor agonist hallucinogens lsd, mescaline, and psilocybin are classified as schedule 1 drugs of abuse by the u.s. drug enforcement administration. accumulating clinical evidence has also suggested that acute or repeated ‘microdosing’ with these drugs may have utility for treatment of some mental health disorders, including drug abuse and depression. the goal of the present study was to evaluate lsd, mescaline, and psilocybin effects on intracranial self-stimulation (icss), a procedure that has been used to evaluate abuse-related effects of other classes of abused drugs. effects of repeated lsd were also examined to evaluate potential changes in its own effects on icss or changes in effects produced by the abused psychostimulant methamphetamine or the prodepressant kappa opioid receptor (kor) agonist u69,593. male sprague-dawley rats were implanted with microelectrodes targeting the medial forebrain bundle and trained to respond under a ‘frequency-rate’ icss procedure, in which many drugs of abuse increase (or ‘facilitate’) icss. in acute dose-effect and time-course studies, evidence for abuse-related icss facilitation was weak and inconsistent; the predominant effect of all 3 drugs was dose- and time-dependent icss depression. repeated lsd treatment failed to alter either its own icss depressant effects or the abuse-related effects of methamphetamine; however, repeated lsd did attenuate icss depression by u69,593. these results extend those of previous preclinical studies to suggest weak expression of abuse-related effects by 5-ht2a agonist hallucinogens and provide supportive evidence for therapeutic effects of repeated lsd dosing to attenuate kormediated depressant effects but not abuse potential of psychostimulants.
copyright © 2019 american psychological association.”
copyright © 2019 american psychological association.”
Dürler, P.. (2019). Psilocybin induces aberrant prediction error processing for tactile mismatch responses. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 29, S307.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.11.477
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dos Santos, R. G., Osorio, F. L., Crippa, J. A. S., Bouso, J. C., & Hallak, J. E. C.. (2018). The therapeutic potential of ayahuasca and other serotonergic hallucinogens in the treatment of social anxiety.. Social Anxiety Disorder: Recognition, Diagnosis and Management., 183–206. Retrieved from http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&PAGE=reference&D=psyc14&NEWS=N&AN=2018-20919-010
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“Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders, having a lifetime prevalence of around 17%. social anxiety disorder (sad), or social phobia, is the most common type of anxiety disorder, being the third most frequent psychiatric disorder, with a lifetime prevalence that can reach 15%. pharmacological treatments have limited efficacy and are associated with significant adverse reactions. thus, new treatments should be investigated. preclinical and clinical evidence suggest that ayahuasca, a botanical hallucinogen rich in the beta-carboline harmine and in the tryptamine dimethyltryptamine (dmt), has anxiolytic properties. moreover, there is also clinical evidence that other hallucinogens that share a similar mechanism of action with ayahuasca/dmt (agonism at cortical serotonin 5-htia/2a/2c receptors), such as lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd) and psilocybin (from ‘magic mushrooms’), also have anxiolytic properties. in the present article, we review basic and clinical evidence supporting the possible beneficial effects of ayahuasca (and other serotonergic or classical hallucinogens) in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders in general, with a focus on social anxiety. we also review neuroimaging studies showing that these compounds modulate brain areas involved in emotion processing, and describe the fast and sustained anxiolytic and antidepressive effects of ayahuasca in patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder recently reported by our group. finally, we integrate the preclinical and clinical evidence (translational approach) concluding that there is significant evidence to explore the potential anxiolytic effects of ayahuasca in patients with sad, and briefly comment on our ongoing double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study of ayahuasca in socially anxious individuals. (psycinfo database record (c) 2019 apa, all rights reserved)”
Dorsen, C., Palamar, J., & Shedlin, M. G.. (2019). Ceremonial ‘Plant Medicine’ use and its relationship to recreational drug use: an exploratory study. Addiction Research and Theory, 27(2), 68–75.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1080/16066359.2018.1455187
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“© 2018 informa uk limited, trading as taylor & francis group background: the ceremonial use of psychoactive/hallucinogenic plant based drugs, such as ayahuasca, psilocybin and others, is a growing trend in the united states (us) and globally. to date, there has been little research documenting how many people are using psychoactive substances in this context, who the users are, what benefits/risks exist in the use of these drugs and the relationship between ceremonial drug use and recreational drug use. in this paper we describe a cohort of plant medicine facilitators in the us and explore how they differentiate plant medicine use from recreational drug use. methods: using modified ethnography, individual interviews were conducted in 2016 with 15 participants who are currently facilitating plant medicine ceremonies in the us. descriptive content analysis was performed to discover themes and to inform a larger mixed-method study. results: ceremonial drug use was seen by participants as a natural healing and treatment modality used in the context of community and ritual. three main themes were identified relating to participants’ differentiation between ceremonial plant medicine use and recreational drug use: (1) participants see a clear delineation between plant medicine use and recreational drug use; (2) plant medicine is seen as a potential treatment for addiction, but concerns exist regarding potential interference with recovery; and (3) plant medicine use may influence recreational use. conclusions: more research is needed on who is using plant medicine, motivators for use, perceived and real risks and benefits of plant medicine use and harm reduction techniques regarding safe ingestion.”
de Coo, I. F., Naber, W. C., Wilbrink, L. A., Haan, J., Ferrari, M. D., & Fronczek, R.. (2019). Increased use of illicit drugs in a Dutch cluster headache population. Cephalalgia, 39(5), 626–634.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1177/0333102418804160
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“Introduction many patients with cluster headache report use of illicit drugs. we systematically assessed the use of illicit drugs and their effects in a well-defined dutch cluster headache population. methods in this cross-sectional explorative study, 756 people with cluster headache received a questionnaire on lifetime use and perceived effects of illicit drugs. results were compared with age and sex-matched official data from the dutch general population. results compared to the data from the general population, there were more illicit drug users in the cluster headache group (31.7% vs. 23.8%; p < 0.01). reduction in attack frequency was reported by 56% (n = 22) of psilocybin mushroom, 60% (n = 3) of lysergic acid diethylamide and 50% (n = 2) of heroin users, and a decreased attack duration was reported by 46% (n = 18) of psi, 50% (n = 2) of heroin and 36% (n = 8) of amphetamine users. conclusion in the netherlands, people with cluster headache use illicit drugs more often than the general population. the question remains whether this is due to an actual alleviatory effect, placebo response, conviction, or common pathophysiological background between cluster headache and addictive behaviours such as drug use.”
Dasgupta, A.. (2019). Abuse of Magic Mushroom, Peyote Cactus, LSD, Khat, and Volatiles. In Critical Issues in Alcohol and Drugs of Abuse Testing (pp. 477–494)
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-815607-0.00033-2
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“Although less common than abuse of marijuana and cocaine, abuse of magic mushroom, peyote cactus, lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd), khat, and volatiles is observed in the united states. eating wild mushroom is dangerous because misidentification of toxic mushroom as magic mushroom may be fatal. magic mushroom contains psilocybin and psilocin but major psychedelic action of magic mushroom is due to rapid conversion of psilocybin to psilocin after ingestion. active ingredient of peyote cactus is mescaline. abuse of lsd was widespread in 1960s but this drug is still abused today. khat leaves are chewed in certain parts of africa but with migration, this product is also abused in europe and united states. major active ingredient of khat plant is cathinone, which is structurally and functionally similar to amphetamine. volatile abuse is widespread among young people. abusing volatiles containing toluene, hydrocarbons, and other compounds with highvapor pressure is injurious to health. such abuse may even cause death.”
Darrah, N.. (2019). Denver narrowly votes to decriminalize “magic mushrooms”. Fox News Retrieved from https://www.foxnews.com/us/denver-decriminalize-magic-mushrooms
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“Voters in denver, colorado decided on tuesday to decriminalize psilocybin, or ‘magic mushrooms,’ by a thin margin.”
Cao, B., Zhu, J., Zuckerman, H., Rosenblat, J. D., Brietzke, E., Pan, Z., … McIntyre, R. S.. (2019). Pharmacological interventions targeting anhedonia in patients with major depressive disorder: A systematic review. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.01.002
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“Anhedonia is defined as a diminished ability to experience interest or pleasure, and is a critical psychopathological dimension of major depressive disorder (mdd). the purpose of the current systematic review is to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of pharmacological treatments on measures of anhedonia in adults with mdd. electronic databases cochrane library (central), ovid medline, pubmed, psycinfo, and google scholar were searched from inception to june 1, 2018 for longitudinal studies utilizing pharmacotherapy for the treatment of anhedonia in patients with mdd. a total of 17 eligible studies were identified (i.e., evaluated the effects of pharmacotherapy on a measure of anhedonia). among the identified studies, the efficacy of 14 different pharmacotherapies on measures of anhedonia were evaluated, including melatonergic agents (i.e. agomelatine), monoaminergic agents (i.e. moclobemide, clomipramine, bupropion, venlafaxine, fluoxetine, amitifadine and levomilnacipran, escitalopram, and sertraline), glutamatergic agents (i.e., ketamine and riluzole), stimulants (i.e., methylphenidate), and psychedelics (i.e., psilocybin). based on the available evidence, most antidepressants demonstrated beneficial effects on measures of anhedonia as well as the other depressive symptoms. only escitalopram/riluzole combination treatment was ineffective in treating symptoms of anhedonia in mdd. continued research is warranted to further support the efficacy of mechanistically-distinct antidepressants in treating symptoms of anhedonia in mdd. future research should also aim to parse out the heterogeneous effects of different pharmacotherapies on anhedonic symptoms.”
Cao, B., Zhu, J., Zuckerman, H., Rosenblat, J. D., Brietzke, E., Pan, Z., … McIntyre, R. S.. (2019). Pharmacological interventions targeting anhedonia in patients with major depressive disorder: A systematic review. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 92, 109–117.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.01.002
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“Anhedonia is defined as a diminished ability to experience interest or pleasure, and is a critical psychopathological dimension of major depressive disorder (mdd). the purpose of the current systematic review is to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of pharmacological treatments on measures of anhedonia in adults with mdd. electronic databases cochrane library (central), ovid medline, pubmed, psycinfo, and google scholar were searched from inception to june 1, 2018 for longitudinal studies utilizing pharmacotherapy for the treatment of anhedonia in patients with mdd. a total of 17 eligible studies were identified (i.e., evaluated the effects of pharmacotherapy on a measure of anhedonia). among the identified studies, the efficacy of 14 different pharmacotherapies on measures of anhedonia were evaluated, including melatonergic agents (i.e. agomelatine), monoaminergic agents (i.e. moclobemide, clomipramine, bupropion, venlafaxine, fluoxetine, amitifadine and levomilnacipran, escitalopram, and sertraline), glutamatergic agents (i.e., ketamine and riluzole), stimulants (i.e., methylphenidate), and psychedelics (i.e., psilocybin). based on the available evidence, most antidepressants demonstrated beneficial effects on measures of anhedonia as well as the other depressive symptoms. only escitalopram/riluzole combination treatment was ineffective in treating symptoms of anhedonia in mdd. continued research is warranted to further support the efficacy of mechanistically-distinct antidepressants in treating symptoms of anhedonia in mdd. future research should also aim to parse out the heterogeneous effects of different pharmacotherapies on anhedonic symptoms.”
Byock, I., Bossis, A., & Blinderman, C.. (2019). Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies—Palliative Care Clinical & Research Priorities (TH317). Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 57(2), 373.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2018.12.049
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“Objectives: *identify types of suffering of psychological, emotional, social, spiritual, or existential nature that are potential indications for supervised therapy involving psychedelic medications, as well as important contraindications to this class of drugs.*critically evaluate published findings from the expanding evidence base of clinical research into psychedelic-assisted treatment of patients with depression, anxiety, demoralization, and existential and spiritual suffering. people with advanced medical illness often experience anxiety, feelings of hopelessness and loss of meaning and value of life. some conclude that their life is not worth living and desire to hasten their deaths. currently available treatments for depression, anxiety, and spiritual distress often fail to alleviate suffering among people who are seriously ill. research involving psilocybin and related compounds have shown significant benefit suggesting that this class of drugs may offer therapeutic potential in treating persistent, non-physical suffering. during the 2018 aahpm-hpna assembly meeting a concurrent session on psychedelic therapy drew approximately 600 participants, indicating substantial interest among palliative care providers in the research, cautions, and potential clinical application of these medications. the 2019 session will build on this interest and the content of the previous session to begin defining priorities for research and clinical use of psychedelics within palliative care practice. recent and ongoing clinical studies pertaining to psychedelic-assisted therapies in care of seriously ill patients will be reviewed. session faculty will present results of key informant interviews conducted with palliative care clinicians and researchers regarding their priorities for future studies and therapeutic application of these medications. survey items will include considerations of: a) patient selection and screening, b) frequency and duration of treatment sessions with specific drugs, c) selection of medications (entheogens and empathogens) in treating syndromes of depression, anxiety, demoralization and ptsd, d) necessary levels of supervision, e) safety and therapeutic influence of different settings. these results will inform discussion among session participants. a distillation of this interactive discussion will inform priorities for a developing special interest group on psychedelic therapies.copyright © 2018”
Byock, I., Bossis, A., & Blinderman, C.. (2019). Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies—Palliative Care Clinical & Research Priorities (TH317). Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 57(2), 373.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2018.12.049
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“Objectives: *identify types of suffering of psychological, emotional, social, spiritual, or existential nature that are potential indications for supervised therapy involving psychedelic medications, as well as important contraindications to this class of drugs.*critically evaluate published findings from the expanding evidence base of clinical research into psychedelic-assisted treatment of patients with depression, anxiety, demoralization, and existential and spiritual suffering. people with advanced medical illness often experience anxiety, feelings of hopelessness and loss of meaning and value of life. some conclude that their life is not worth living and desire to hasten their deaths. currently available treatments for depression, anxiety, and spiritual distress often fail to alleviate suffering among people who are seriously ill. research involving psilocybin and related compounds have shown significant benefit suggesting that this class of drugs may offer therapeutic potential in treating persistent, non-physical suffering. during the 2018 aahpm-hpna assembly meeting a concurrent session on psychedelic therapy drew approximately 600 participants, indicating substantial interest among palliative care providers in the research, cautions, and potential clinical application of these medications. the 2019 session will build on this interest and the content of the previous session to begin defining priorities for research and clinical use of psychedelics within palliative care practice. recent and ongoing clinical studies pertaining to psychedelic-assisted therapies in care of seriously ill patients will be reviewed. session faculty will present results of key informant interviews conducted with palliative care clinicians and researchers regarding their priorities for future studies and therapeutic application of these medications. survey items will include considerations of: a) patient selection and screening, b) frequency and duration of treatment sessions with specific drugs, c) selection of medications (entheogens and empathogens) in treating syndromes of depression, anxiety, demoralization and ptsd, d) necessary levels of supervision, e) safety and therapeutic influence of different settings. these results will inform discussion among session participants. a distillation of this interactive discussion will inform priorities for a developing special interest group on psychedelic therapies.copyright © 2018”
B., C., R.S., M., J., Z., H., Z., J.D., R., E., B., … Y., L.. (2019). Pharmacological interventions targeting anhedonia in patients with major depressive disorder: A systematic review. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 92, 109–117.
Show/hide publication abstract
“Anhedonia is defined as a diminished ability to experience interest or pleasure, and is a critical psychopathological dimension of major depressive disorder (mdd). the purpose of the current systematic review is to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of pharmacological treatments on measures of anhedonia in adults with mdd. electronic databases cochrane library (central), ovid medline, pubmed, psycinfo, and google scholar were searched from inception to june 1, 2018 for longitudinal studies utilizing pharmacotherapy for the treatment of anhedonia in patients with mdd. a total of 17 eligible studies were identified (i.e., evaluated the effects of pharmacotherapy on a measure of anhedonia). among the identified studies, the efficacy of 14 different pharmacotherapies on measures of anhedonia were evaluated, including melatonergic agents (i.e. agomelatine), monoaminergic agents (i.e. moclobemide, clomipramine, bupropion, venlafaxine, fluoxetine, amitifadine and levomilnacipran, escitalopram, and sertraline), glutamatergic agents (i.e., ketamine and riluzole), stimulants (i.e., methylphenidate), and psychedelics (i.e., psilocybin). based on the available evidence, most antidepressants demonstrated beneficial effects on measures of anhedonia as well as the other depressive symptoms. only escitalopram/riluzole combination treatment was ineffective in treating symptoms of anhedonia in mdd. continued research is warranted to further support the efficacy of mechanistically-distinct antidepressants in treating symptoms of anhedonia in mdd. future research should also aim to parse out the heterogeneous effects of different pharmacotherapies on anhedonic symptoms.”
Anderson, T., Petranker, R., Rosenbaum, D., Weissman, C. R., Dinh-Williams, L. A., Hui, K., … Farb, N. A. S.. (2019). Microdosing psychedelics: personality, mental health, and creativity differences in microdosers. Psychopharmacology, 236(2), 731–740.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5106-2
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“Microdosing psychedelics – the regular consumption of small amounts of psychedelic substances such as lsd or psilocybin – is a growing trend in popular culture. recent studies on full-dose psychedelic psychotherapy reveal promising benefits for mental well-being, especially for depression and end-of-life anxiety. while full-dose therapies include perception-distorting properties, microdosing may provide complementary clinical benefits using lower-risk, non-hallucinogenic doses. no experimental study has evaluated psychedelic microdosing, however; this pre-registered study is the first to investigate microdosing psychedelics and mental health. recruited from online forums, current and former microdosers scored lower on measures of dysfunctional attitudes and negative emotionality and higher on wisdom, open-mindedness, and creativity when compared to non-microdosing controls. these findings provide promising initial evidence that warrants controlled experimental research to directly test safety and clinical efficacy. as microdoses are easier to administer than full-doses, this new paradigm has the exciting potential to shape future psychedelic research.”
Anderson, B., Danforth, A., Daroff, R., Stauffer, C., Dilley, J., Mitchell, J., & Woolley, J.. (2019). T137. Psilocybin-Assisted Group Therapy for Demoralization in Long-Term AIDS Survivors. Biological Psychiatry, 85(10), S182.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.03.460
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“Long-term aids survivors (ltas) are people with hiv diagnosed prior to the advent of antiretroviral therapy. ltas suffer high rates of multiple psychiatric illnesses; demoralization is a syndrome common in ltas and is characterized by a sense of helplessness, hopelessness, and a loss of meaning and purpose in life. psilocybin is a 5ht2a agonist and classic psychedelic that can improve depression and anxiety in cancer patients when combined with individual psychotherapy, possibly by decreasing demoralization.”
Al-Imam, A., & Lami, F.. (2019). One Ultimate Journey? AKA the Huxley’s Method: Perspectives of (Ab)Users of Hallucinogens and Entheogens on Having Planned Pre-Mortem Psychedelic Trip. Modern Applied Science, 13(3), 13.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.5539/mas.v13n3p13
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“Background: the surface web is a rich source of extensive data on populations of users and misusers of psychoactive substances including substances known as hallucinogens and entheogens. the internet and its social media websites can serve as a database upon which several hypotheses are applicable via thematic analytic and psychoanalytic studies. materials and methods: this study will deploy the use of an internet snapshot by inspecting, via thematic analysis, the comments of a population of psychedelic (ab)users existing on the facebook social platform. the snapshot will dare to answer an existing question in connection with the concept of using psychedelics and entheogens during the moments preceding death. several demographics will be explored including ethnic-national and socio-cultural parameters to test several hypotheses about the tendencies for having an ultimate pre-mortem psychedelic trip towards the ambiguous afterlife. results: most of the psychedelic users recommended the use of dmt for the final journey. others have suggested tripping on lsd, psilocybin and psilocybin mushrooms, nbome compounds, and even opiates. based on inferential models, it seems that tendencies for the pre-mortem trip are not affected by the status of social relations, ethnicity, nationality, age, or sex. however, it appears to be based on the individualistic build-up. religious affiliations and other cultural norms represent potential confounding variables. hence, these must be explored in subsequent studies. conclusion: in the future and to keep in pace with the logarithmic growth and arachnoid expansion of the web and its appendages, ambitious studies has to deploy the use of concepts of automation in data science via the exploitation of principles of machine learning and deep thinking. the aim is to achieve statistical inference in real-time and accurate predictions when it comes to running analytics on big data. if successfully applied, the benefits for the public health should be monumental.”
Aday, J. S., Bloesch, E. K., & Davoli, C. C.. (2019). Beyond LSD: A Broader Psychedelic Zeitgeist during the Early to Mid-20 th Century. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2019.1581961
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“During the 1950s and 1960s, there was a tremendous surge in research into the effects of psychedelic drugs. when discussing this period of research, the discovery of the psychoactive properties of lsd in 1943 is often presented as the main, and sometimes only, driving force of the boom in research. this ‘great person,’ or ‘great chemical,’ historiographical lens fails to acknowledge other factors that were fundamental in setting the stage for the research. in particular, other psychedelic drugs, such as mescaline, were already being probed for their uses in psychotherapy and as models for psychosis before the effects of lsd had been discovered. psilocybin and other classical psychedelics had also been discovered by western researchers around the same time as the synthesis of lsd. additionally, many of the dominant zeitgeists (e.g., pharmacological, psychoanalytic, and humanistic) in psychology during this period were congruent with psychedelic research. this article argues that while the discovery of lsd may have been a catalyst for psychedelic research in the 1950s and ’60s, there was a broader psychedelic zeitgeist that deserves acknowledgement for setting the stage.”
Selected peer-reviewed scientific publications on psilocybin in 2018
dos Santos, R. G., Enyart, S., Bouso, J. C., Pares, Ò., & Hallak, J. E. C.. (2018). “Ayahuasca turned on my mind’s eye”: Enhanced visual imagery after ayahuasca intake in a man with “blind imagination” (aphantasia). Journal of Psychedelic Studies
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1556/2054.2018.008
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“Background and aims: aphantasia (‘blind imagination’) is a poorly described condition with an uncertain etiology, characterized by reduced or lack of voluntary visual imagery. preliminary evidence in humans suggests that hallucinogenic or psychedelic drugs that act as agonists of cortical 5-ht2a receptors [lysergic acid diethylamide, psilocybin, and dimethyltryptamine (dmt)] enhance visual imagery.methodsinterview and description of the case are presented in this study.resultsa man self-diagnosed with long-lasting aphantasia that he attributed to a traumatic separation from his father when he was young and to a difficult relationship with him described sustained improvements in his visual imagery following ingestion of a single dose of the south american botanical hallucinogen ayahuasca, which is rich in dmt. although improvements were modest, they were sustained and significative for the subject.conclusionsit is suggested that the described improvements were possibly attributed to biological and psychologi…”
Barrett, F. S., Schlienz, N. J., Lembeck, N., Waqas, M., & Vandrey, R.. (2018). “Hallucinations” Following Acute Cannabis Dosing: A Case Report and Comparison to Other Hallucinogenic Drugs. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1089/can.2017.0052
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“Abstract introduction: cannabis has been historically classified as a hallucinogen. however, subjective cannabis effects do not typically include hallucinogen-like effects. empirical reports of hallucinogen-like effects produced by cannabis in controlled settings, particularly among healthy research volunteers, are rare and have mostly occurred after administration of purified δ-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (thc) rather than whole plant cannabis. methods: the case of a healthy 30-year-old male who experienced auditory and visual hallucinations in a controlled laboratory study after inhaling vaporized cannabis that contained 25 mg thc (case dose) is presented. ratings on the hallucinogen rating scale (hrs) following the case dose are compared with hrs ratings obtained from the participant after other doses of cannabis and with archival hrs data from laboratory studies involving acute doses of cannabis, psilocybin, dextromethorphan (dxm), and salvinorin a. results: scores on the volition subscale of the hrs were …”
Collins, E. A., Cody, A. M., McDonald, S. E., Nicotera, N., Ascione, F. R., & Williams, J. H.. (2018). A Template Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence Survivors’ Experiences of Animal Maltreatment: Implications for Safety Planning and Intervention. Violence Against Women, 24(4), 452–476.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1177/1077801217697266
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“RATIONALE: this dose-effect study extends previous observations showing that psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having persisting positive effects on attitudes, mood, and behavior.nnobjectives: this double-blind study evaluated psilocybin (0, 5, 10, 20, 30 mg/70 kg, p.o.) administered under supportive conditions.nnmethods: participants were 18 adults (17 hallucinogen-naïve). five 8-h sessions were conducted individually for each participant at 1-month intervals. participants were randomized to receive the four active doses in either ascending or descending order (nine participants each). placebo was scheduled quasi-randomly. during sessions, volunteers used eyeshades and were instructed to direct their attention inward. volunteers completed questionnaires assessing effects immediately after and 1 month after each session, and at 14 months follow-up.nnresults: psilocybin produced acute perceptual and subjective effects including, at 20 and/or 30 mg/70 kg, extreme anxiety/fear (39% of volunteers) and/or mystical-type experience (72% of volunteers). one month after sessions at the two highest doses, volunteers rated the psilocybin experience as having substantial personal and spiritual significance, and attributed to the experience sustained positive changes in attitudes, mood, and behavior, with the ascending dose sequence showing greater positive effects. at 14 months, ratings were undiminished and were consistent with changes rated by community observers. both the acute and persisting effects of psilocybin were generally a monotonically increasing function of dose, with the lowest dose showing significant effects.nnconclusions: under supportive conditions, 20 and 30 mg/70 kg psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences having persisting positive effects on attitudes, mood, and behavior. implications for therapeutic trials are discussed.”
Müller, F., Liechti, M. E., Lang, U. E., & Borgwardt, S.. (2018). Advances and challenges in neuroimaging studies on the effects of serotonergic hallucinogens: Contributions of the resting brain. Progress in Brain Research
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.08.004
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“The effects of hallucinogenic drugs on the human brain have been studied since the earliest days of neuroimaging in the 1990s. however, approaches are often hard to compare and results are heterogeneous. in this chapter, we summarize studies investigating the effects of hallucinogens on the resting brain, with a special emphasis on replicability and limitations. in previous studies, similarities were observed between psilocybin, lsd, and ayahuasca, with respect to decreases in cerebral blood flow and increases in global functional connectivity in the precuneus and thalamus. additionally, lsd consistently decreased functional connectivity within distinct resting state networks. little convergence was observed for connectivity between networks and for blood flow in other brain regions. although these studies are limited by small sample sizes and might be biased by unspecific drug effects on physiological parameters and the vascular system, current results indicate that neuroimaging could be a useful tool to elucidate the neuronal correlates of hallucinogenic effects.”
Mahmoudi, E.; Faizi, M.; Hajiaghaee, R.; Razmi, A.. (2018). Alteration of Depressive-like Behaviors by Psilocybe cubensis Alkaloid Extract in Mice: the Role of Glutamate Pathway. Research Journal of Pharmacognosy
Plain numerical DOI: 10.22127/RJP.2018.58486
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“Background and objectives: considering the increasing prevalence of depression, many studies are launched to investigate new antidepressant treatments. the present research has shown how psilocybin as an active compound of psilocybe cubensis (earle) singer extract (pce) can change the parameters related to depression and anxiety in animal models. both serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine: 5-ht) and glutamate modulate depressive-like behaviors and, therefore, we examined the possible interaction of psilocybin as 5-ht 1 agonist with glutamate receptor n-methyl-d-aspartate (nmda). methods: psilocybe cubensis extract of this mushroom was prepared by ethyl acetate. nmri mice involved in all experiments and were treated with the vehicle, extract, or standard drug intraperitoneally. open field (oft), forced swimming (fst) and tail suspension tests (tst) were applied to measure the intended parameters. oft was performed to verify the applied doses for measuring the following antidepressant activity. results: pce at the doses of 100 mg/kg significantly changed the locomotion, time spent in center and velocity of the animals in oft. while treatment of the animals with pce 10 and 40 mg/kg or ketamine 1 mg/kg did not alter the locomotor activity, co-administration of these subeffective amounts significantly reduced the immobility time in both fst and tst. conclusion: these effects may indicate possible implication of psilocybin with nmda receptor which consequently produces the antidepressant effects.”
Lord, L.-D., Expert, P., Atasoy, S., Roseman, L., Rapuano, K., Lambiotte, R., … Cabral, J.. (2018). Altered trajectories in the dynamical repertoire of functional network states under psilocybin. BioRxiv
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1101/376491
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“Brain activity can be understood as the exploration of a dynamical landscape of activity configurations over both space and time. this dynamical landscape may be defined in terms of spontaneous transitions within a repertoire of discrete metastable states of functional connectivity (fc), which underlie different mental processes. however, it remains unclear how the brain’s dynamical landscape might be changed in altered states of consciousness, such as the psychedelic state. the present study investigated changes in the brain’s dynamical repertoire in an fmri dataset of healthy participants intravenously injected with the psychedelic compound psilocybin, which is found in ‘magic mushrooms’. we employed a data-driven approach to study brain dynamics in the psychedelic state, which focuses on the dominant fc pattern captured by the leading eigenvector of dynamic fc matrices, and enables the identification of recurrent fc patterns (‘Fc-states’), and their transition profiles over time. we found that a fc state closely corresponding to the fronto-parietal control system was strongly destabilized in the psychedelic state, while transitions toward a globally synchronized fc state were enhanced. these differences between brain state trajectories in normal waking consciousness and the psychedelic state suggest that the latter biases a global mode of functional integration at the expense of locally segregated activity in specific networks. these results provide a mechanistic perspective on subjective quality of the psychedelic experience, and further raise the possibility that mapping the brain’s dynamical landscape may help guide pharmacological interventions in neuropsychiatric disorders.”
Vandael, E., Verstuyft, E., Leirs, C., & Foulon, V.. (2018). An e-learning programme about the risk and management of QTc-prolongation in community pharmacies significantly improves pharmacists’ (longterm) knowledge. Pharmacy Education
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“The occurrence of tryptamine derivatives and urea in panaeolus cyanescens, also known as copelandia cyanescens, from australia, hawaii and thailand was investigated. all 70 collections contained psilocin, serotonin and urea. those from hawaii were also relatively rich in psilocybin, whereas the species from australia and thailand were virtually exempt of this compound. many collections also contained detectable amounts of precursors as tryptophan, tryptamine and baeocystin, but 5-hydroxytryptophan – widely encountered in many other panaeoloideae – was found to be absent in all samples. the role of these 4- and 5-hydroxylated tryptamine derivatives in the metabolism of the fungus and their possible chemotaxonomic significance is briefly discussed. volunteers ingesting samples of panaeolus cyanescens reported a stronger psychotropic effect than that experienced with the same amount of psilocybe semilanceata.”
Blei, F., Baldeweg, F., Fricke, J., & Hoffmeister, D.. (2018). Biocatalytic Production of Psilocybin and Derivatives in Tryptophan Synthase-Enhanced Reactions. Chemistry – A European Journal, 24(40), 10028–10031.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1002/chem.201801047
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“Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-n,n-dimethyltryptamine) is the main alkaloid of the fungal genus psilocybe, the so-called ‘magic mushrooms’. the pharmaceutical interest in this psychotropic natural product as a future medication to treat depression and anxiety is strongly re-emerging. here, we present an enhanced enzymatic route of psilocybin production by adding trpb, the tryptophan synthase of the mushroom psilocybe cubensis, to the reaction. we capitalized on its substrate flexibility and show psilocybin formation from 4-hydroxyindole and l-serine, which are less cost-intensive substrates, compared to the previous method. further, we show enzymatic production of 7- phosphoryloxytryptamine (isonorbaeocystin), a non-natural congener of the psilocybe alkaloid norbaeocystin (4-phosphoryloxytryptamine), and of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) via the same in vitro approach.”
Hamzelou, J.. (2018). Can psychedelic drugs help with depression?. New Scientist, ISSN 0262-4079, No. 3166, 2018, Pág. 8
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“The way you speak may reveal whether a psychedelic drug could help treat depression or anxiety. robin carhart-harris and his team at imperial college london have been testing psilocybin–a hallucinogen found in magic mushrooms–in people with treatment-resistant depression. their pilot study found that when it was given to 12 volunteers alongside psychological support, five of them no longer met the clinical criteria for a depression diagnosis three months later.”
Dorsen, C., Palamar, J., & Shedlin, M. G.. (2018). Ceremonial ‘Plant Medicine’ use and its relationship to recreational drug use: an exploratory study. Addiction Research and Theory
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1080/16066359.2018.1455187
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“© 2018 informa uk limited, trading as taylor & francis group background: the ceremonial use of psychoactive/hallucinogenic plant based drugs, such as ayahuasca, psilocybin and others, is a growing trend in the united states (us) and globally. to date, there has been little research documenting how many people are using psychoactive substances in this context, who the users are, what benefits/risks exist in the use of these drugs and the relationship between ceremonial drug use and recreational drug use. in this paper we describe a cohort of plant medicine facilitators in the us and explore how they differentiate plant medicine use from recreational drug use. methods: using modified ethnography, individual interviews were conducted in 2016 with 15 participants who are currently facilitating plant medicine ceremonies in the us. descriptive content analysis was performed to discover themes and to inform a larger mixed-method study. results: ceremonial drug use was seen by participants as a natural healing and treatment modality used in the context of community and ritual. three main themes were identified relating to participants’ differentiation between ceremonial plant medicine use and recreational drug use: (1) participants see a clear delineation between plant medicine use and recreational drug use; (2) plant medicine is seen as a potential treatment for addiction, but concerns exist regarding potential interference with recovery; and (3) plant medicine use may influence recreational use. conclusions: more research is needed on who is using plant medicine, motivators for use, perceived and real risks and benefits of plant medicine use and harm reduction techniques regarding safe ingestion.”
Dorsen, C., Palamar, J., & Shedlin, M. G.. (2018). Ceremonial ‘Plant Medicine’ use and its relationship to recreational drug use: an exploratory study. Addiction Research and Theory
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1080/16066359.2018.1455187
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“© 2018 informa uk limited, trading as taylor & francis group background: the ceremonial use of psychoactive/hallucinogenic plant based drugs, such as ayahuasca, psilocybin and others, is a growing trend in the united states (us) and globally. to date, there has been little research documenting how many people are using psychoactive substances in this context, who the users are, what benefits/risks exist in the use of these drugs and the relationship between ceremonial drug use and recreational drug use. in this paper we describe a cohort of plant medicine facilitators in the us and explore how they differentiate plant medicine use from recreational drug use. methods: using modified ethnography, individual interviews were conducted in 2016 with 15 participants who are currently facilitating plant medicine ceremonies in the us. descriptive content analysis was performed to discover themes and to inform a larger mixed-method study. results: ceremonial drug use was seen by participants as a natural healing and treatment modality used in the context of community and ritual. three main themes were identified relating to participants’ differentiation between ceremonial plant medicine use and recreational drug use: (1) participants see a clear delineation between plant medicine use and recreational drug use; (2) plant medicine is seen as a potential treatment for addiction, but concerns exist regarding potential interference with recovery; and (3) plant medicine use may influence recreational use. conclusions: more research is needed on who is using plant medicine, motivators for use, perceived and real risks and benefits of plant medicine use and harm reduction techniques regarding safe ingestion.”
Bogenschutz, M. P., Podrebarac, S. K., Duane, J. H., Amegadzie, S. S., Malone, T. C., Owens, L. T., … Mennenga, S. E.. (2018). Clinical interpretations of patient experience in a trial of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol use disorder. Frontiers in Pharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00100
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“After a hiatus of some 40 years, clinical research has resumed on the use of classic hallucinogens to treat addiction. following completion of a small open-label feasibility study, we are currently conducting a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial of psilocybin-assisted treatment of alcohol use disorder. although treatment effects cannot be analyzed until the study is complete, descriptive case studies provide a useful window into the therapeutic process of psychedelic-assisted treatment of addiction. here we describe treatment trajectories of three participants in the ongoing trial to illustrate the range of experiences and persisting effects of psilocybin treatment. although it is difficult to generalize from a few cases, several qualitative conclusions can be drawn from the data presented here. although participants often find it difficult to describe much of their psilocybin experience, pivotal moments tend to be individualized, extremely vivid, and memorable. often, the qualitative content extends beyond the clinical problem that is being addressed. the participants discussed in this paper experienced acute and lasting alterations in their perceptions of self, in the quality of their baseline consciousness, and in their relationship to alcohol and drinking. in these cases, experiences of catharsis, forgiveness, self-compassion, and love were at least as salient as classic mystical content. finally, feelings of increased ‘spaciousness’ or mindfulness, and increased control over choices and behavior were reported following the drug administration sessions. ultimately, psilocybin-assisted treatment appears to elicit experiences that are extremely variable, yet seem to meet the particular needs of the individual.”
Awan, A. R., Winter, J. M., Turner, D., Shaw, W. M., Suz, L. M., Bradshaw, A. J., … Dentinger, B.. (2018). Convergent evolution of psilocybin biosynthesis by psychedelic mushrooms. BioRxiv
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1101/374199
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“Psilocybin is a psychoactive compound with clinical applications produced by dozens of mushroom species. there has been a longstanding interest in psilocybin research with regard to treatment for addiction, depression, and end-of-life suffering. however, until recently very little was known about psilocybin biosynthesis and its ecological role. here we confirm and refine recent findings about the genes underpinning psilocybin biosynthesis, discover that there is more than one psilocybin biosynthesis cluster in mushrooms, and we provide the first data directly addressing psilocybin’s ecological role. by analysing independent genome assemblies for the hallucinogenic mushrooms psilocybe cyanescens and pluteus salicinus we recapture the recently discovered psilocybin biosynthesis cluster and show that a transcription factor previously implicated in its regulation is actually not part of the cluster. further, we show that the mushroom inocybe corydalina produces psilocybin but does not contain the established biosynthetic cluster, and we present an alternative cluster. finally, a meta-transcriptome analysis of wild-collected mushrooms provides evidence for intra-mushroom insect gene expression of flies whose larvae grow inside psilocybe cyanescens. these larvae were successfully reared into adults. our results show that psilocybin does not confer complete protection against insect mycophagy, and the hypothesis that it is produced as an adaptive defense compound may need to be reconsidered.”
Kaelen, M., Giribaldi, B., Raine, J., Evans, L., Timmermann, C., Rodriguez, N., … Carhart-Harris, R.. (2018). Correction to: The hidden therapist: evidence for a central role of music in psychedelic therapy (Psychopharmacology, (2018), 235, 2, (505-519), 10.1007/s00213-017-4820-5). Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4886-8
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“RATIONALE: recent studies have supported the safety and efficacy of psychedelic therapy for mood disorders and addiction. music is considered an important component in the treatment model, but little empirical research has been done to examine the magnitude and nature of its therapeutic role., objectives: the present study assessed the influence of music on the acute experience and clinical outcomes of psychedelic therapy., methods: semi-structured interviews inquired about the different ways in which music influenced the experience of 19 patients undergoing psychedelic therapy with psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. interpretative phenomenological analysis was applied to the interview data to identify salient themes. in addition, ratings were given for each patient for the extent to which they expressed ‘liking,’ ‘resonance’ (the music being experienced as ‘harmonious’ with the emotional state of the listener), and ‘openness’ (acceptance of the music-evoked experience)., results: analyses of the interviews revealed that the music had both ‘welcome’ and ‘unwelcome’ influences on patients’ subjective experiences. welcome influences included the evocation of personally meaningful and therapeutically useful emotion and mental imagery, a sense of guidance, openness, and the promotion of calm and a sense of safety. conversely, unwelcome influences included the evocation of unpleasant emotion and imagery, a sense of being misguided and resistance. correlation analyses showed that patients’ experience of the music was associated with the occurrence of ‘mystical experiences’ and ‘insightfulness.’ crucially, the nature of the music experience was significantly predictive of reductions in depression 1 week after psilocybin, whereas general drug intensity was not., conclusions: this study indicates that music plays a central therapeutic function in psychedelic therapy.”
Cameron, L. P., & Olson, D. E.. (2018). Dark Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: N , N -Dimethyltryptamine (DMT). ACS Chemical Neuroscience
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00101
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“Though relatively obscure, n,n-dimethyltryptamine (dmt) is an important molecule in psychopharmacology as it is the archetype for all indole-containing serotonergic psychedelics. its structure can be found embedded within those of better-known molecules such as lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd) and psilocybin. unlike the latter two compounds, dmt is ubiquitous, being produced by a wide variety of plant and animal species. it is one of the principal psychoactive components of ayahuasca, a tisane made from various plant sources that has been used for centuries. furthermore, dmt is one of the few psychedelic compounds produced endogenously by mammals, and its biological function in human physiology remains a mystery. in this review, we cover the synthesis of dmt as well as its pharmacology, metabolism, adverse effects, and potential use in medicine. finally, we discuss the history of dmt in chemical neuroscience and why this underappreciated molecule is so important to the field of psychedelic science.”
Nichols, D. E.. (2018). Dark Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD). ACS Chemical Neuroscience
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00043
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“Lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd) is one of the most potent psychoactive agents known, producing dramatic alterations of consciousness after submilligram (≥20 μg) oral doses. following the accidental discovery of its potent psychoactive effects in 1943, it was supplied by sandoz laboratories as an experimental drug that might be useful as an adjunct for psychotherapy, or to give psychiatrists insight into the mental processes in their patients. the finding of serotonin in the mammalian brain in 1953, and its structural resemblance to lsd, quickly led to ideas that serotonin in the brain might be involved in mental disorders, initiating rapid research interest in the neurochemistry of serotonin. lsd proved to be physiologically very safe and nonaddictive, with a very low incidence of adverse events when used in controlled experiments. widely hailed by psychiatry as a breakthrough in the 1950s and early 1960s, clinical research with lsd ended by about 1970, when it was formally placed into schedule 1 of the controlled substances act of 1970 following its growing popularity as a recreational drug. within the past 5 years, clinical research with lsd has begun in europe, but there has been none in the united states. lsd is proving to be a powerful tool to help understand brain dynamics when combined with modern brain imaging methods. it remains to be seen whether therapeutic value for lsd can be confirmed in controlled clinical trials, but promising results have been obtained in small pilot trials of depression, anxiety, and addictions using psilocybin, a related psychedelic molecule. keywords:”
Geiger, H. A., Wurst, M. G., & Daniels, R. N.. (2018). Dark Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Psilocybin. ACS Chemical Neuroscience
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00186
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“Psilocybin is found in a family of mushrooms commonly known as ‘magic mushrooms’ that have been used throughout history to induce hallucinations. in the late 1950s albert hofmann, of sandoz laboratories, identified and synthesized the psychoactive compounds psilocybin and psilocin which are found in psilocybe mushrooms. psilocybin was marketed by sandoz as indocybin for basic psychopharmacological and therapeutic clinical research. psilocybin saw a rapid rise in popularity during the 1960s and was classed as a schedule i drug in 1970. this led to a significant decrease in psilocybin research. recently, however, preliminary studies with psilocybin have shown promise as potential for the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder, alcohol addiction, tobacco addiction, and major depressive disorder, and the treatment of depression in terminally ill cancer patients. this review describes in detail the synthesis, metabolism, pharmacology, adverse drug reactions, and importance of psilocybin to neuroscience in the past and present.”
Bayne, T., & Carter, O.. (2018). Dimensions of consciousness and the psychedelic state. Neuroscience of Consciousness
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1093/nc/niy008
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“It has often been suggested in the popular and academic literature that the psychedelic state qualifies as a higher state of consciousness relative to the state of normal waking awareness. this article subjects this proposal to critical scrutiny, focusing on the question of what it would mean for a state of consciousness to be ‘higher’. we begin by considering the contrast between conscious contents and conscious global states. we then review the changes in conscious global state associated with psychedelic drug use, focusing on the effects of two serotonergic hallucinogens: psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide. limiting our review to findings obtained from lab-based experiments and reported in peer-reviewed journals, we prioritize the more common and reliably induced effects obtained through subjective questionnaires and psychophysical measures. the findings are grouped into three broad categories (sensory perception, cognitive function, and experiences of unity) and demonstrate that although certain aspects of consciousness are improved or enhanced in the psychedelic state, many of the functional capacities that are associated with consciousness are seriously compromised. psychedelic-induced states of consciousness are indeed remarkable in many ways, but it is inappropriate to regard them as ‘higher’ states of consciousness. the fact that psychedelics affect different aspects of consciousness in fundamentally different ways provides evidence against the unidimensional (or ’level-based’) view of consciousness, and instead provides strong support for a multidimensional conception of conscious states. the final section of the article considers the implications of this analysis for two prominent theories of consciousness: the global workspace theory and integrated information theory.”
Boyce, G., Gluck-Thaler, E., Slot, J. C., Stajich, J. E., Davis, W. J., James, T. Y., … Kasson, M. T.. (2018). Discovery of psychoactive plant and mushroom alkaloids in ancient fungal cicada pathogens. BioRxiv
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1101/375105
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“Entomopathogenic fungi routinely kill their hosts before releasing infectious conidia, but select species keep their hosts alive while sporulating to enhance spore dispersal. recent expression and metabolomics studies involving host-killing entomopathogens have helped unravel infection processes and host responses, yet the mechanisms underlying active host transmission in insects with entomophthoralean fungal infections are completely unexplored. here we report the discovery, through global and targeted metabolomics supported by metagenomics and proteomics, of the plant amphetamine, cathinone, in massospora cicadina -infected periodical cicadas, and the mushroom tryptamine, psilocybin, in m. platypediae – and m. levispora -infected annual cicadas. the neurogenic activities of these alkaloids provide a hypothetical framework for a chemically induced extended phenotype of massospora that alters cicada behavior by increasing endurance and suppressing feeding prior to death.”
De Gregorio, D., Enns, J. P., Nuñez, N. A., Posa, L., & Gobbi, G.. (2018). D-Lysergic acid diethylamide, psilocybin, and other classic hallucinogens: Mechanism of action and potential therapeutic applications in mood disorders. Progress in Brain Research
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.07.008
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“Depression and anxiety are psychiatric diagnoses commonly associated with low quality of life and low percentage of responsiveness by patients treated with currently available drugs. thus, research into alternative compounds to treat these disorders is essential to guarantee a patient’s remission. the last decade has witnessed a revamped interest for the application of psychedelic medicine for the treatment of mental disorders due to anecdotal reports and clinical studies which show that low doses of d-lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd) and psilocybin may have antidepressant effects. lsd and psilocybin have demonstrated mood-modulating properties likely due to their capacity to modulate serotonergic (5-ht), dopaminergic (da) and glutamatergic systems. lsd, belonging to the category of ‘classic halluginogens,’ interacts with the 5-ht system through 5ht1a, and 5ht2areceptors, with the da system through d2receptors, and indirectly also the glutamatergic neurotransmission thought the recruitment of n-methyl-d-aspartate (nmda) receptors. randomized clinical studies have confirmed its antidepressant and anxiolytic effects in humans. thus, in this chapter, we will review the pharmacology of psychedelic drugs, report the most striking clinical evidence which substantiate the therapeutic potentials of these fascinating compounds in mood disorders, and look into the horizon of where psychedelic medicine is heading.”
Leonard, J. B., Anderson, B., & Klein-Schwartz, W.. (2018). Does getting high hurt? Characterization of cases of LSD and psilocybin-containing mushroom exposures to national poison centers between 2000 and 2016. Journal of Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1177/0269881118793086
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“Background:lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd) and psilocybin are serotonergic hallucinogens that are used primarily for recreational abuse. small studies evaluated the efficacy of lsd and psilocybin for several psychiatric conditions. there are limited safety or toxicity data for either of these substances, especially in large populations.methods:this was a retrospective analysis of single-substance exposures of lsd or psilocybin-containing mushrooms (pcms) reported to united states poison centers from 1 january 2000 to 31 december 2016. the study describes the most frequent toxicities, management sites, and medical outcomes.results:a total of 5883 pcm and 3554 lsd exposures were included. most patients were between 13 and 29 years of age (83.9% pcm, 88.9% lsd) and primarily male (77.9% pcm, 74.1% lsd). most common clinical effects were hallucinations (45.8% pcm, 37.4% lsd), agitation (24.1% pcm, 42.4% lsd), and tachycardia (18.0% pcm, 38.6% lsd). serious clinical effects were infrequent, but included hyper…”
Barrett, F. S., Carbonaro, T. M., Hurwitz, E., Johnson, M. W., & Griffiths, R. R.. (2018). Double-blind comparison of the two hallucinogens psilocybin and dextromethorphan: effects on cognition. Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4981-x
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“Rationale although psilocybin and dextromethorphan (dxm) are hallucinogens, they have different receptor mechanisms of action and have not been directly compared. objective this study compared subjective, behavioral, and physiological effects of psilocybin and dextromethorphan under conditions that minimized expectancy effects. methods single, acute oral doses of psilocybin (10, 20, 30 mg/70 kg), dxm (400 mg/70 kg), and placebo were administered under double-blind conditions to 20 healthy participants with histories of hallucinogen use. instructions to participants and staff minimized expectancy effects. various subjective, behavioral, and physiological effects were assessed after drug administration. results high doses of both drugs produced similar increases in participant ratings of peak overall drug effect strength, with similar times to maximal effect and time-course. psilocybin produced orderly dose-related increases on most participant-rated subjective measures previously shown sensitive to hallucinogens. dxm produced increases on most of these same measures. however, the high dose of psilocybin produced significantly greater and more diverse visual effects than dxm including greater movement and more frequent, brighter, distinctive, and complex (including textured and kaleidoscopic) images and visions. compared to dxm, psilocybin also produced significantly greater mystical-type and psychologically insightful experiences and greater absorption in music. in contrast, dxm produced larger effects than psilocybin on measures of disembodiment, nausea/emesis, and light-headedness. both drugs increased systolic blood pressure, heart rate, and pupil dilation and decreased psychomotor performance and balance. conclusions psilocybin and dxm produced similar profiles of subjective experiences, with psilocybin producing relatively greater visual, mystical-type, insightful, and musical experiences, and dxm producing greater disembodiment.”
Erritzoe, D., Roseman, L., Nour, M. M., MacLean, K., Kaelen, M., Nutt, D. J., & Carhart-Harris, R. L.. (2018). Effects of psilocybin therapy on personality structure. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1111/acps.12904
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“PDF | objective to explore whether psilocybin with psychological support modulates personality parameters in patients suffering from treatment‐resistant depression (trd). method twenty patients with moderate or severe, unipolar, trd received oral psilocybin (10 and 25 mg, one week…”
dos Santos, R. G., Bouso, J. C., Alcázar-Córcoles, M. Á., & Hallak, J. E. C.. (2018). Efficacy, tolerability, and safety of serotonergic psychedelics for the management of mood, anxiety, and substance-use disorders: a systematic review of systematic reviews. Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2018.1511424
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“INTRODUCTION mood, anxiety, and substance-use disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in the population. although several pharmacological treatments are available, they are not effective for a significant proportion of patients and are associated with several adverse reactions. therefore, new treatments should be explored. recent studies suggest that serotonergic hallucinogens/psychedelics including ayahuasca, psilocybin, and lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd) have anxiolytic, antidepressive, and antiaddictive effects. areas covered: a systematic review of systematic reviews assessing the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of serotonergic hallucinogens/psychedelic was performed using the pubmed data base until 11 april 2018. systematic reviews with or without meta-analysis were analyzed, but only reviews that described at least one randomized controlled trial (rct) were included. expert commentary: psilocybin and lsd reduced anxiety and depression in cancer patients and symptoms of alcohol and tobacco dependence, and ayahuasca reduced depression symptoms in treatment-resistant depression. although the results are promising, several studies were open label, and only few were rcts, and most had small sample sizes and a short duration. single or few doses of these drugs seem to be well tolerated, but long-term studies are lacking. new rcts with bigger samples and longer duration are needed to replicate these findings.”
Bobbett, M.. (2018). Ego death resulting from psilocybin experiences: Exploring the concept within mysticism. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering
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“The concept of ego-death was explored as a possible subset of mystical experience resulting from psilocybin mushroom ingestion. participants in an online self-report study were asked to describe their most personally meaningful psilocybin experience, which they also must have deemed mystical or profound for inclusion in the study. of the 350 total participants, 272 (77.7%) reported having an ego-death experience. this group had significantly higher scores on 27 of 30 items on the mystical experiences questionnaire (meq: maclean, leoutsakos, johnson, & griffiths, 2012) and significantly differed in the form of psilocybin they ingested x2(1)= 11.02, p= .004 and dosage of psilocybin x 2(1)= 13.58, p=.004, compared to those who did not report ego death. an exploratory factor analysis of the meq revealed similarities to the factors presented by maclean (et al., 2012). lastly, in line with the hypothesis of the study, the ego-death group had significantly higher scores than the non-ego-death group on the time and space and mystical factor loadings. the results of the current study have implications for the practice of clinical psychology in general as well as the specific niche of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies. the experience of ego-death and its potential for personal change, as revealed in the qualitative analysis, is especially relevant for practitioners of psychotherapy. (psycinfo database record (c) 2017 apa, all rights reserved)”
Hoefgen, S., Lin, J., Fricke, J., Stroe, M. C., Mattern, D. J., Kufs, J. E., … Valiante, V.. (2018). Facile assembly and fluorescence-based screening method for heterologous expression of biosynthetic pathways in fungi. Metabolic Engineering
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2018.05.014
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“Heterologous expression of multi-gene biosynthetic pathways in eukaryotic hosts is limited by highly regulated individual monocistrons. dissimilar to prokaryotes, each eukaryotic gene is strictly controlled by its own regulatory elements, such as promoter and terminator. consequently, parallel transcription can occur only when a group of genes is synchronously activated. a strategy to circumvent this limitation is the concerted expression of multiple genes as a polycistron. by exploiting the ‘stop-carry on’ mechanism of picornaviruses, we have designed a sophisticated, yet easy-to-assemble vector system to heterologously express multiple genes under the control of a single promoter. for facile selection of correctly transformed colonies by basic fluorescence microscopy, our vector includes a split gene for a fluorescent reporter protein. this method was successfully applied to produce the psychotropic mushroom alkaloid psilocybin in high yields by heterologous expression of the entire biosynthetic gene cluster in the mould aspergillus nidulans.”
López-Giménez, J. F., & González-Maeso, J.. (2018). Hallucinogens and serotonin 5-HT2Areceptor-mediated signaling pathways. In Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/7854_2017_478
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“The neuropsychological effects of naturally occurring psychoactive chemicals have been recognized for millennia. hallucinogens, which include naturally occurring chemicals such as mescaline and psilocybin, as well as synthetic compounds, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd), induce profound alterations of human consciousness, emotion, and cognition. the discovery of the hallucinogenic effects of lsd and the observations that lsd and the endogenous ligand serotonin share chemical and pharmacological profiles led to the suggestion that biogenic amines like serotonin were involved in the psychosis of mental disorders such as schizophrenia. although they bind other g protein-coupled receptor (gpcr) subtypes, studies indicate that several effects of hallucinogens involve agonist activity at the serotonin 5-ht2areceptor. in this chapter, we review recent advances in understanding hallucinogen drug action through characterization of structure, neuroanatomical location, and function of the 5-ht2areceptor.”
Nicholas, C. R., Henriquez, K. M., Gassman, M. C., Cooper, K. M., Muller, D., Hetzel, S., … Hutson, P. R.. (2018). High dose psilocybin is associated with positive subjective effects in healthy volunteers. Journal of Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1177/0269881118780713
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“AIM the aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between escalating higher doses of psilocybin and the potential psilocybin occasioned positive subjective effects. methods healthy participants ( n=12) were given three escalating doses of oral psilocybin (0.3 mg/kg; 0.45 mg/kg; 0.6 mg/kg) or (18.8-36.6 mg; 27.1-54.0 mg; 36.3-59.2 mg) a minimum of four weeks apart in a supervised setting. blood and urine samples, vital signs, and electrocardiograms were obtained. subjective effects were assessed using the mystical experience questionnaire and persisting effects questionnaire. results there was a significant linear dose-related response in mystical experience questionnaire total score and the transcendence of time and space subscale, but not in the rate of a complete mystical experience. there was also a significant difference between dose 3 compared to dose 1 on the transcendence of time and space subscale, while no dose-related differences were found for mystical experience questionnaire total scores or rate of a mystical experience. persisting effects questionnaire positive composite scores 30 days after completion of the last dose were significantly higher than negative composite scores. persisting effects questionnaire results revealed a moderate increase in sense of well-being or life satisfaction on average that was associated with the maximum mystical experience questionnaire total score. pharmacokinetic measures were associated with dose but not with mystical experience questionnaire total scores or rate of a mystical experience. conclusions high doses of psilocybin elicited subjective effects at least as strong as the lower doses and resulted in positive persisting subjective effects 30 days after, indicating that a complete mystical experience was not a prerequisite for positive outcomes.”
He, X., Veetil, S. P., Pan, X., Sun, A., Liu, C., & Zhu, J.. (2018). High-speed ptychographic imaging based on multiple-beam illumination. Optics Express
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1364/OE.26.025869
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“Psilocybin was first isolated from psilocybe mexicana heim. the same method of extraction has since been employed to isolate psilocybin from the dried carpophores of the following fungi: psilocybe caerulescens murr.var. mazatecorum heim; psilocybe zapotecorum heim; psilocybe aztecorum heim; psilocybe semperviva heim and cailleuz; stropharia cubensis earle, of mexican, siamese and cambodian origin. thus, psilocybin has been found not only in all mexican species of psilocybe studied but also in stropharia cubensis from mexicao and south-east asia. the hallucinogenic effect of stropharia cubensis has been previously reported.”
Reynolds, H. T., Vijayakumar, V., Gluck-Thaler, E., Korotkin, H. B., Matheny, P. B., & Slot, J. C.. (2018). Horizontal gene cluster transfer increased hallucinogenic mushroom diversity. Evolution Letters
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1002/evl3.42
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“Secondary metabolites are a heterogeneous class of chemicals that often mediate interactions between species. the tryptophan- derived secondary metabolite, psilocin, is a serotonin receptor agonist that induces altered states of consciousness. a phylogenet- ically disjunct group of mushroom-forming fungi in the agaricales produce the psilocin prodrug, psilocybin. spotty phylogenetic distributions of fungal compounds are sometimes explained by horizontal transfer of metabolic gene clusters among unrelated fungi with overlapping niches. we report the discovery of a psilocybin gene cluster in three hallucinogenic mushroom genomes, and evidence for its horizontal transfer between fungal lineages. patterns of gene distribution and transmission suggest that synthesis of psilocybin may have provided a fitness advantage in the dung and late wood-decay fungal niches, which may serve as reservoirs of fungal indole-based metabolites that alter behavior of mycophagous and wood-eating invertebrates. these hal- lucinogenic mushroom genomes will serve as models in neurochemical ecology, advancing the (bio)prospecting and synthetic biology of novel neuropharmaceuticals.”
Penna, A., Konstantatos, A. H., Cranwell, W., Paul, E., & Bruscino-Raiola, F. R.. (2018). Incidence and associations of painful neuroma in a contemporary cohort of lower-limb amputees. ANZ Journal of Surgery
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1111/ans.14293
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“This study sought to assess the tolerability of intravenously administered psilocybin in healthy, hallucinogen-experienced volunteers in a mock-magnetic resonance imaging environment as a preliminary stage to a controlled investigation using functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the effects of psilocybin on cerebral blood flow and activity. the present pilot study demonstrated that up to 2 mg of psilocybin delivered as a slow intravenous injection produces short-lived but typical drug effects that are psychologically and physiologically well tolerated. with appropriate care, this study supports the viability of functional magnetic resonance imaging work with psilocybin.”
Roseman, L., Demetriou, L., Wall, M. B., Nutt, D. J., & Carhart-Harris, R. L.. (2018). Increased amygdala responses to emotional faces after psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. Neuropharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.12.041
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“Recent evidence indicates that psilocybin with psychological support may be effective for treating depression. some studies have found that patients with depression show heightened amygdala responses to fearful faces and there is reliable evidence that treatment with ssris attenuates amygdala responses (ma, 2015). we hypothesised that amygdala responses to emotional faces would be altered post-treatment with psilocybin. in this open-label study, 20 individuals diagnosed with moderate to severe, treatment-resistant depression, underwent two separate dosing sessions with psilocybin. psychological support was provided before, during and after these sessions and 19 completed fmri scans one week prior to the first session and one day after the second and last. neutral, fearful and happy faces were presented in the scanner and analyses focused on the amygdala. group results revealed rapid and enduring improvements in depressive symptoms post psilocybin. increased responses to fearful and happy faces were observed in the right amygdala post-treatment, and right amygdala increases to fearful versus neutral faces were predictive of clinical improvements at 1-week. psilocybin with psychological support was associated with increased amygdala responses to emotional stimuli, an opposite effect to previous findings with ssris. this suggests fundamental differences in these treatments’ therapeutic actions, with ssris mitigating negative emotions and psilocybin allowing patients to confront and work through them. based on the present results, we propose that psilocybin with psychological support is a treatment approach that potentially revives emotional responsiveness in depression, enabling patients to reconnect with their emotions. trial registration: isrctn, number isrctn14426797.”
Lyons, T., & Carhart-Harris, R. L.. (2018). Increased nature relatedness and decreased authoritarian political views after psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 32(7), 811–819.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1177/0269881117748902
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“Rationale:previous research suggests that classical psychedelic compounds can induce lasting changes in personality traits, attitudes and beliefs in both healthy subjects and patient populations.aim:here we sought to investigate the effects of psilocybin on nature relatedness and libertarian–authoritarian political perspective in patients with treatment-resistant depression (trd).methods:this open-label pilot study with a mixed-model design studied the effects of psilocybin on measures of nature relatedness and libertarian–authoritarian political perspective in patients with moderate to severe trd (n=7) versus age-matched non-treated healthy control subjects (n=7). psilocybin was administered in two oral dosing sessions (10 mg and 25 mg) 1 week apart. main outcome measures were collected 1 week and 7–12 months after the second dosing session. nature relatedness and libertarian–authoritarian political perspective were assessed using the nature relatedness scale (nr-6) and political perspective questionnair…”
Malone, T. C., Mennenga, S. E., Guss, J., Podrebarac, S. K., Owens, L. T., Bossis, A. P., … Ross, S.. (2018). Individual experiences in four cancer patients following psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. Frontiers in Pharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00256
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“A growing body of evidence shows that existential and spiritual well-being in cancer patients is associated with better medical outcomes, improved quality of life, and serves as a buffer against depression, hopelessness, and desire for hastened death. historical and recent research suggests a role for psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in treating cancer-related anxiety and depression. a double-blind controlled trial was performed, where 29 patients with cancer-related anxiety and depression were randomly assigned to treatment with single-dose psilocybin (0.3 mg/kg) or niacin in conjunction with psychotherapy. previously published results of this trial demonstrated that, in conjunction with psychotherapy, moderate-dose psilocybin produced rapid, robust, and enduring anxiolytic and anti-depressant effects. here, we illustrate unique clinical courses described by four participants using quantitative measures of acute and persisting effects of psilocybin, anxiety, depression, quality of life, and spiritual well-being, as well as qualitative interviews, written narratives, and clinician notes. although the content of each psilocybin-assisted experience was unique to each participant, several thematic similarities and differences across the various sessions stood out. these four participants’ personal narratives extended beyond the cancer diagnosis itself, frequently revolving around themes of self-compassion and love, acceptance of death, and memories of past trauma, though the specific details or narrative content differ substantially. the results presented here demonstrate the personalized nature of the subjective experiences elicited through treatment with psilocybin, particularly with respect to the spiritual and/or psychological needs of each patient.”
Whelan, A., & Johnson, M. I.. (2018). Lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin for the management of patients with persistent pain: a potential role?. Pain Management
Plain numerical DOI: 10.2217/pmt-2017-0068
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“Recently, there has been interest in lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd) and psilocybin for depression, anxiety and fear of death in terminal illness. the aim of this review is to discuss the potential use of lsd and psilocybin for patients with persistent pain. lsd and psilocybin are 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor agonists and may interact with nociceptive and antinociceptive processing. tentative evidence from a systematic review suggests that lsd (7 studies, 323 participants) and psilocybin (3 studies, 92 participants) may be beneficial for depression and anxiety associated with distress in life-threatening diseases. lsd and psilocybin are generally safe if administered by a healthcare professional, although further investigations are needed to assess their utility for patients with persistent pain, especially associated with terminal illness.”
Lyons, T., & Carhart-Harris, R. L.. (2018). More Realistic Forecasting Of Future Life Events After Psilocybin For Treatment-Resistant Depression.. Frontiers in Psychology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.3389/FPSYG.2018.01721
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“Background: evidence suggests that classical psychedelics can promote enduring changes in personality, attitudes and optimism, as well as improvements in mental health outcomes. aim: to investigate the effects of a composite intervention, involving psilocybin, on pessimism biases in patients with treatment-resistant depression (trd). methods: patients with trd (n=15) and matched, untreated non-depressed controls (n=15) performed the prediction of future life events (pofle) task. the pofle task requires participants to predict the likelihood of certain life events occurring within a 30-day period, after which the actual rate of event occurrence is reported; this gives an index of potential pessimism versus optimism bias. psilocybin was administered in two oral dosing sessions (10mg and 25mg) one week apart. main outcome measures were collected at baseline and one week after the second dosing session. results: patients showed a significant pessimism bias at baseline (t(14)=-3.260, p=0.006; 95% ci [-0.16,-0.03], g=1.1) which was related to the severity of their depressive symptoms (rs=-0.55, p=0.017). one week after psilocybin treatment, this bias was significantly decreased (t(14)=-2.714, p=0.017; 95% ci [-0.21,-0.02], g=0.7) and depressive symptoms were greatly improved (t(14)=7.900, p<0.001; 95% ci [16.17,28.23], d=1.9); moreover, the magnitude of change in both variables was significantly correlated (r=-0.57, p=0.014). importantly, post treatment, patients became significantly more accurate at predicting the occurrence of future life events (t(14)=1.857, p=0.042; 95% ci [-0.01,0.12], g=0.6) whereas no such change was observed in the control subjects. conclusions: these findings suggest that psilocybin with psychological support might correct pessimism biases in treatment-resistant depression, enabling a more positive and accurate outlook.”
Carrillo, F., Sigman, M., Fernández Slezak, D., Ashton, P., Fitzgerald, L., Stroud, J., … Carhart-Harris, R. L.. (2018). Natural speech algorithm applied to baseline interview data can predict which patients will respond to psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. Journal of Affective Disorders
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.01.006
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“Background: natural speech analytics has seen some improvements over recent years, and this has opened a window for objective and quantitative diagnosis in psychiatry. here, we used a machine learning algorithm applied to natural speech to ask whether language properties measured before psilocybin for treatment-resistant can predict for which patients it will be effective and for which it will not. methods: a baseline autobiographical memory interview was conducted and transcribed. patients with treatment-resistant depression received 2 doses of psilocybin, 10 mg and 25 mg, 7 days apart. psychological support was provided before, during and after all dosing sessions. quantitative speech measures were applied to the interview data from 17 patients and 18 untreated age-matched healthy control subjects. a machine learning algorithm was used to classify between controls and patients and predict treatment response. results: speech analytics and machine learning successfully differentiated depressed patients from healthy controls and identified treatment responders from non-responders with a significant level of 85% of accuracy (75% precision). conclusions: automatic natural language analysis was used to predict effective response to treatment with psilocybin, suggesting that these tools offer a highly cost-effective facility for screening individuals for treatment suitability and sensitivity. limitations: the sample size was small and replication is required to strengthen inferences on these results.”
Pogorelov, B. A., & Pudovkina, M. A.. (2018). On groups containing the additive group of the residue ring or the vector space. Discrete Mathematics and Applications
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1515/dma-2018-0021
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“A comparison of personality factors on scales of the minnesota multiphasic personality inventory-adolescent (mmpi-a) was conducted with a sample of adolescents referred to a residential substance abuse treatment program. a total of sixty adolescents identified with hallucinogen (n = 20), cannabis (n = 20), or methamphetamine (n = 20) as their drug of choice participated in the study. all adolescents met criteria for hallucinogen, cannabis, or methamphetamine dependence in accordance with their assigned groups. adolescents were matched by age and gender. primary analysis revealed significant differences between hallucinogen and cannabis groups on the hypochondriasis (hs), schizophrenia (sc), and adolescent-bizarre mentation (a-biz) scales. post hoc analyses on remaining clinical, content, and validity scales revealed significant differences between ’hallucinogen and cannabis groups on the infrequency (f) scale. scores on all scales of the methamphetamine group were not significantly different from scale scores on the cannabis or hallucinogen groups. although sample sizes were small, this is one of the first studies to utilize personality assessment in order to differentiate personality characteristics of adolescents who report hallucinogen (i.e., psilocybin mushroom), cannabis, or methamphetamine as drug of choice. (psycinfo database record (c) 2009 apa, all rights reserved)”
Kuypers, K. P. C.. (2018). Out of the box: A psychedelic model to study the creative mind. Medical Hypotheses
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2018.03.010
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“Our creativity is challenged daily when facing new situations asking for novel solutions. creativity, a multicomponent construct includes flexible divergent and rigid convergent thinking. psychedelic drugs like psilocybin can enhance creativity and affect state of mind (mood, empathy, openness). of note, flexible thinking is disturbed in psychopathological conditions like anxiety disorders and depression and preliminary findings have shown psychedelics to be efficacious in the treatment of those conditions. the question how psychedelics induce this state of enhanced flexible thinking remains to be answered and investigating the neurobiology underlying this phenomenon will not only help in understanding why psychedelics are of use in the therapeutic setting but also in other settings where flexible thinking is challenged. a model including neuronal networks, neurotransmitters and personal factors playing a role in this process will be proposed which can be put to the test by means of placebo-controlled pharmaco-imaging studies in healthy volunteers.”
James, E., Robertshaw, T. L., Westwell, A. D., & Smith, A. P.. (2018). Pharmacies as potential providers of harm reduction services: A preliminary online survey. Drug Science, Policy and Law
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1177/2050324518767441
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“BackgroundRecreational drug use is a major cause of disease, injury, physical and mental impairment and death in developed countries such as the united kingdom and the united states. alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (mdma) and psilocybe mushrooms are recreational drugs with capacity to cause harm. cannabis, mdma and psilocybin have reported therapeutic applications.objectivesthe primary purpose of this study was to determine which of the three types of vendor (pharmacy, shop and the black market) are perceived to be the most suitable for selling the substances discussed according to a general population sample.methodsa sample of 105 uk nationals was selected for the survey. participants were presented information regarding reported relative dangers of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, mdma and psilocybin and potential therapeutic applications. participants were then asked to review harm reduction strategies.resultsit was found that participants concluded that pharmacists with availa…”
Fricke, J., Lenz, C., Wick, J., Blei, F., & Hoffmeister, D.. (2018). Production options for psilocybin – the making of the magic. Chemistry – A European Journal
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1002/chem.201802758
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“The fungal genus psilocybe and other genera comprise numerous mushroom species that biosynthesize psilocybin (4‐phosphoryloxy‐n,n‐dimethyltryptamine). it represents the prodrug to its dephosphorylated psychotropic analog, psilocin. the colloquial term ‘magic mushrooms’ for these fungi alludes to their hallucinogenic effects and to their use as recreational drug. however, clinical trials have recognized psilocybin as a valuable candidate to be developed into a medication against depression and anxiety. we here highlight its recently elucidated biosynthesis, the concurrently developed concept of enzymatic in vitro and heterologous in vivo production, along with previous synthetic routes. the prospect of psilocybin as promising therapeutic may entail an increased demand which can be met by biotechnological production. therefore, we briefly touch on psilocybin’s therapeutic relevance and pharmacology as well.”
Gabay, A. S., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Mazibuko, N., Kempton, M. J., Morrison, P. D., Nutt, D. J., & Mehta, M. A.. (2018). Psilocybin and mdma reduce costly punishment in the ultimatum game. Scientific Reports
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26656-2
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“Disruptions in social decision-making are becoming evident in many psychiatric conditions. these are studied using paradigms investigating the psychological mechanisms underlying interpersonal interactions, such as the ultimatum game (ug). rejection behaviour in the ug represents altruistic punishment – the costly punishment of norm violators – but the mechanisms underlying it require clarification. to investigate the psychopharmacology of ug behaviour, we carried out two studies with healthy participants, employing serotonergic agonists: psilocybin (open-label, within-participant design, n = 19) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (mdma; placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover design, n = 20). we found that both mdma and psilocybin reduced rejection of unfair offers (odds ratio: 0.57 and 0.42, respectively). the reduction in rejection rate following mdma was associated with increased prosociality (r2 = 0.26, p = 0.025). in the mdma study, we investigated third-party decision-making and proposer behaviour. mdma did not reduce rejection in the third-party condition, but produced an increase in the amount offered to others (cohen’s d = 0.82). we argue that these compounds altered participants’ conceptualisation of ‘social reward’, placing more emphasis on the direct relationship with interacting partners. with these compounds showing efficacy in drug-assisted psychotherapy, these studies are an important step in the further characterisation of their psychological effects.”
Barnby, J. M., & Mehta, M. A.. (2018). Psilocybin and mental health-don’t lose control. Frontiers in Psychiatry
Plain numerical DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00293
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Bravermanová, A., Viktorinová, M., Tylš, F., Novák, T., Androvičová, R., Korčák, J., … Páleníček, T.. (2018). Psilocybin disrupts sensory and higher order cognitive processing but not pre-attentive cognitive processing—study on P300 and mismatch negativity in healthy volunteers. Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4807-2
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“Recent advances need to be highlighted in the management of both localized and metastatic prostate cancer. new early detection and molecular characterization tools are being developed to improve differentiation of their progression profiles and reduce ‘“overdetection”’ and ‘“overtreatment”’ of clinically ‘ “insignificant”’ cancers. in addition, the development of multi-parametric mr has improved the characterization of localized cancer and introduced the new concept of focal treatment. finally, several treatments for metastatic cancer which is resistant to castration have recently increased the therapeutic armamentarium. © 2014 published by elsevier masson sas on behalf of the éditions françaises de radiologie. significant advances have been made recently and more will be made in the coming years in the treatment of prostate cancer. the first of these is improved detection and pretreat-ment characterization based on targeted multi-parametric mr-guided prostate biopsies and the development of new biomarkers. secondly, joint advances have been made both in imaging and in focal treatments, allowing small tumors to be targeted and providing as effective curative treatment as radical therapy but without its adverse effects. finally, new treatments for metastatic cancer which is resistant to castration have been developed.”
Grimm, O., Kraehenmann, R., Preller, K. H., Seifritz, E., & Vollenweider, F. X.. (2018). Psilocybin modulates functional connectivity of the amygdala during emotional face discrimination. European Neuropsychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.03.016
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“Recent studies suggest that the antidepressant effects of the psychedelic 5-ht2a receptor agonist psilocybin are mediated through its modulatory properties on prefrontal and limbic brain regions including the amygdala. to further investigate the effects of psilocybin on emotion processing networks, we studied for the first-time psilocybin’s acute effects on amygdala seed-to-voxel connectivity in an event-related face discrimination task in 18 healthy volunteers who received psilocybin and placebo in a double-blind balanced cross-over design. the amygdala has been implicated as a salience detector especially involved in the immediate response to emotional face content. we used beta-series amygdala seed-to-voxel connectivity during an emotional face discrimination task to elucidate the connectivity pattern of the amygdala over the entire brain. when we compared psilocybin to placebo, an increase in reaction time for all three categories of affective stimuli was found. psilocybin decreased the connectivity between amygdala and the striatum during angry face discrimination. during happy face discrimination, the connectivity between the amygdala and the frontal pole was decreased. no effect was seen during discrimination of fearful faces. thus, we show psilocybin’s effect as a modulator of major connectivity hubs of the amygdala. psilocybin decreases the connectivity between important nodes linked to emotion processing like the frontal pole or the striatum. future studies are needed to clarify whether connectivity changes predict therapeutic effects in psychiatric patients.”
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Bolstridge, M., Day, C. M. J., Rucker, J., Watts, R., Erritzoe, D. E., … Nutt, D. J.. (2018). Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Psychopharmacology, 235(2), 399–408.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4771-x
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“Background psilocybin is a serotonin receptor agonist that occurs naturally in some mushroom species. recent studies have assessed the therapeutic potential of psilocybin for various conditions, including end-of-life anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and smoking and alcohol dependence, with promising preliminary results. here, we aimed to investigate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of psilocybin in patients with unipolar treatment-resistant depression. methods in this open-label feasibility trial, 12 patients (six men, six women) with moderate-to-severe, unipolar, treatment-resistant major depression received two oral doses of psilocybin (10 mg and 25 mg, 7 days apart) in a supportive setting. there was no control group. psychological support was provided before, during, and after each session. the primary outcome measure for feasibility was patient-reported intensity of psilocybin’s effects. patients were monitored for adverse reactions during the dosing sessions and subsequent clinic and remote follow-up. depressive symptoms were assessed with standard assessments from 1 week to 3 months after treatment, with the 16-item quick inventory of depressive symptoms (qids) serving as the primary efficacy outcome. this trial is registered with isrctn, number isrctn14426797. findings psilocybin’s acute psychedelic effects typically became detectable 30–60 min after dosing, peaked 2–3 h after dosing, and subsided to negligible levels at least 6 h after dosing. mean self-rated intensity (on a 0–1 scale) was 0·51 (sd 0·36) for the low-dose session and 0·75 (sd 0·27) for the high-dose session. psilocybin was well tolerated by all of the patients, and no serious or unexpected adverse events occurred. the adverse reactions we noted were transient anxiety during drug onset (all patients), transient confusion or thought disorder (nine patients), mild and transient nausea (four patients), and transient headache (four patients). relative to baseline, depressive symptoms were markedly reduced 1 week (mean qids difference −11·8, 95% ci −9·15 to −14·35, p=0·002, hedges’ g=3·1) and 3 months (−9·2, 95% ci −5·69 to −12·71, p=0·003, hedges’ g=2) after high-dose treatment. marked and sustained improvements in anxiety and anhedonia were also noted. interpretation this study provides preliminary support for the safety and efficacy of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression and motivates further trials, with more rigorous designs, to better examine the therapeuti…”
Stroud, J. B., Freeman, T. P., Leech, R., Hindocha, C., Lawn, W., Nutt, D. J., … Carhart-Harris, R. L.. (2018). Psilocybin with psychological support improves emotional face recognition in treatment-resistant depression. Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4754-y
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“RATIONALE depressed patients robustly exhibit affective biases in emotional processing which are altered by ssris and predict clinical outcome. objectives the objective of this study is to investigate whether psilocybin, recently shown to rapidly improve mood in treatment-resistant depression (trd), alters patients’ emotional processing biases. methods seventeen patients with treatment-resistant depression completed a dynamic emotional face recognition task at baseline and 1 month later after two doses of psilocybin with psychological support. sixteen controls completed the emotional recognition task over the same time frame but did not receive psilocybin. results we found evidence for a group × time interaction on speed of emotion recognition (p = .035). at baseline, patients were slower at recognising facial emotions compared with controls (p < .001). after psilocybin, this difference was remediated (p = .208). emotion recognition was faster at follow-up compared with baseline in patients (p = .004, d = .876) but not controls (p = .263, d = .302). in patients, this change was significantly correlated with a reduction in anhedonia over the same time period (r = .640, p = .010). conclusions psilocybin with psychological support appears to improve processing of emotional faces in treatment-resistant depression, and this correlates with reduced anhedonia. placebo-controlled studies are warranted to follow up these preliminary findings.”
Griffiths, R. R., Johnson, M. W., Richards, W. A., Richards, B. D., Jesse, R., MacLean, K. A., … Klinedinst, M. A.. (2018). Psilocybin-occasioned mystical-type experience in combination with meditation and other spiritual practices produces enduring positive changes in psychological functioning and in trait measures of prosocial attitudes and behaviors. Journal of Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1177/0269881117731279
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“In 2 studies, we investigated victim attributions (study 1) and outcomes (study 2) for workplace aggression and sexual harassment. drawing on social categorization theory, we argue that victims of workplace aggression and sexual harassment may make different attributions about their mistreatment. in study 1, we investigated victim attributions in an experimental study. we hypothesized that victims of sexual harassment are more likely than victims of workplace aggression to depersonalize their mistreatment and attribute blame to the perpetrator or the perpetrator’s attitudes toward their gender. in contrast, victims of workplace aggression are more likely than victims of sexual harassment to personalize the mistreatment and make internal attributions. results supported our hypotheses. on the basis of differential attributions for these 2 types of mistreatment, we argue that victims of workplace aggression may experience stronger adverse outcomes than victims of sexual harassment. in study 2, we compared meta-analytically the attitudinal, behavioral, and health outcomes of workplace aggression and sexual harassment. negative outcomes of workplace aggression were stronger in magnitude than those of sexual harassment for 6 of the 8 outcome variables. implications and future directions are discussed.”
Solano, J., Anabalón, L., Figueroa, S., Lizama, C., Reyes, L. C., & Gangitano, D.. (2018). Psychedelic fungus (Psilocybe sp.) authentication in a case of illegal drug traffic: sporological, molecular analysis and identification of the psychoactive substance. Science and Justice
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2018.08.005
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“In nature, there are >200 species of fungi with hallucinogenic properties. these fungi are classified as psilocybe, gymnopilus, and panaeolus which contain active principles with hallucinogenic properties such as ibotenic acid, psilocybin, psilocin, or baeocystin. in chile, fungi seizures are mainly of mature specimens or spores. however, clandestine laboratories have been found that process fungus samples at the mycelium stage. in this transient stage of growth (mycelium), traditional taxonomic identification is not feasible, making it necessary to develop a new method of study. currently, dna analysis is the only reliable method that can be used as an identification tool for the purposes of supporting evidence, due to the high variability of dna between species. one way to identify the species of a distinctive dna fragment is to study pcr products analyzed by real time pcr and sequencing. one of the most popular sequencing methods of forensic interest at the generic and intra-generic levels in plants is internal transcribed spacer (its). with real time pcr it is possible to distinguish pcr products by differential analysis of their melting temperature ™ curves. this paper describes morphological, chemical, and genetic analysis of mycelia of psychedelic fungi collected from a clandestine laboratory. the fungus species were identified using scanning electron microscopy (sem), mass spectrometry, hrm analysis, and its sequencing. the sporological studies showed a generally smooth surface and oval shape, with maximum length 10.1 μm and width 6.4 μm. the alkaloid psilocyn was identified by mass spectrometry, while hrm analysis and its sequencing identified the species as psilocybe cubensis. a genetic match was confirmed between the hrm curves obtained from the mycelia (evidence) and biological tissue extracted from the fruiting bodies. mycelia recovered from the evidence and fruiting bodies (control) were genetically indistinguishable.”
Noorani, T., Garcia-Romeu, A., Swift, T. C., Griffiths, R. R., & Johnson, M. W.. (2018). Psychedelic therapy for smoking cessation: Qualitative analysis of participant accounts. Journal of Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1177/0269881118780612
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“Background:recent pilot trials suggest feasibility and potential efficacy of psychedelic-facilitated addiction treatment interventions. fifteen participants completed a psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation pilot study between 2009 and 2015.aims:the aims of this study were as follows: (1) to identify perceived mechanisms of change leading to smoking cessation in the pilot study; (2) to identify key themes in participant experiences and long-term outcomes to better understand the therapeutic process.methods:participants were invited to a retrospective follow-up interview an average of 30 months after initial psilocybin sessions. semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 of the 15 participants. data were analysed using thematic analysis.results:participants reported gaining vivid insights into self-identity and reasons for smoking from their psilocybin sessions. experiences of interconnectedness, awe, and curiosity persisted beyond the duration of acute drug effects. participants emphasised that …”
Noorani, T., Garcia-Romeu, A., Swift, T. C., Griffiths, R. R., & Johnson, M. W.. (2018). Psychedelic therapy for smoking cessation: Qualitative analysis of participant accounts. Journal of Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1177/0269881118780612
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“Background:recent pilot trials suggest feasibility and potential efficacy of psychedelic-facilitated addiction treatment interventions. fifteen participants completed a psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation pilot study between 2009 and 2015.aims:the aims of this study were as follows: (1) to identify perceived mechanisms of change leading to smoking cessation in the pilot study; (2) to identify key themes in participant experiences and long-term outcomes to better understand the therapeutic process.methods:participants were invited to a retrospective follow-up interview an average of 30 months after initial psilocybin sessions. semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 of the 15 participants. data were analysed using thematic analysis.results:participants reported gaining vivid insights into self-identity and reasons for smoking from their psilocybin sessions. experiences of interconnectedness, awe, and curiosity persisted beyond the duration of acute drug effects. participants emphasised that …”
Thiessen, M. S., Walsh, Z., Bird, B. M., & Lafrance, A.. (2018). Psychedelic use and intimate partner violence: The role of emotion regulation. Journal of Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1177/0269881118771782
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“Abstract background: recent evidence suggests that psychedelic use predicts reduced perpetration of intimate partner violence among men involved in the criminal justice system. however, the extent to which this association generalizes to community samples has not been examined, and potential mechanisms underlying this association have not been directly explored. aims: the present study examined the association between lifetime psychedelic use and intimate partner violence among a community sample of men and women. the study also tested the extent to which the associations were mediated by improved emotion regulation. methods: we surveyed 1266 community members aged 16–70 (mean age=22.78, standard deviation=7.71) using an online questionnaire that queried substance use, emotional regulation, and intimate partner violence. respondents were coded as psychedelic users if they reported one or more instance of using lysergic acid diethylamide and/or psilocybin mushrooms in their lifetime. results/outcomes: males reporting any experience using lysergic acid diethylamide and/or psilocybin mushrooms had decreased odds of perpetrating physical violence against their current partner (odds ratio=0.42, p<0.05). furthermore, our analyses revealed that male psychedelic users reported better emotion regulation when compared to males with no history of psychedelic use. better emotion regulation mediated the relationship between psychedelic use and lower perpetration of intimate partner violence. this relationship did not extend to females within our sample. conclusions/interpretation: these findings extend prior research showing a negative relationship between psychedelic use and intimate partner violence, and highlight the potential role of emotion regulation in this association.”
Schenberg, E. E.. (2018). Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: A paradigm shift in psychiatric research and development. Frontiers in Pharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00733
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“Mental disorders are rising while development of novel psychiatric medications is declining. this stall in innovation has also been linked with intense debates on the current diagnostics and explanations for mental disorders, together constituting a paradigmatic crisis. a radical innovation is psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (pap): professionally supervised use of ketamine, mdma, psilocybin, lsd and ibogaine as part of elaborated psychotherapy programs. clinical results so far have shown safety and efficacy, even for ‘treatment resistant’ conditions, and thus deserve increasing attention from medical, psychological and psychiatric professionals. but more than novel treatments, the pap model also has important consequences for the diagnostics and explanation axis of the psychiatric crisis, challenging the discrete nosological entities and advancing novel explanations for mental disorders and their treatment, in a model considerate of social and cultural factors, including adversities, trauma, and the therapeutic potential of some non-ordinary states of consciousness.”
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Erritzoe, D., Haijen, E., Kaelen, M., & Watts, R.. (2018). Psychedelics and connectedness. Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4701-y
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“Psychedelic drugs are creating ripples in psychiatry as evidence accumulates of their therapeutic potential. an important question remains unresolved however: how are psy-chedelics effective? we propose that a sense of connectedness is key, provide some preliminary evidence to support this, and suggest a roadmap for testing it further. we are in the midst of a cultural zeitgeist with regard to psy-chedelic drugs such as psilocybin, lsd and dmt (ayahuasca) (carhart-harris and goodwin 2017). april 2017 featured the largest ever conference on the topic, ‘psychedelic science’, in oakland, california, attended by 3000 people from over 40 different countries. among the 175+ speakers were tom insel (former director of the national institute for mental health) and paul summergrad (past president of the american psychiatric association), speaking enthusiastically and en-couragingly about the field, symbolic in some sense of its present ‘main-streaming’ (carhart-harris and goodwin 2017). the theme of connectedness was pervasive at psychedelic science, featuring consistently among speakers’ presentations. to our knowledge, the concept was first given clear emphasis in psychedelic therapy by watts et al. 2017, in a qualitative research paper linked to our recent psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression (trd) clinical trial (carhart-harris et al. 2016)—see also (belser et al. 2017). in 6-month follow-up interviews, participants were asked: ‘did this treatment work for you, and if so how?’ and responses were analysed for consistent themes (watts et al. 2017). of the 17 patients who endorsed the treatment’s effectiveness, all made reference to one particular mediating factor: a renewed sense of connection or connectedness. this factor was found to have three distin-guishable aspects: connection to (1) self, (2) others and (3) the world in general (watts et al. 2017). for many, the sense of connectedness featured acutely, during the treatment session itself, but just as commonly, it endured for several weeks to months afterwards, as can be seen here from a participant who remained in remission for 3-months post-treatment:”
Flanagan, T. W., & Nichols, C. D.. (2018). Psychedelics as anti-inflammatory agents. International Review of Psychiatry
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2018.1481827
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“Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-ht)2a receptor agonists have recently emerged as promising new treatment options for a variety of disorders. the recent success of these agonists, also known as psychedelics, like psilocybin for the treatment of anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (ocd), and addiction, has ushered in a renaissance in the way these compounds are perceived in the medical community and populace at large. one emerging therapeutic area that holds significant promise is their use as anti-inflammatory agents. activation of 5-ht2a receptors produces potent anti-inflammatory effects in animal models of human inflammatory disorders at sub-behavioural levels. this review discusses the role of the 5-ht2a receptor in the inflammatory response, as well as highlight studies using the 5-ht2a agonist (r)-2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine [(r)-doi] to treat inflammation in cellular and animal models. it also examines potential mechanisms by which 5-ht2a agonists produce their therapeutic effects. overall, psychedelics regulate inflammatory pathways via novel mechanisms, and may represent a new and exciting treatment strategy for several inflammatory disorders.”
von Heyden, M., & Jungaberle, H.. (2018). Psychedelika. In Handbuch Psychoaktive Substanzen
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-55214-4
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“Aximilian von heyden und henrik jungaberle zusammenfassung psychedelika (klassische bzw. serotonerge halluzinogene) sind psychoaktive substanzen, welche wahrnehmung, affekte sowie eine reihe kognitiver pro-zesse intensiv verändern können. die mehrheit ihrer vertreter gilt als physio-logisch sicher und nicht addiktiv. ihre geschichte reicht bis in prähistorische zeit zurück. mit der entdeckung der wirkstoffe meskalin, lysergsäurediethylamid (lsd), dimethyltryptamin (dmt) und psilocybin begann sowohl ihre wissen-schaftliche erforschung als auch die verbreitung ihres nicht medizinischen gebrauchs. psychedelika stellen eine pharmakologisch, psychometrisch und tierexperimentell abgrenzbare substanzklasse dar, die zunehmend im interesse der medizinischen grundlagen- und therapieforschung steht. dieses kapitel strebt hinsichtlich der relevanten wissensgebiete einen ausgewogenen kurzüber-blick über die substanzklasse und ihre wichtigsten vertreter an, wobei dem historisch komplexen wirkgefüge zwischen medizin- und sozialgeschichte der substanzklasse ein schwerpunkt gewidmet ist.”
Rucker, J. J. H., Iliff, J., & Nutt, D. J.. (2018). Psychiatry & the psychedelic drugs. Past, present & future. Neuropharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.12.040
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“The classical psychedelic drugs, including psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide and mescaline, were used extensively in psychiatry before they were placed in schedule i of the un convention on drugs in 1967. experimentation and clinical trials undertaken prior to legal sanction suggest that they are not helpful for those with established psychotic disorders and should be avoided in those liable to develop them. however, those with so-called ‘psychoneurotic’ disorders sometimes benefited considerably from their tendency to ‘loosen’ otherwise fixed, maladaptive patterns of cognition and behaviour, particularly when given in a supportive, therapeutic setting. pre-prohibition studies in this area were sub-optimal, although a recent systematic review in unipolar mood disorder and a meta-analysis in alcoholism have both suggested efficacy. the incidence of serious adverse events appears to be low. since 2006, there have been several pilot trials and randomised controlled trials using psychedelics (mostly psilocybin) in various non-psychotic psychiatric disorders. these have provided encouraging results that provide initial evidence of safety and efficacy, however the regulatory and legal hurdles to licensing psychedelics as medicines are formidable. this paper summarises clinical trials using psychedelics pre and post prohibition, discusses the methodological challenges of performing good quality trials in this area and considers a strategic approach to the legal and regulatory barriers to licensing psychedelics as a treatment in mainstream psychiatry.”
Roseman, L., Nutt, D. J., & Carhart-Harris, R. L.. (2018). Quality of acute psychedelic experience predicts therapeutic efficacy of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. Frontiers in Pharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00974
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“Introduction: it is a basic principle of the ‘psychedelic’ treatment model that the quality of the acute experience mediates long-term improvements in mental health. in the present paper we sought to test this using data from a clinical trial assessing psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression (trd). in line with previous reports, we hypothesized that the occurrence and magnitude of oceanic boundlessness (obn) (sharing features with mystical-type experience) and dread of ego dissolution (ded) (similar to anxiety) would predict long-term positive outcomes, whereas sensory perceptual effects would not. material and methods: twenty patients with treatment resistant depression underwent treatment with psilocybin (two separate sessions: 10mg and 25mg psilocybin). the altered states of consciousness (asc) questionnaire was used to assess the quality of experiences in the 25mg psilocybin session. from the asc, the dimensions obn and ded were used to measure the mystical-type and challenging experiences, respectively. the self-reported quick inventory of depressive symptoms (qids-sr) at 5 weeks served as the endpoint clinical outcome measure, as in later time points some of the subjects had gone on to receive new treatments, thus confounding inferences. in a repeated measure anova, time was the within-subject factor (independent variable), with qids-sr as the within-subject dependent variable in baseline, 1-day, 1-week, 5-weeks. obn and ded were independent variables. obn-by-time and ded-by-time interactions were the primary outcomes of interest. results: for the interaction of obn and ded with time (qids-sr as dependent variable), the main effect and the effects at each time point compared to baseline were all significant (p = 0.002 and p = 0.003, respectively, for main effects), confirming our main hypothesis. furthermore, pearson’s correlation of obn with qids-sr (5 weeks) was specific compared to perceptual dimensions of the asc (p < 0.05). discussion: this report further bolsters the view that the quality of the acute psychedelic experience is a key mediator of long-term changes in mental health. more specifically, future therapeutic work with psychedelics may consider investigating ways which enhance mystical-type experience and reduce anxiety, given the growing evidence that this serves the efficacy of the treatment model.”
Coilparampil S.. (2018). RANZCP Abstracts. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 52(1_suppl), 3–156.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1177/0004867418764980
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“We propose that executive overconfidence increases the likelihood that a firm commits financial reporting fraud. a manager that faces an earnings shortfall is more likely to manage earnings to overcome it if he believes the shortfall is temporary and, hence, the earnings management will be a one-off event that likely will go undetected. if performance does not improve, however, the manager, faced with reversals of prior-period earnings management and continuing poor performance, may choose to engage in the type of egregious financial reporting that the sec prosecutes. overconfident managers with unrealistic beliefs about future performance are more likely to find themselves in this situation. using industry-level proxies for executive overconfidence, we find industries that attract overconfident executives have a greater proportion of frauds. our analysis that uses firm-level proxies for overconfidence suggests that there are two types of frauds: those associated with moderate levels of overconfidence, perpetrated by executives who ex post fall down the slippery slope, and those perpetrated by executives with extreme overconfidence that commit fraud for opportunistic reasons ex ante. analysis of individual executives supports the notion that there are two types of overconfident executives that engage in fraud. those with opportunistic motives are more likely to be from a founding family, have greater commitment to the firm, earn more total and have a higher percent of variable cash compensation, and are less likely to have accounting experience. finally, we document that a matched sample of non-fraud firms do not have stronger governance mechanisms that prevent fraud. this result mitigates the possibility that it is weak governance rather than executive overconfidence that is a significant determinant of fraud.”
Palhano-Fontes, F., Barreto, D., Onias, H., Andrade, K. C., Novaes, M. M., Pessoa, J. A., … Araújo, D. B.. (2018). Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Psychological Medicine
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1017/S0033291718001356
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“Major depressive disorder affects about 350 million people worldwide, and about one-third of the patients are considered treatment-resistant. furthermore, available antidepressants take usually two weeks for the onset of their antidepressant effect. recent open label trials show that psychedelics, such as ayahuasca and psilocybin, hold promise as fast-onset antidepressants. although promising, these studies were not controlled for the placebo effect. to address this issue, and to further test the antidepressant effects of ayahuasca, we conducted a parallel arm, double blind randomised placebo-controlled trial, in patients with treatment-resistant major depression. thirty-five patients with treatment-resistant major depression received a single dose of ayahuasca or placebo. we measured as primary outcome the change in the hamilton depression rating scale (ham-d) seven days after the dosing session, and as secondary outcomes the changes in montgomery-asberg depression rating scale (madrs), and response rates at one day (d1), two days (d2) and seven days (d7) after dosing, and remission rates at d7. this study is registered with http://clinicaltrials.gov ([nct02914769][1]). we observed robust evidence of rapid antidepressant effects of a single dosing session with ayahuasca when compared to placebo. ham-d scores at d7 were significantly lower in patients treated with ayahuasca than in those treated with placebo (p=0.019; cohen’s d=0.98). madrs scores were significantly reduced in the ayahuasca group compared to the placebo group at all endpoints (at d1 and d2, p=0.04; at d7, p<0.0001). between-group effect sizes increased from d1 to d7 (d1: cohen’s d=0.84; d2: cohen’s d=0.84; d7: cohen’s d=1.49). response rates were high for both groups at d1 and d2, and were significantly higher in the ayahuasca group only at d7 (64% vs. 27%; or = 4.95; p = 0.04; nnt = 2.66). remission rate was not significantly different between groups. our study provides new evidence of rapid antidepressant effects of ayahuasca for treatment-resistant major depression. [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=clintrialgov&access_num=nct02914769&atom=%2fbiorxiv%2fearly%2f2017%2f01%2f27%2f103531.atom”
Witkin, J. M., Knutson, D. E., Rodriguez, G. J., & Shi, S.. (2018). Rapid-Acting Antidepressants.. Current Pharmaceutical Design
Plain numerical DOI: 10.2174/1381612824666180730104707
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“BACKGROUND: conventional antidepressants are thought to produce their impact on clinical symptoms by increasing the central availability of biogenic amine neurotransmitters (the monoamine hypothesis of depression). these drugs continue to be the primary medicines used in major depressive disorder. although they have biological effects after acute dosing, full antidepressant response generally takes weeks of daily administration. lack of rapid onset is a large limitation in antidepressant therapy (e.g., suicide, lack of medication compliance, difficulty switching medications). methods: the present review of the literature discusses the preclinical and clinical findings on compounds that can produce immediate symptom relief. results: these compounds include ketamine, scopolamine, and mechanistically-related drugs. newer additions to the list of potential rapid-acting agents include antagonists of metabotropic (mglu) 2/3 receptors, negative allosteric modulators of α5-containing gabaa receptors, and psychedelic compounds. an additional benefit of these compounds is that they have demonstrated large effect sizes and, importantly, demonstrated efficacy in patient’s refractory to other treatments. a drawback of some of these compounds, to date, is finding ways to expand the duration of clinical efficacy. in addition, for some compounds, the side-effect profile requires management. a primary mechanism by which rapid effects might be produced is through the amplification of excitatory neurotransmission through activation of ampa receptors. the extracellular efflux of glutamate induced by these drugs has been documented and provides the hypothesized triggering mechanism for ampa receptor amplification. conclusion: the preclinical and clinical literature strongly suggests that rapid-acting antidepressants are the current focus of antidepressant drug discovery. promising clinical findings exist for several compounds including ketamine and other nmda receptor antagonists, scopolamine, and psilocybin. two compounds are in late stage clinical development: glyx-13 (rapastinel) and eskekamine.”
Savva, A., Stylianou, V., Kyriacou, K., & Domenach, F.. (2018). Recognizing student facial expressions: A web application. In IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference, EDUCON
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1109/EDUCON.2018.8363404
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“Several lines of evidence suggest that classic (5ht2a agonist) hallucinogens have clinically relevant effects in alcohol and drug addiction. although recent studies have investigated the effects of psilocybin in various populations, there have been no studies on the efficacy of psilocybin for alcohol dependence. we conducted a single-group proof-of-concept study to quantify acute effects of psilocybin in alcohol-dependent participants and to provide preliminary outcome and safety data. ten volunteers with dsm-iv alcohol dependence received orally administered psilocybin in one or two supervised sessions in addition to motivational enhancement therapy and therapy sessions devoted to preparation for and debriefing from the psilocybin sessions. participants’ responses to psilocybin were qualitatively similar to those described in other populations. abstinence did not increase significantly in the first 4 weeks of treatment (when participants had not yet received psilocybin), but increased significantly following psilocybin administration (p < 0.05). gains were largely maintained at follow-up to 36 weeks. the intensity of effects in the first psilocybin session (at week 4) strongly predicted change in drinking during weeks 5–8 (r = 0.76 to r = 0.89) and also predicted decreases in craving and increases in abstinence self-efficacy during week 5. there were no significant treatment-related adverse events. these preliminary findings provide a strong rationale for controlled trials with larger samples to investigate efficacy and mechanisms.ntrial registration: nct02061293”
Ramachandran, V., Chunharas, C., Marcus, Z., Furnish, T., & Lin, A.. (2018). Relief from intractable phantom pain by combining psilocybin and mirror visual-feedback (MVF). Neurocase
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2018.1468469
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“AL’s leg was amputated resulting in phantom-limb pain (plp). (1) when a volunteer placed her foot on or near the phantom – touching it evoked organized sensations in corresponding locations on al’s phantom. (2) mirror-visual-feedback (mvf) relieved plp, as did, ‘phantom massage’. (3) psilocybin-mvf pairing produced synergistic effects, complete elimination of plp, and reduction in paroxysmal episodes. (4) touching the volunteer’s leg where al previously had external fixators, evoked sensation of nails boring through the leg. using a ‘telescoping’ nail, we created the illusion of a nail being removed with corresponding pain relief. (5) artificial flames produced warmth in the phantom.”
Kometer, M., & Vollenweider, F. X.. (2018). Serotonergic hallucinogen-induced visual perceptual alterations. In Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/7854_2016_461
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“Serotonergic hallucinogens, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd), psilocybin, and n,n-dimethyltryptamine (dmt), are famous for their capacity to temporally and profoundly alter an individual’s visual experiences. these visual alterations show consistent attributes despite large inter- and intra-individual vari- ances. many reports document a common perception of colors as more saturated, with increased brightness and contrast in the environment (‘visual intensifications’). environmental objects might be altered in size (‘visual illusions’) or take on a modified and special meaning for the subject (‘altered self-reference’). subjects may perceive light flashes or geometrical figures containing recurrent patterns (‘elementary imagery and hallucinations’)influenced by auditory stimuli (‘audiovisual synesthesia’), or they may envision images of people, animals, or landscapes (‘complex imagery and hallucinations’) without any physical stimuli supporting their percepts. this wide assortment of visual phenomena suggests that one single neuropsychopharmacological mechanism is unlikely to explain such vast phenomenological diversity. starting with mechanisms that act at the cellular level, the key role of 5-ht2a receptor activation and the subsequent increased cortical excitation will be considered. next, it will be shown that area specific anatomical and dynamical features link increased excitation to the specific visual contents of hal- lucinations. the decrease of alpha oscillations by hallucinogens will then be intro- duced as a systemic mechanism for amplifying internal-driven excitation that overwhelms stimulus-induced excitations. finally, the hallucinogen-induced parallel decrease of the n170 visual evoked potential and increased medial p1 potential will be discussed as key mechanisms for inducing a dysbalance between global integration and early visual gain that may explain several hallucinogen-induced visual experiences, including visual hallucinations, illusions, and intensifications”
Kometer, M., & Vollenweider, F. X.. (2018). Serotonergic hallucinogen-induced visual perceptual alterations. In Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/7854_2016_461
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“Serotonergic hallucinogens, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd), psilocybin, and n,n-dimethyltryptamine (dmt), are famous for their capacity to temporally and profoundly alter an individual’s visual experiences. these visual alterations show consistent attributes despite large inter- and intra-individual vari- ances. many reports document a common perception of colors as more saturated, with increased brightness and contrast in the environment (‘visual intensifications’). environmental objects might be altered in size (‘visual illusions’) or take on a modified and special meaning for the subject (‘altered self-reference’). subjects may perceive light flashes or geometrical figures containing recurrent patterns (‘elementary imagery and hallucinations’)influenced by auditory stimuli (‘audiovisual synesthesia’), or they may envision images of people, animals, or landscapes (‘complex imagery and hallucinations’) without any physical stimuli supporting their percepts. this wide assortment of visual phenomena suggests that one single neuropsychopharmacological mechanism is unlikely to explain such vast phenomenological diversity. starting with mechanisms that act at the cellular level, the key role of 5-ht2a receptor activation and the subsequent increased cortical excitation will be considered. next, it will be shown that area specific anatomical and dynamical features link increased excitation to the specific visual contents of hal- lucinations. the decrease of alpha oscillations by hallucinogens will then be intro- duced as a systemic mechanism for amplifying internal-driven excitation that overwhelms stimulus-induced excitations. finally, the hallucinogen-induced parallel decrease of the n170 visual evoked potential and increased medial p1 potential will be discussed as key mechanisms for inducing a dysbalance between global integration and early visual gain that may explain several hallucinogen-induced visual experiences, including visual hallucinations, illusions, and intensifications”
Kometer, M., & Vollenweider, F. X.. (2018). Serotonergic hallucinogen-induced visual perceptual alterations. In Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/7854_2016_461
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“Serotonergic hallucinogens, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd), psilocybin, and n,n-dimethyltryptamine (dmt), are famous for their capacity to temporally and profoundly alter an individual’s visual experiences. these visual alterations show consistent attributes despite large inter- and intra-individual vari- ances. many reports document a common perception of colors as more saturated, with increased brightness and contrast in the environment (‘visual intensifications’). environmental objects might be altered in size (‘visual illusions’) or take on a modified and special meaning for the subject (‘altered self-reference’). subjects may perceive light flashes or geometrical figures containing recurrent patterns (‘elementary imagery and hallucinations’)influenced by auditory stimuli (‘audiovisual synesthesia’), or they may envision images of people, animals, or landscapes (‘complex imagery and hallucinations’) without any physical stimuli supporting their percepts. this wide assortment of visual phenomena suggests that one single neuropsychopharmacological mechanism is unlikely to explain such vast phenomenological diversity. starting with mechanisms that act at the cellular level, the key role of 5-ht2a receptor activation and the subsequent increased cortical excitation will be considered. next, it will be shown that area specific anatomical and dynamical features link increased excitation to the specific visual contents of hal- lucinations. the decrease of alpha oscillations by hallucinogens will then be intro- duced as a systemic mechanism for amplifying internal-driven excitation that overwhelms stimulus-induced excitations. finally, the hallucinogen-induced parallel decrease of the n170 visual evoked potential and increased medial p1 potential will be discussed as key mechanisms for inducing a dysbalance between global integration and early visual gain that may explain several hallucinogen-induced visual experiences, including visual hallucinations, illusions, and intensifications”
Reiche, S., Hermle, L., Gutwinski, S., Jungaberle, H., Gasser, P., & Majić, T.. (2018). Serotonergic hallucinogens in the treatment of anxiety and depression in patients suffering from a life-threatening disease: A systematic review. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.09.012
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“Anxiety and depression are some of the most common psychiatric symptoms of patients suffering with life-threatening diseases, often associated with a low quality of life and a poor overall prognosis. 5-ht2a-receptor agonists (serotonergic hallucinogens, ‘psychedelics’) like lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd) and psilocybin were first investigated as therapeutic agents in the 1960s. recently, after a long hiatus period of regulatory obstacles, interest in the clinical use of these substances has resumed. the current article provides a systematic review of studies investigating psychedelics in the treatment of symptoms of existential distress in life-threatening diseases across different periods of research, highlighting how underlying concepts have developed over time. a systematic search for clinical trials from 1960 to 2017 revealed 11 eligible clinical trials involving a total number of n = 445 participants, of which 7 trials investigated the use of lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd) (n = 323), 3 trials investigated the use of psilocybin (n = 92), and one trial investigated the use of dipropyltryptamine (dpt) (n = 30). the 4 more recent randomized controlled trials (rcts) (n = 104) showed a significantly higher methodological quality than studies carried out in the 1960s and 1970s. evidence supports that patients with life threatening diseases associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety benefit from the anxiolytic and antidepressant properties of serotonergic hallucinogens. some studies anecdotally reported improvements in patients´ quality of life and reduced fear of death. moreover, low rates of side effects were reported in studies that adhered to safety guidelines. further studies are needed to determine how these results can be transferred into clinical practice.”
McKenna, M., Fedota, J., Garcia-Romeu, A., Johnson, M., Griffiths, R., & Stein, E.. (2018). T263. Psilocybin Improves Cognitive Control and Downregulates Parietal Cortex in Treatment-Seeking Smokers. Biological Psychiatry
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.02.600
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“Background prior data suggests the 5-ht2a receptor agonist psilocybin (psilo) improves smoking cessation outcomes. here, we examine cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms underlying these encouraging results. the multi-source interference task (msit) is employed as an assay of changes in cognitive control processes mediated by psilo administration in treatment-seeking smokers. methods n=9 treatment-seeking smokers performed the msit while undergoing fmri scanning during 2 sessions: prior to beginning cessation treatment and again 24 hours after receiving a single psilo dose (30mg/70kg) in a supported, therapeutic context. behavioral and fmri data were collected during each fmri session. results following psilo administration as compared to baseline, a reduction in congruency effect (incompatible – compatible) for correct trial reaction time (t(8)= 6.21, p=.003) was observed. however, no difference in congruency effect for accuracy (t(8)=0.52, p=.61) was observed. concurrently, fmri results showed a reduced congruency effect in msit-elicited activation in bilateral superior parietal cortex following psilo (p- corrected <.05)[right: tlrc, xyz, -27, -64, 39; left: 27, -62, 46]). in addition, the positive correlation between reaction time and parietal activation congruency effects observed at baseline (r=.67, p=.047) was absent following psilo (r=.25, p=.50). conclusions the observed psilo-mediated decrease in task-evoked brain activity is consistent with the limited literature on the acute effects of psilo in healthy participants. the posterior parietal roi identified has been previously labeled a multiple demand hub, showing activation with increased demand across several cognitive control tasks. the current results suggest that, for smokers, psilo decreases the salience of conflict-inducing stimuli which paradoxically leads to improved performance. supported by nida-irp, heffter research institute, beckley foundation”
Byock, I.. (2018). Taking Psychedelics Seriously. Journal of Palliative Medicine
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2017.0684
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“BACKGROUND: psychiatric research in the 1950s and 1960s showed potential for psychedelic medications to markedly alleviate depression and suffering associated with terminal illness. more recent published studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of psilocybin, mdma, and ketamine when administered in a medically supervised and monitored approach. a single or brief series of sessions often results in substantial and sustained improvement among people with treatment-resistant depression and anxiety, including those with serious medical conditions. need and clinical considerations: palliative care clinicians occasionally encounter patients with emotional, existential, or spiritual suffering, which persists despite optimal existing treatments. such suffering may rob people of a sense that life is worth living. data from oregon show that most terminally people who obtain prescriptions to intentionally end their lives are motivated by non-physical suffering. this paper overviews the history of this class of drugs and their therapeutic potential. clinical cautions, adverse reactions, and important steps related to safe administration of psychedelics are presented, emphasizing careful patient screening, preparation, setting and supervision., conclusion: even with an expanding evidence base confirming safety and benefits, political, regulatory, and industry issues impose challenges to the legitimate use of psychedelics. the federal expanded access program and right-to-try laws in multiple states provide precendents for giving terminally ill patients access to medications that have not yet earned fda approval. given the prevalence of persistent suffering and growing acceptance of physician-hastened death as a medical response, it is time to revisit the legitimate therapeutic use of psychedelics.”
Iorfida, A., Verre, S., Candamano, S., & Ombres, L.. (2018). Tensile and direct shear responses of basalt-fibre reinforced mortar based materials. RILEM Bookseries
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/978-94-024-1194-2_63
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“A procedure based on ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry has been developed for the determination of mescaline, n,n-dimethyltryptamine, psilocin, psilocybin, salvinorin a in hair of consumers of psychedelic vegetal material such peyote or trichocereus cacti, psilocybe mushrooms, salvia divinorum or psychedelic beverage ayahuasca. after hair washing with methyl alcohol and diethyl ether and subsequent addition of mescaline-d9 and 3,4-methylenedioxypropylamphetamine as internal standards, hair samples were treated with 250mul vma-t m3 reagent for 1h at 100 degrees c. after cooling, 100mul m3 extract were diluted with 400mul water and a volume of 10mul was injected into chromatographic system. chromatographic separation was achieved at ambient temperature using a reverse-phase column and a linear gradient elution with two solvents: 0.3% formic acid in acetonitrile and 5mm ammonium formate ph 3. the mass spectrometer was operated in positive ion mode, using multiple reaction monitoring via positive electrospray ionization. the method was linear from the limit of quantification (0.03-0.05ng/mg depending on analyte under investigation) to 10ng/mg hair, with an intra- and inter-assay imprecision and inaccuracy always less than 15% and an analytical recovery between 79.6% and 97.4%, depending on the considered analyte. using the validated method, mescaline was found in concentration range of 0.08-0.13ng/mg in hair of peyote smokers, 3.2ng salvinorin a per mg hair were determined in hair from a s. divinorum smoker, 5.6ng n,n-dimethyltryptamine per mg hair from an ayahuasca user and finally 0.8ng psilocybin per ng hair of a psilocybe consumer.”
Sessa, B.. (2018). The 21st century psychedelic renaissance: heroic steps forward on the back of an elephant. Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4713-7
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“Given the plethora of new studies and published papers in the scientific press and the increasingly emerging presence of articles about positive psychedelic experiences appearing in the popular media, there is little doubt that we are in the midst of a psychedelic renaissance. the classical psychedelic drugs lsd and psilocybin and the entactogen mdma are showing promise as tools to assist psychotherapy for a wide range of mental disorders, with multiple pilot studies demonstrating their safety and efficacy. in this article, the author describes how mdma in particular has inherent characteristics that make it well suited for assisting trauma-focused psychotherapy in a population of patients who have experienced child abuse. but despite these advances, there remain many obstacles ahead of the widespread mainstream acceptance of psychedelic medicines. the author argues that the misuse of drugs act 1971 is one such obstacle. other impediments include a prevailing attitude of pseudoscience and rigidity from within the non-scientific psychedelic community itself. resolution of these conflicts must be sought if medicine and society are to see psychedelics gaining a place in mainstream culture and science.”
Johnson, M. W., Griffiths, R. R., Hendricks, P. S., & Henningfield, J. E.. (2018). The abuse potential of medical psilocybin according to the 8 factors of the Controlled Substances Act. Neuropharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.05.012
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“This review assesses the abuse potential of medically-administered psilocybin, following the structure of the 8 factors of the us controlled substances act (csa). research suggests the potential safety and efficacy of psilocybin in treating cancer-related psychiatric distress and substance use disorders, setting the occasion for this review. a more extensive assessment of abuse potential according to an 8-factor analysis would eventually be required to guide appropriate schedule placement. psilocybin, like other 5-ht2a agonist classic psychedelics, has limited reinforcing effects, supporting marginal, transient non-human self-administration. nonetheless, mushrooms with variable psilocybin content are used illicitly, with a few lifetime use occasions being normative among users. potential harms include dangerous behavior in unprepared, unsupervised users, and exacerbation of mental illness in those with or predisposed to psychotic disorders. however, scope of use and associated harms are low compared to prototypical abused drugs, and the medical model addresses these concerns with dose control, patient screening, preparation and follow-up, and session supervision in a medical facility. conclusions (1) psilocybin has an abuse potential appropriate for csa scheduling if approved as medicine; (2) psilocybin can provide therapeutic benefits that may support the development of an approvable new drug application (nda) but further studies are required which this review describes; (3) adverse effects of medical psilocybin are manageable when administered according to risk management approaches; and (4) although further study is required, this review suggests that placement in schedule iv may be appropriate if a psilocybin-containing medicine is approved.”
Nielson, E. M., & Guss, J.. (2018). The influence of therapists’ first-hand experience with psychedelics on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy research and therapist training. Journal of Psychedelic Studies
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1556/2054.2018.009
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“Clinical research on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is rapidly advancing in the usa, with two drugs, psilocybin and mdma, progressing through a structure of fda-approved trials on a trajectory toward drug enforcement agency rescheduling for therapeutic use. researcher’s and clinician’s personal use of psychedelics was cited as a potential confound in psychedelic research studies conducted in the 1950s and 1960s, a concern which contributed to the cessation of this research for some 20 years. currently, there is no empirical research on personal use of psychedelics by current academic researchers and clinicians; its influence is undocumented, unknown, and undertheorized. this paper explores the history of personal use of psychedelics by clinicians and researchers, the potential impact of personal use on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and research, and the rationale for opening an academic discussion and program of research to investigate the role of personal use. we propose that there are factors unique to psychedelic-assisted therapy such that training for it cannot neatly fit into the framework of modern psychopharmacology training, nor be fully analogous to psychotherapy training in contemporary psychological and psychiatric settings. we argue that scientific exploration of the influence of therapists’ first-hand experience of psychedelics on psychedelic-assisted therapy outcomes is feasible, timely, and necessary for the future of clinical research.”
Nielson, E. M., May, D. G., Forcehimes, A. A., & Bogenschutz, M. P.. (2018). The psychedelic debriefing in alcohol dependence treatment: Illustrating key change phenomena through qualitative content analysis of clinical sessions. Frontiers in Pharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00132
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“Research on the clinical applications of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy has demonstrated promising early results for treatment of alcohol dependence. detailed description of the content and methods of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, as it is conducted in clinical settings, is scarce. methods: an open-label pilot (proof-of-concept) study of psilocybin-assisted treatment of alcohol dependence (nct01534494) was conducted to generate data for a phase 2 rct (nct02061293) of a similar treatment in a larger population. the present paper presents a qualitative content analysis of the 17 debriefing sessions conducted in the pilot study, which occurred the day after corresponding psilocybin medication sessions. results: participants articulated a series of key phenomena related to change in drinking outcomes and acute subjective effects of psilocybin. discussion: the data illuminate change processes in patients’ own words during clinical sessions, shedding light on potential therapeutic mechanisms of change and how participants express effects of psilocybin. this study is unique in analyzing actual clinical sessions, as opposed to interviews of patients conducted separately from treatment.”
Strassman, R. J.. (2018). The psychedelic religion of mystical consciousnessReviews. Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 2(1), 1–4.
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1556/2054.2018.003
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“Https://doi.org/10.1556/2054.2018.003 this is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the creative commons attribution- noncommercial 4.0 international license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial purposes, provided the original author and source are credited, a link to the cc license is provided, and changes – if any – are indicated. pdf full text references first page william a. richards sacred knowledge: psychedelics and religious experiences columbia university press, new york, 2016, 244 pp. hardback isbn: 978-0-231-17406-0 with an extreme range of terms for psychedelic drugs – from ‘schizotoxic’ to ‘entheogenic’ – ‘psychedelic,’ nonetheless remains the most salient one. these substances manifest or disclose aspects of the mind of those who take them as well as the mind of those who study them. proponents for the innumerable terms for these drugs are all able to adduce supportive evidence. necessarily, this evidence is a subjective experience, but in the research world, rating scales provide statistical support for one’s beliefs about the nature of the drug effect: ‘psychotomimetic’ (gouzoulis-mayfrank et al., 1998) or ‘mystical-type’ (griffiths, richards, mccann, & jesse, 2006). the mysticomimetic model – which emphasizes the similarities between psychedelic drug effects and those described in the ‘mystical’ literature – is increasingly popular in the renewal of clinical psychedelic studies. the primary site for the practice and promulgation of the mysticomimetic protocol is johns hopkins university, where roland griffiths is the principal investigator and william richards the lead psychotherapist. the publication of richards’ sacred knowledge and his subsequent interviews and lectures shed light on the model from which devolves this successful protocol. this model originated with richards and colleagues – including walter pahnke and stanislav grof – at the spring grove research center outside of baltimore in the 1960s. these researchers demonstrated promising initial results with lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd) and n,n-dipropyltryptamine in treating addictions and end- of-life despair. however, this research ended in the early 1970s for reasons additional to the onerous regulatory burdens that the controlled substances act placed on human studies at that time. i learned of these additional factors from eberhardt uhlenhuth in the mid-1980s, several years before, i began the …”
Hendricks, P. S., Crawford, M. S., Cropsey, K. L., Copes, H., Sweat, N. W., Walsh, Z., & Pavela, G.. (2018). The relationships of classic psychedelic use with criminal behavior in the United States adult population. Journal of Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1177/0269881117735685
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“Abstract behavior exacts a large toll on society and is resistant to intervention. some evidence suggests classic psychedelics may inhibit criminal behavior, but the extent of these effects has not been comprehensively explored. in this study, we tested the relationships of classic psychedelic use and psilocybin use per se with criminal behavior among over 480,000 united states adult respondents pooled from the last 13 available years of the national survey on drug use and health (2002 through 2014) while controlling for numerous covariates. lifetime classic psychedelic use was associated with a reduced odds of past year larceny/theft (aor = 0.73 (0.65–0.83)), past year assault (aor = 0.88 (0.80–0.97)), past year arrest for a property crime (aor = 0.78 (0.65–0.95)), and past year arrest for a violent crime (aor = 0.82 (0.70–0.97)). in contrast, lifetime illicit use of other drugs was, by and large, associated with an increased odds of these outcomes. lifetime classic psychedelic use, like lifetime illicit use of almost all other substances, was associated with an increased odds of past year drug distribution. results were consistent with a protective effect of psilocybin for antisocial criminal behavior. these findings contribute to a compelling rationale for the initiation of clinical research with classic psychedelics, including psilocybin, in forensic settings. keywords hallucinogen, psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, psychedelic, recidivism, criminal justice, forensic psychology”
Bogenschutz, M. P., & Ross, S.. (2018). Therapeutic applications of classic hallucinogens. In Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/7854_2016_464
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“This chapter reviews what is known about the therapeutic uses of the serotonergic or classic hallucinogens, i.e., psychoactive drugs such as lsd and psilocybin that exert their effects primarily through agonist activity at serotonin 2a (5ht2a) receptors. following a review of the history of human use and scientific study of these drugs, the data from clinical research are summarized, including extensive work on the use of classic hallucinogens in the treatment of alcoholism and other addictions, studies of the use of lsd and psilocybin to relieve distress concerning death, particularly in patients with advanced or terminal cancer, and more limited data concerning the use of classic hallucinogens to treat mood and anxiety disorders. a survey of possible mechanisms of clinically relevant effects is provided. the well-established safety of classic hallucinogens is reviewed. to provide a clinical perspective, case summaries are provided of two individuals who received treatment in recent controlled trials of psilocybin: one being treated for alcoholism, the other suffering from anxiety and depression related to fear of death due to a cancer diagnosis. although promising early phase research conducted from the 1950s through the early 1970s was discontinued before firm conclusions could be reached concerning the efficacy of any of the classic hallucinogens for any clinical condition, the research that was conducted in that era strongly suggests that classic hallucinogens have clinically relevant effects, particularly in the case of lsd treatment of alcoholism. in the past decade, clinical trials have resumed investigating the effects of classic hallucinogens in the treatment of existential distress in the face of cancer, and in the treatment of addictions including alcoholism and nicotine addiction. the studies that have been completed to date are not sufficient to establish efficacy, but the outcomes have been very encouraging, and larger trials, up to and including phase 3, are now underway or being planned. although research has elucidated many of the acute neurobiological and psychological effects of classic hallucinogens on humans, animals, and in vitro systems, the mechanisms of clinically relevant persisting effects remain poorly understood.”
Bogenschutz, M. P., & Ross, S.. (2018). Therapeutic applications of classic hallucinogens. In Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/7854_2016_464
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“This chapter reviews what is known about the therapeutic uses of the serotonergic or classic hallucinogens, i.e., psychoactive drugs such as lsd and psilocybin that exert their effects primarily through agonist activity at serotonin 2a (5ht2a) receptors. following a review of the history of human use and scientific study of these drugs, the data from clinical research are summarized, including extensive work on the use of classic hallucinogens in the treatment of alcoholism and other addictions, studies of the use of lsd and psilocybin to relieve distress concerning death, particularly in patients with advanced or terminal cancer, and more limited data concerning the use of classic hallucinogens to treat mood and anxiety disorders. a survey of possible mechanisms of clinically relevant effects is provided. the well-established safety of classic hallucinogens is reviewed. to provide a clinical perspective, case summaries are provided of two individuals who received treatment in recent controlled trials of psilocybin: one being treated for alcoholism, the other suffering from anxiety and depression related to fear of death due to a cancer diagnosis. although promising early phase research conducted from the 1950s through the early 1970s was discontinued before firm conclusions could be reached concerning the efficacy of any of the classic hallucinogens for any clinical condition, the research that was conducted in that era strongly suggests that classic hallucinogens have clinically relevant effects, particularly in the case of lsd treatment of alcoholism. in the past decade, clinical trials have resumed investigating the effects of classic hallucinogens in the treatment of existential distress in the face of cancer, and in the treatment of addictions including alcoholism and nicotine addiction. the studies that have been completed to date are not sufficient to establish efficacy, but the outcomes have been very encouraging, and larger trials, up to and including phase 3, are now underway or being planned. although research has elucidated many of the acute neurobiological and psychological effects of classic hallucinogens on humans, animals, and in vitro systems, the mechanisms of clinically relevant persisting effects remain poorly understood.”
Ross, S.. (2018). Therapeutic use of classic psychedelics to treat cancer-related psychiatric distress. International Review of Psychiatry
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2018.1482261
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“AbstractCancer is highly prevalent and one of the leading causes of global morbidity and mortality. psychological and existential suffering is common in cancer patients, associated with poor psychiatric and medical outcomes. promising early-phase clinical research (1960s to early 1970s) suggested a therapeutic signal for serotoninergic psychedelics (e.g. psilocybin, lsd) in treating cancer-related psychiatric distress. after several decades of quiescence, research on psychedelic-assisted therapy to treat psychiatric disorders in cancer patients has resumed within the last 2 decades in the us and europe. this review article is based on a systematic search of clinical trials from 1960–2018 researching the therapeutic use of psychedelic treatment in patients with serious or terminal illnesses and related psychiatric illness. the search found 10 eligible clinical trials, with a total of 445 participants, with the vast majority of the patients having advanced or terminal cancer diagnoses. six open label trials…”
Pietsch, J., Scheffel, K., Acquarone, D., Koch, I., Deters, M., & Hermanns-Clausen, M.. (2018). Trends in Abuse of Biogenic Drugs in Parts of Germany 2007-2013. Gesundheitswesen
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-108644
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“Aim of the study: based on an abundance of information on the internet, psychotropic plants and mushrooms are of increasing relevance as legal and cheap alternatives to other illicit drugs. due to the lack of a german database, the abuse of selected biogenic drugs using reported exposures to 3 german poison information centres (pics) was examined. methods: information on abuse of biogenic drugs was collected from the german pics in berlin, erfurt and fribourg (2007-2013). results: 602 drug abuses were reported to the selected pics. 52% reported consumption of tropane alkaloid-containing plants (angel’s trumpet, thorn apple, belladonna), 25% of psilocybin-containing mushrooms and 10% of nutmeg. angel’s trumpet was identified as the most abused plant. consumers of tropane alkaloid-containing plants were mainly adolescents, whereas the majority of the abusers of psilocybin-containing mushrooms and nutmeg were rather young grown-ups and school children, respectively. a preponderance of moderate and severe effects (55%) could be noticed for exposures to tropane alkaloid-containing plants. more than 90% of suspected cases of tropane alkaloid-containing as well as psilocybin-containing plants abuse resulted in the treatment recommendation ‘surveillance in hospital’. mydriasis, hallucinations, tachycardia and agitation were the main symptoms after the abuse of biogenic drugs. conclusions: the data from the pics suggest abuse of biogenic drugs in parts of germany. a decreasing trend is observed, probably caused by the competition with new synthetic designer drugs. the results underline the dominance of angel’s trumpet in the abuse of biogenic drugs and emphasize the importance of easy accessibility for the abuse of biogenic drugs. unexpectedly, the number of nutmeg abuse cases increased during the investigated period ”
Linszen, M., Kleijer, H., & Sommer, I.. (2018). Visual hallucinations and lifetime use of hallucinogen perception persisting disorder associated recreational drugs: results from a large online survey. European Neuropsychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.12.114
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“
Introduction
hallucinogen perception persisting disorder (hppd) can be defined as the re-experience of altered visual perceptions after use of psychedelic drugs [1,2]. despite estimated high percentages of recreational use of psychedelic drugs, research data on hppd are scarcely available [1,2]. considering the recent emergence of studies on psychedelic drugs as a treatment option for various psychiatric disorders, proper assessment of potentially harmful side effects, such as hppd, is necessary [3]. this study aims to investigate the association between lifetime use of hppd-associated drugs and the presence and burden of visual hallucinations in a large general population sample.
methods
we used data from a large online survey on hallucinations in the general dutch population, https://zieikspoken.nl, collected between september 26th, 2016 and may 23rd, 2017. all participants (n=10.289) were aged 14 or over. we assessed lifetime use of 11 commonly used recreational drugs in the netherlands, out of which lsd, psilocybin, 2-cb and mdma were considered hppd-associated based on previous reports [1-4]. visual hallucinations were assessed using the questionnaire for psychotic experiences (qpe). presence of visual hallucinations was categorized as follows: never experienced, ever experienced, experienced in past month, experienced in past week. associations between lifetime use of hppd-associated drugs and presence and phenomenology of visual hallucinations were calculated using pearson’s chi-square tests in spss.
results
a total of 2.175 subjects (21.1% of all participants) indicated having used hppd-associated drugs at least once in their lifetime. in subjects who had never experienced visual hallucinations, the percentage of lifetime hppd-associated drug use (18.8%) was significantly lower than in the groups who had experienced visual hallucinations in their lifetime but not recently (23.0%), in the past month (25.2%) or the past week (24.9%). nevertheless, lifetime use of hppd-associated drugs did not differ between the groups of subjects with visual hallucinations (ever/past month/past week). within the group of subjects with visual hallucinations in the past week or month, lifetime hppd-associated drug users did not differ from non-users in terms of experiencing a significant burden from their visual hallucinations (25.2% vs. 24.1%, respectively; or 0.9 (95%-ci 0.7-1.2)) or having visual hallucinations with a signif…”
Kelly, J. R., Crockett, M. T., Alexander, L., Haran, M., Baker, A., Burke, L., … O’Keane, V.. (2021). Psychedelic science in post-COVID-19 psychiatry. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1017/ipm.2020.94
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“The medium-to long-term consequences of covid-19 are not yet known, though an increase in mental health problems are predicted. multidisciplinary strategies across socio-economic and psychological levels may be needed to mitigate the mental health burden of covid-19. preliminary evidence from the rapidly progressing field of psychedelic science shows that psilocybin therapy offers a promising transdiagnostic treatment strategy for a range of disorders with restricted and maladaptive habitual patterns of cognition and behaviour, notably depression, addiction and obsessive compulsive disorder. the compass pathways (compass) phase 2b double-blind trial of psilocybin therapy in antidepressant-free, treatment-resistant depression (trd) is underway to determine the safety, efficacy and optimal dose of psilocybin. results from the imperial college london psilodep-rct comparing the efficacy and mechanisms of action of psilocybin therapy to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (ssri) escitalopram will soon be published. however, the efficacy and safety of psilocybin therapy in conjunction with ssris in trd is not yet known. an additional compass study, with a centre in dublin, will begin to address this question, with potential implications for the future delivery of psilocybin therapy. while at a relatively early stage of clinical development, and notwithstanding the immense challenges of covid-19, psilocybin therapy has the potential to play an important therapeutic role for various psychiatric disorders in post-covid-19 clinical psychiatry. © 2020 the author(s). published by cambridge university press on behalf of the college of psychiatrists of ireland.”
Nutt, D.. (2019). Psychedelic drugs—a new era in psychiatry?. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience
Plain numerical DOI: 10.31887/DCNS.2019.21.2/dnutt
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“This article covers the renaissance of classical psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin and lsd plus 3,4-methylene dioxymethamphetamine (mdma—ecstasy) in psychiatric research. these drugs were used quite extensively before they became prohibited. this ban had little impact on recreational use, but effectively stopped research and clinical treatments, which up to that point had looked very promising in several areas of psychiatry. in the past decade a number of groups have been working to re-evaluate the utility of these substances in medicine. so far highly promising preliminary data have been produced with psilocybin in anxiety, depression, smoking, alcoholism, and with mdma for post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) and alcoholism. these findings have led to the european medicines agency approving psilocybin for a phase 3 study in treatment-resistant depression and the food and drug administration for ptsd with mdma. both trials should read out in 2020, and if the results are positive we are likely to see these medicines approved for clinical practice soon afterwards.”
Davis, A. K., Barrett, F. S., May, D. G., Cosimano, M. P., Sepeda, N. D., Johnson, M. W., … Griffiths, R. R.. (2021). Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.3285
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“Importance: major depressive disorder (mdd) is a substantial public health burden, but current treatments have limited effectiveness and adherence. recent evidence suggests that 1 or 2 administrations of psilocybin with psychological support produces antidepressant effects in patients with cancer and in those with treatment-resistant depression. objective: to investigate the effect of psilocybin therapy in patients with mdd. design, setting, and participants: this randomized, waiting list-controlled clinical trial was conducted at the center for psychedelic and consciousness research at johns hopkins bayview medical center in baltimore, maryland. adults aged 21 to 75 years with an mdd diagnosis, not currently using antidepressant medications, and without histories of psychotic disorder, serious suicide attempt, or hospitalization were eligible to participate. enrollment occurred between august 2017 and april 2019, and the 4-week primary outcome assessments were completed in july 2019. a total of 27 participants were randomized to an immediate treatment condition group (n = 15) or delayed treatment condition group (waiting list control condition; n = 12). data analysis was conducted from july 1, 2019, to july 31, 2020, and included participants who completed the intervention (evaluable population). interventions: two psilocybin sessions (session 1: 20 mg/70 kg; session 2: 30 mg/70 kg) were given (administered in opaque gelatin capsules with approximately 100 ml of water) in the context of supportive psychotherapy (approximately 11 hours). participants were randomized to begin treatment immediately or after an 8-week delay. main outcomes and measures: the primary outcome, depression severity was assessed with the grid-hamilton depression rating scale (grid-hamd) scores at baseline (score of ≥17 required for enrollment) and weeks 5 and 8 after enrollment for the delayed treatment group, which corresponded to weeks 1 and 4 after the intervention for the immediate treatment group. secondary outcomes included the quick inventory of depressive symptomatology-self rated (qids-sr). results: of the randomized participants, 24 of 27 (89%) completed the intervention and the week 1 and week 4 postsession assessments. this population had a mean (sd) age of 39.8 (12.2) years, was composed of 16 women (67%), and had a mean (sd) baseline grid-hamd score of 22.8 (3.9). the mean (sd) grid-hamd scores at weeks 1 and 4 (8.0 [7.1] and 8.5 [5.7]) in the immediate treatment gr…”
Future Paths in Psychopharmacology. (2019). Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience
Plain numerical DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2019.21.2
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“This article covers the renaissance of classical psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin and lsd plus 3,4-methylene dioxymethamphetamine (mdma-ecstasy) in psychiatric research. these drugs were used quite extensively before they became prohibited. this ban had little impact on recreational use, but effectively stopped research and clinical treatments, which up to that point had looked very promising in several areas of psychiatry. in the past decade a number of groups have been working to re-evaluate the utility of these substances in medicine. so far highly promising preliminary data have been produced with psilocybin in anxiety, depression, smoking, alcoholism, and with mdma for post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) and alcoholism. these findings have led to the european medicines agency approving psilocybin for a phase 3 study in treatment-resistant depression and the food and drug administration for ptsd with mdma. both trials should read out in 2020, and if the results are positive we are likely to see these medicines approved for clinical practice soon afterwards.”
Breeksema, J. J., Koolen, M. H. B., Somers, M., & Schoevers, R. A.. (2021). [Treatment with psilocybin: applications for patients with psychiatric disorders].. Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde
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“After a cessation of almost 40 years, there is renewed interest into therapeutic applicationsof the serotonergic psychedelic psilocybin for the treatment of patients with various psychiatric disorders. pubmed was searched for clinical trials into ‘psilocybin’ between 2000 and 2020, complemented by handsearching. articles were also screened for explanatory models and working mechanisms. psilocybin has been studied in 9 clinical trials: for the treatment of substance use disorders, depression, end-of-life anxiety, demoralization, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. results show that psilocybin is well tolerated, with only limited side-effects, while even patients with treatment-resistant disorders sometimes show marked, long-term improvements after one or a few sessions. initial results are encouraging, but there are several limitations. more research is needed to determine which patient populations can benefit, what role setting and the placebo response play, and how these novel treatments can be optimized.”
Study: Psilocybin enhances therapy in patients with major depression. (2021). The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1002/pu.30675
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“Patients with major depressive disorder who received two administrations of the psychedelic psilocybin as part of a psychotherapy regimen saw a rapid and lasting improvement in depression symptoms, a randomized open‐label trial has found. these findings extend results of research that have suggested antidepressant effects for psilocybin in patients with cancer and treatment‐resistant depression, the researchers stated. study results were published online nov. 4, 2020, in jama psychiatry.”
Berkovitch, L., Roméo, B., Karila, L., Gaillard, R., & Benyamina, A.. (2021). Efficacy of psychedelics in psychiatry, a systematic review of the literature. Encephale
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.encep.2020.12.002
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“Objectives: psychedelics are powerful psychoactive substances. natural psychedelics have been used for millennia by human civilizations, in particular in latin america, while synthetic psychedelics were discovered in the 50s, giving rise to a lot of research before they were prohibited. more recently, their therapeutic properties have been studied especially to help patients with psychiatric conditions, psychological distress or substance use disorders. this article is a systematic review of the literature which aims to provide an overview of all studies that assessed the efficacy of psychedelics, i.e. psilocybin, ayahuasca and lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd), on psychiatric diseases and addictions. methods: we conducted this literature review following the prisma recommendations. medline, psycinfo, web of science and scopus were searched from january 1990 to may 2020 with the following keywords ‘(ayahuasca or psilocybin or lysergic acid diethylamide) and (depression or anxiety or major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder or anxiety disorder or substance use disorder or dependence)’. results: twenty-five articles met the inclusion criteria. five articles studied psychedelic efficacy in the treatment of life-threatening diseases related to anxiety and depression: four were randomized controlled crossover trials (three with psilocybin for a total of 92 patients, and one with lsd, n = 12), and one was a long-term follow-up study. eleven articles explored the efficacy of psychedelics in the treatment of major depressive episodes: two were open-labeled trials (one with ayahuasca, n = 17, one with psilocybin, n = 20), one was a randomized controlled trial using ayahuasca against placebo (n = 29), and the others were long-term follow-up studies or assessed more precise dimensions of the depressive disorder, such as suicidality, emotion processing or personality traits. eight articles studied the efficacy of psychedelics in the treatment of addictions: two were open-labeled studies using psilocybin (one in alcohol use disorder, n = 10, and one in tobacco use disorder, n = 15), and the others were long-term follow-up studies or retrospective observational descriptive studies on alcohol, tobacco, opioids, cannabis, and psychostimulants. one study explored the efficacy of psilocybin in obsessional-compulsive disorder (n = 9). overall, these studies found a quick and important response after psychedelic administration that lasted for several months, even after…”
Rao, I., & Lydall, G.. (2019). Psilocybin for the treatment of substance use disorders.. Advances in Psychedelic Medicine: State-of-the-Art Therapeutic Applications.
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“The use of psychoactive substances can be dated back to ancient times, with analysis of chemical residues providing evidence for alcohol, tobacco, and opiate use as early as 8,000 years ago. challenges remain in achieving better outcomes for patients given the high rates of relapse and global demand for treatment. the increasing need for effective alternative therapies is perhaps met with accumulating evidence that psychedelic medicines may offer solutions to tackle the individual and global health crises of substance abuse disorders. this chapter examines the evidence for the potential therapeutic applications of psilocybin, a component of some mushrooms in the psilocybe genus, for the treatment of substance use disorders, with a focus on addictions to nicotine and alcohol. it ends with an examination of future directions for psilocybin in addictive disorder treatment. much work on addiction treatment was done with the classic psychedelic lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd) in the 1950s. while noting that there are differences between the two substances-lsd and psilocybin-and their effects, one can postulate that psilocybin will have similar benefits as lsd based on comparable mechanisms of action and psychological effects. (psycinfo database record (c) 2020 apa, all rights reserved)”
Siegel, A. N., Meshkat, S., Benitah, K., Lipsitz, O., Gill, H., Lui, L. M. W., … Rosenblat, J. D.. (2021). Registered clinical studies investigating psychedelic drugs for psychiatric disorders. Journal of Psychiatric Research
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.05.019
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“Psychedelics are a hallucinogenic class of psychoactive drugs with the primary effect of activating non-ordinary states of consciousness. due to the positive preliminary findings of these drugs in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, the number of registered clinical studies has risen significantly. in this paper, clinical studies registered on clinicaltrials.gov that evaluate the treatment of any psychiatric disorder with psychedelics (excluding ketamine) are summarized and analyzed. 70 registered studies were identified from a clinicaltrials.gov search on december 3, 2020. the majority of studies aim to investigate methylenedioxymethamphetamine (mdma) (45.7%) and psilocybin (41.4%). studies evaluating ayahuasca, lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd), ibogaine hydrochloride, salvia divinorum, 5-meo-dmt and dmt fumarate were less common at 1.4%, 4.2%, 2.8%, 1.4%, 1.4% and 1.4% of total registered studies, respectively. most of the studies on mdma, psilocybin, ayahuasca and salvia divinorum investigated their therapeutic effect on post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) and major depressive disorder (mdd). lsd was investigated for mdd, anxiety, and severe somatic disorders and ibogaine hydrochloride was investigated for substance and alcohol use disorders. 5-meo-dmt and dmt fumarate were both investigated for mdd. only 21/70 registered studies had published results with the majority not yet completed. in view of the large number of ongoing studies investigating psychedelics, it is imperative that these studies are considered by researchers and stakeholders in deciding the most relevant research priorities for future proposed studies.”
Williams, M., & Warner, M.. (2019). The Psychedelic Renaissance. Australasian Science
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“Mental health statistics are sobering to read: 45% of australians will experience a serious mental health illness in their lifetime, suicide is the leading cause of death among young people in australia, and mental illness is predicted to become the leading cause of disability and disease worldwide by 2020. recently the us food and drug administration awarded psilocybin (a naturally occurring compound in numerous species of ‘magic mushrooms’) and mdma (commonly known as the recreational drug ‘ecstasy’) breakthrough status as therapies for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd), respectively. nonetheless, interest remained just below the surface throughout the 30-year moratorium, and a more sophisticated conversation about the use of psychedelic medicines began to evolve with the development of improved research techniques. since 2001, a significant number of randomised controlled trials (rcts) has profoundly changed the research landscape and paved the way for psychedelic psychotherapy. […]at imperial college london, an open-label trial ofpsilocybin-assisted therapy among 12 participants with treatment-resistant depression (https://bit.ly/2mc39ko) showed promising results, eliciting a significant improvement in eight of the participants (67%) a week after the psilocybin session.”
D., N.. (2019). Psychedelic drugs—a new era in psychiatry?. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience
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“This article covers the renaissance of classical psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin and lsd plus 3,4-methylene dioxymethamphetamine (mdma—ecstasy) in psychiatric research. these drugs were used quite extensively before they became prohibited. this ban had little impact on recreational use, but effectively stopped research and clinical treatments, which up to that point had looked very promising in several areas of psychiatry. in the past decade a number of groups have been working to re-evaluate the utility of these substances in medicine. so far highly promising preliminary data have been produced with psilocybin in anxiety, depression, smoking, alcoholism, and with mdma for post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) and alcoholism. these findings have led to the european medicines agency approving psilocybin for a phase 3 study in treatment-resistant depression and the food and drug administration for ptsd with mdma. both trials should read out in 2020, and if the results are positive we are likely to see these medicines approved for clinical practice soon afterwards.”
Andersen, K. A. A., Carhart-Harris, R., Nutt, D. J., & Erritzoe, D.. (2021). Therapeutic effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics: A systematic review of modern-era clinical studies. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1111/acps.13249
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“Objective: to conduct a systematic review of modern-era (post-millennium) clinical studies assessing the therapeutic effects of serotonergic psychedelics drugs for mental health conditions. although the main focus was on efficacy and safety, study characteristics, duration of antidepressants effects across studies, and the role of the subjective drug experiences were also reviewed and presented. method: a systematic literature search (1 jan 2000 to 1 may 2020) was conducted in pubmed and psychinfo for studies of patients undergoing treatment with a serotonergic psychedelic. results: data from 16 papers, representing 10 independent psychedelic-assisted therapy trials (psilocybin = 7, ayahuasca = 2, lsd = 1), were extracted, presented in figures and tables, and narratively synthesized and discussed. across these studies, a total of 188 patients suffering either cancer- or illness-related anxiety and depression disorders (c/i-radd), major depressive disorder (mdd), obsessive-compulsive disorder (ocd) or substance use disorder (sud) were included. the reviewed studies established feasibility and evidence of safety, alongside promising early data of efficacy in the treatment of depression, anxiety, ocd, and tobacco and alcohol use disorders. for a majority of patients, the therapeutic effects appeared to be long-lasting (weeks-months) after only 1 to 3 treatment session(s). all studies were conducted in line with guidelines for the safe conduct of psychedelic therapy, and no severe adverse events were reported. conclusion: the resurrection of clinical psychedelic research provides early evidence for treatment efficacy and safety for a range of psychiatric conditions, and constitutes an exciting new treatment avenue in a health area with major unmet needs.”
Varley, J.. (2019). Psychedelic-assisted therapy for anxiety and depression in the face of death: A critical review with an anthropological lens. Journal of Psychedelic Studies
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1556/2054.2019.005
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“Psychedelics have been investigated for their therapeutic applications in end-of-life care as early as 1960. recently, there have been four main groups conducting clinical trials for either lysergic acid diethylamide or psilocybin for the treatment of anxiety and depression in patients with terminal illnesses. the recent trials have higher methodological quality and demonstrate the profound impact of psychedelics for this particular patient presentation. however, a number of gaps, including understanding the meaning of death and dying in western society; the nature of the psychedelic experience and how this lends itself to assisting those who are facing death; and how suffering and psychological distress are defined and understood in current psychiatric and medical frameworks. this article provides a critical evaluation of the recent publications and suggests how anthropology may contribute knowledge to this emerging field. (psycinfo database record (c) 2020 apa, all rights reserved)”
Erratum (Biological Psychiatry (2020) 88(2) (197–207), (S0006322320300056), (10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.12.027)). (2020). Biological Psychiatry
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.05.015
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“Erratum to: ‘psilocybin induces time-dependent changes in global functional connectivity,’ by preller et al. (biol psychiatry 2020; 88:197–207); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.12.027. the authors recognized that their statement of funding support was incomplete. the complete list of funding support is provided here. this error has also been corrected in the final paginated version of this article. ‘this work was supported by the heffter research institute (grant no. 1-190420), swiss neuromatrix foundation (grant no. 2016-0111), swiss national science foundation under the framework of neuron cofund (grant no. 01ew1908), slovenian research agency (arrs) (grant nos. j7-8275, j7-6829, and p3-0338 [to gr]), sfari pilot award (to jdm and aa), and the national institutes of health (grant nos. 1u01mh121766 [to jhk and aa], r01mh112746 [to jdm], 5r01mh112189 [to aa], 5r01mh108590 [to aa], and 5p50aa012870 [to jhk and aa]).’”
Rucker, J. J. H.. (2019). Psilocybin therapy for major depressive disorder.. Advances in Psychedelic Medicine: State-of-the-Art Therapeutic Applications.
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“Depression is part of the normal spectrum of human experience. at its extreme it exists as a syndrome characterized by pervasive low mood and absence of enjoyment, disproportionately negative thought patterns, disturbed sleep and appetite, difficulty concentrating, and suicidal thoughts and acts. the classic psychedelic drugs were used as catalysts in psychotherapy for depression prior to their prohibition around 1970. most trials before this time were methodologically suboptimal and it remains unclear whether they are safe and effective treatments, although a recent systematic review suggested broadly positive clinical effects without a high risk of serious adverse reactions. this chapter discusses the modern resurgence of interest in psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, in the treatment of depression. it discusses the process of gathering evidence through the clinical trials process in order to make an application for licensing, with commentary on where the field lies within this process as of july 2018. finally, the chapter discusses, through a mixture of evidence and a degree of speculation, how recent basic neuroscience and neuroimaging work may reflect the core subjective psychedelic experience and how this may reflect a therapeutic mechanism that emphasizes the syndrome of depression as a shared emotional and existential predicament. (psycinfo database record (c) 2020 apa, all rights reserved)”
Winkelman, M., & Sessa, B.. (2019). Introduction: The psychedelic renaissance continues.. Advances in Psychedelic Medicine: State-of-the-Art Therapeutic Applications.
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“The term ‘psychedelic renaissance’ has been used with increasing frequency in recent years-with good reason. when psychedelic medicine was released a decade ago, we were at the beginning of the new professional wave of interest in psychedelics heralding the ‘psychedelic renaissance’. psychedelics are now at the cutting edge of contemporary psychopharmacology and neuroscience. psychedelic research continued to emerge in the first decade of the 21st century when a research team at the university of arizona evaluated the use of psilocybin for treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (ocd). this introductory chapter discusses the psychedelic renaissance. it provides a brief description of the book and its subsequent chapters. it also describes psychiatric applications of psychedelics. following this, the chapter discusses psychedelic treatment of addictions and medical hypotheses. it provides training guidelines for therapeutics. finally the chapter provides the social context of psychedelic therapy and research, and discusses diversity and equality going forward. (psycinfo database record (c) 2020 apa, all rights reserved)”
Berkovitch, L., Roméo, B., Karila, L., Gaillard, R., & Benyamina, A.. (2021). Efficacité des psychédéliques en psychiatrie, une revue systématique. L’Encéphale
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.encep.2020.12.002
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“Résumé objectifs les psychédéliques sont des substances psychoactives puissantes dont les pouvoirs thérapeutiques dans le champ de la psychiatrie et de l’addictologie ont récemment été redécouverts. cet article est une revue systématique de la littérature sur l’efficacité des psychédéliques, tels que la psilocybine, l’ayahuasca ou le diéthylamide de l’acide lysergique (lsd), dans les troubles psychiatriques et addictologiques. méthodes une recherche systématique utilisant les mots clés « (ayahuasca or psilocybin or lysergic acid diethylamide) and (depression or anxiety or major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder or anxiety disorder or substance use disorder or dependence) » sur les bases de données medline, psycinfo, web of science et scopus entre janvier 1990 et mai 2020 a été réalisée selon les recommandations prisma afin d’identifier les différents articles. résultats vingt-cinq articles ont été retenus : cinq sur le traitement des symptômes anxio-dépressifs de patients ayant une pathologie grave et incurable, onze dans les épisodes dépressifs caractérisés, huit dans les troubles addictologiques, un dans le trouble obsessionnel compulsif. la plupart de ces études étaient observationnelles ou portaient sur de petits échantillons de patients, en ouvert. elles retrouvaient une efficacité importante des psychédéliques notamment dans des pathologies résistantes ou sans traitement médicamenteux de référence. les bénéfices apparaissaient rapidement après l’administration et pouvaient perdurer plusieurs mois après une prise unique. aucun effet secondaire grave n’a été décrit. conclusions les psychédéliques constituent des thérapeutiques prometteuses, d’efficacité rapide et durable, dont l’utilisation semble bien tolérée. cependant, leurs effets doivent être confirmés par des études de plus grande ampleur et comparés aux prises en charge habituelles. objectives psychedelics are powerful psychoactive substances. natural psychedelics have been used for millennia by human civilizations, in particular in latin america, while synthetic psychedelics were discovered in the 50s, giving rise to a lot of research before they were prohibited. more recently, their therapeutic properties have been studied especially to help patients with psychiatric conditions, psychological distress or substance use disorders. this article is a systematic review of the literature which aims to provide an overview of all studies that assessed the efficacy of psychedelics, i.e. psiloc…”
Winkelman, M. [Ed], & Sessa, B. [Ed]. (2019). Advances in psychedelic medicine: State-of-the-art therapeutic applications.. Advances in Psychedelic Medicine: State-of-the-Art Therapeutic Applications.
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“This book discusses advances in psychedelic medicine. it is dedicated to the psychedelic scientist, the psychedelic explorer, the secret researcher, the daring therapist, and the rebellious patients, and all of humanity that is willing to open their eyes to evidence based science regarding psychedelics, and also to reclaiming a spiritual and therapeutic heritage of humanity. more than a decade ago, the u.s. government lifted its ban on all testing of psychedelic substances. the book provides updated scientific research and applications of these substances, now moving into approved categories of medicine. it covers the use of lysergic acid diethylamide, psilocybin, mdma, ayahuasca, and other substances to augment psychotherapies for a range of disorders. the book discusses medical and psychiatric concerns, clinical efficacy and safety, ethical considerations, and neuroscience findings regarding the psychedelic compounds. it provides an overview of psychiatric applications of psychedelics; treatments for addictions and depressive disorders; effects of psychedelics on inflammation and neuroplasticity; evidence for clinical applications of dmt, ayahuasca, and cannabidiol; psychedelic treatment of sociopathic disorders; microdosing psychedelics; training psychedelic therapists; and community-based harm reduction approaches to managing psychedelic crises. reflecting the perspectives of clinicians, researchers, and program administrators in the field, the book presents the latest advances in establishing the research base to take psychedelic compounds into the mainstream of medicine and addresses issues such as clinical efficacy, safety, state-of-the-art therapeutic approaches, and mechanisms of action. (psycinfo database record (c) 2020 apa, all rights reserved)”
Kim, J. J., & Ferrari, M.. (2020). On the third day . . .: The death and resurrection of the study of religious experience.. Humanistic Psychologist
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1037/hum0000204
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“The psychology of religious experiences has received increased attention in recent years with the increasing interest in and success of studies involving psilocybin, as well as pushback against new atheist movements. however, the psychology of religious experiences has a long and storied history dating back to the dawn age of psychology itself. the subject of writings by everyone from james to dewey to freud, religious experiences lost steam as a subject of psychological research due to the behaviorist movement, only to resurface in the writings of allport and maslow, and disappear again, this time resurfacing as the study of mystical experiences. the present article charts the history of the psychology of religious experiences from the work of founding figures in academic psychology through to the present day, examining recurring themes and tensions throughout its appearances and disappearances, and what this fluctuating current of focus says about religious experiences as a topic of psychological inquiry. (psycinfo database record (c) 2020 apa, all rights reserved)”
Wagner, A. C., Mithoefer, M. C., & Doblin, R.. (2019). Bringing psychedelics and entactogens into mainstream pharmaceuticals: A focus on MDMA.. Advances in Psychedelic Medicine: State-of-the-Art Therapeutic Applications.
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“More recently synthesized substances, including 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (mdma) and lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd), along with psilocybin, have been integrated with psychotherapy in attempts to create new possibilities for growth, increase the effectiveness of psychological interventions, and mitigate otherwise intractable suffering. this chapter focuses specifically on the process of mdma drug development, given that this is the entactogen/psychedelic the furthest along in the drug development process. it examines mdma’s history, including a brief overview of its original discovery and early use. the chapter describes the use of the drug in psychotherapy prior to its regulation, and subsequently the ban on its use and barriers to research that occurred. the process of drug development will be given an overview, including a description of the scheduling of stimulant drugs in the united states to provide context. the chapter discusses the trajectory of gaining approvals for mdma’s use for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd), bringing the path to current-day research and future hopes for its use, including the case example of compassionate use in switzerland and the ‘expanded access’ possibility in the united states. the chapter encounters the political roadblocks, and concludes with hope for the future. (psycinfo database record (c) 2020 apa, all rights reserved)”
Huang, D. S.. (2020). The efficacy of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering
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“The rising number of individuals seeking mental health assistance necessitates continued research into methods that can be used to treat psychological diagnoses that traditional therapeutic and psychopharmalogical practices can not (lake & tanner, 2017). inevitable makings of humanity such as war, political/social conflict, and violence puts people at risk of developing reactive mental health illnesses like ptsd (kessler, 2000 & parrot, 2014). several studies have taken a closer look mdma-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant ptsd for those that have not found success with mainstream modality. results indicated clinically significant reduction in ptsd symptoms and enduring improvements in functioning and overall life satisfaction (oehen et al., 2013, mithoefer et al., 2011, wagner et al., 2017, buoso et al., 2008, mithoefer et al., 2018, ot’alora et al., 2018). similarly, results have been promising for psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for those afflicted with major depressive disorder and end of life illnesses such as terminal cancer, indicating not only improved mood and functioning, but additional peripheral benefits such as acceptance of death, participation in social relationships, and positive personality changes (cahart-harris et al., 2016, griffiths et al., 2006, griffith et al., 2016, grob et al., 2011, mason et al., 2018, ross et al., 2016). (psycinfo database record (c) 2020 apa, all rights reserved)”
Smith, W. R., & Sisti, D.. (2020). Ethics and ego dissolution: The case of psilocybin. Journal of Medical Ethics
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1136/medethics-2020-106070
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“Despite the fact that psychedelics were proscribed from medical research half a century ago, recent, early-phase trials on psychedelics have suggested that they bring novel benefits to patients in the treatment of several mental and substance use disorders. when beneficial, the psychedelic experience is characterized by features unlike those of other psychiatric and medical treatments. these include senses of losing self-importance, ineffable knowledge, feelings of unity and connection with others and encountering € deep’reality or god. in addition to symptom relief, psychedelic experiences often lead to significant changes in a patient’s personality and worldview. focusing on the case of psilocybin, we argue that the peculiar features of psychedelics pose certain novel risks, which warrant an enhanced informed consent process-one that is more comprehensive than what may be typical for other psychiatric medications. we highlight key issues that should be focused on during the consent process and suggest discussion prompts for enhanced consent in psychedelic psychiatry. finally, we respond to potential objections before concluding with a discussion of ethical considerations that will arise as psychedelics proceed from highly controlled research environments into mainstream clinical psychiatry.”
Schimmel, N., Breeksema, J. J., Veraart, J., Van Den Brink, W., & Schoevers, R. A.. (2020). Psychedelics for existential distress in terminally ill patients | Psychedelica bij existentieel lijden bij patiënten met een terminale ziekte. Tijdschrift Voor Psychiatrie
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“© 2020 uitgeverij boom. all rights reserved. background existential distress in patients with a terminal illness is often associated with (symptoms of) anxiety and depression. psychotherapeutic interventions seem effective but effects are short-lived. there are no proven effective pharmacological interventions. aim to present an overview of literature on psychedelic treatment of existential distress in patients with terminal illness. method literature research in pubmed/medline databases, supplemented with cross-references. results 14 clinical studies have been conducted: 6 with classic psychedelics between 1960 and 1980, and 8 with classic psychedelics and ketamine after 2000. results of early pre-post studies are promising but have serious methodological limitations. recent clinical research with lsd, psilocybin and ketamine are also promising although limited in terms of research design and generalizability. overall, studies show a positive effect on existential and spiritual well-being, quality of life, acceptance and (symptoms of) anxiety and depression. mystical experiences are correlated with positive outcomes. few adverse effects are reported. conclusion treatment of existential distress using classical psychedelics or ketamine in patients with terminal illness seems auspicious. larger clinical studies in a more diverse patient population with fewer methodological limitations are needed to draw conclusions about efficacy and generalizability.”
Kuypers, K. P. C.. (2020). Microdosing with psychedelics: What do we know?. Tijdschrift Voor Psychiatrie
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“BACKGROUND the repeated use of small doses of psychedelics such as psilocybin and lsd over a period of time (microdosing, md) has gained popularity and scientific attention in recent years. retrospective reports from users suggest clinical potential. aim to answer the question whether md with psychedelics could theoretically provide symptom relief for people with psychiatric disorders. method investigate what the current evidence is about the effects of md with psychedelics on the behavioral level, psychological functioning and mental well-being. a search for relevant articles in pubmed and medline databases (on january 10, 2020), which resulted in a total of 28 hits. after de-duplication, removal of irrelevant and addition of relevant articles, 23 articles were included. results most of the knowledge we have so far comes from uncontrolled online questionnaire studies in which users report retrospectively or keep diaries of the effects they experience during md. according to users, it leads to positive effects on mood, concentration, focus and productivity. negative effects, including physical discomfort and increased fear, also seem to occur. the limited number of experimental studies in healthy people revealed that md has subtle effects on cognitive processes and brain connectivity. conclusion the findings of experimental studies in combination with the reports from users give cause for further investigation into the clinical potential of low-dose psychedelics in combating certain symptoms. more placebo-controlled studies are needed to provide clarity for who (age, diagnosis) md can be effective and for which (cognitive, emotional) processes.”
Camfield, D. A., & Sarris, J.. (2017). Nutraceutical and alternative treatments for obsessive-compulsive and related disorders.. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Phenomenology, Pathophysiology, and Treatment.
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“This chapter reviews current research into nutraceutical substances that have been investigated in the treatment of ocd or of grooming disorders, through either case studies or open-label and/or randomized placebo-controlled trials with some evidence of efficacy. the substances to be considered are myo-inositol, st john’s wort, milk thistle, borage, glycine, sarcosine, psilocybin, and a/-acetylcysteine. a description of each substance is presented, together with relevant biochemistry and interpretation regarding the current evidence of efficacy and safety/tolerability as well as what can be determined about factors which may moderate its efficacy including ocd symptom severity and advice in regards to concomitant antidepressant use. conclusions and recommendations for future research are also presented. (psycinfo database record (c) 2020 apa, all rights reserved)”
Fedorova, E. V., Wong, C. F., Ataiants, J., Iverson, E., Conn, B. M., & Lankenau, S. E.. (2021). Cannabidiol (CBD) and other drug use among young adults who use cannabis in Los Angeles. Drug and Alcohol Dependence
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108648
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“Introduction: cannabidiol (cbd) is purportedly a promising therapeutic agent to provide relief for a variety of medical conditions with mild or no psychoactive effects. however, little is known about young adults who use cannabis and cbd-dominant products, and associations between cbd use and other drug use. methods: young adults (aged 24–32) who currently used cannabis (n = 239) were surveyed in los angeles in march 2019 through march 2020. the sample was divided into cbd-dominant (at least 1:1 cbd:thc ratio) and thc-dominant product users. we described cbd forms, reasons and conditions for cbd use and examined between-group differences in sociodemographic characteristics, cannabis practices, health and other drug use. results: cbd-dominant users were more likely to be female, use cannabis at lower frequency and amount (except for edible/drinkable/oral products), self-report medical motivation for cannabis use, use cannabis for pain and report more health problems. oil, flower, topicals and sprays/drops/tinctures were the most prevalent cbd forms. psychological problems and pain were commonly reported conditions and medical reasons for cbd use. cbd-dominant users were more likely to report illicit drug use, where psilocybin use was markedly different between the two groups. conclusions: cbd use was associated with health histories and motivations linked to pain and psychological problems. positive association between cbd use and illicit drug use may indicate self-medication for psychological conditions. future studies should evaluate the effectiveness of various cbd forms and dose regimens for treatment of pain and psychological problems, and as a potential intervention for decreasing other drug use and associated harms.”
Carhart-Harris, R.. (2020). 4 Psychedelics: therapeutic mechanisms. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2020-bnpa.4
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“
Robin carhart-harris moved to imperial college london in 2008 after obtaining a phd in psychopharmacology from the university of bristol and an ma in psychoanalysis from brunel university. at imperial, he has designed and/or carried out brain imaging studies involving lsd, psilocybin, mdma and dmt, plus a clinical trial of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, and an ongoing study comparing psilocybin with escitalopram for major depressive disorder. in 2019, he set-up the centre for psychedelic research at imperial and he also an honorary position with the university of oxford.
the talk takes a multi-level approach to the question of how psychedelics work in the brain. key themes include: the pharmacology of classic serotonergic psychedelics, what this tells us about the function and evolutionary purpose of the serotonin 2a receptor, the acute brain effects of psychedelics as determined by functional brain imaging, the entropic brain hypothesis, current evidence for psychedelic therapy, the ‘Rebus’ hierarchical predictive processing model of the action of psychedelics, and how this maps on to the phenomenology of the acute psychedelic experience and therapeutic outcomes.
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Deane, G.. (2020). Dissolving the self. Philosophy and the Mind Sciences
Plain numerical DOI: 10.33735/phimisci.2020.i.39
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“Psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin, lsd and dmt are known to induce powerful alterations in phenomenology. perhaps of most philosophical and scientific interest is their capacity to disrupt and even ‘dissolve’ one of the most primary features of normal experience: that of being a self. such ‘peak’ or ‘mystical’ experiences are of increasing interest for their potentially transformative therapeutic value. while empirical research is underway, a theoretical conception of the mechanisms underpinning these experiences remains elusive. in the following paper, psychedelic-induced ego-dissolution is accounted for within an active inference framework, as a collapse in the ‘temporal thickness’ of an agent’s deep temporal model, as a result of lowered precision on high-level priors. the argument here is composed of three moves: first, a view of the self-model is proposed as arising within a temporally deep generative model of an embodied organism navigating an affordance landscape in the service of allostasis. next, a view of the action of psychedelics as lowering the precision of high-level priors within the generative model is unpacked in terms of a high bayesian learning rate. finally, the relaxation of high-level priors is argued to cause a ‘collapse’ in the temporal thickness of the generative model, resulting in a collapse in the self-model and a loss of the ordinary sense of being a self. this account has implications for our understanding of ordinary self-consciousness and disruptions in self-consciousness present in psychosis, autism, depression, and dissociative disorders. the philosophical, theoretical and therapeutic implications of this account are touched upon.”
Servick, K.. (2021). A psychedelic win raises questions for PTSD therapy. Science
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1126/science.372.6544.774
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“The news last week that the compound 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (mdma), popularly called ecstasy, alleviated post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) in a phase 3 trial was a milestone in efforts to turn psychedelic drugs into mainstream treatments. it also highlighted a therapeutic marriage that is getting increasing attention: providing a mind-altering drug while a patient receives care from a trained therapist. ‘this is really kind of a new zeitgeist in psychiatry,’ says barbara rothbaum, a clinical psychologist at emory university. researchers funded by the nonprofit multidisciplinary association for psychedelic studies (maps) reported in nature medicine that after ‘mdma-assisted therapy,’ two-thirds of treated participants no longer met the diagnostic criteria for ptsd. maps hopes to confirm the results in an ongoing second study and seek approval for the therapy from the u.s. food and drug administration (fda) as early as 2023. in 2017, the agency granted mdma a ‘breakthrough’ designation, which comes with extra guidance during the trial process and an expedited review. the idea that psychedelic drugs and talk therapy work in synergy raises complex questions about how to optimize—and regulate—the drug experience. ‘it’s not understood what the role of mdma or [another] psychedelic is in facilitating the psychotherapy, and what’s happening neurobiologically,’ says atheir abbas, a neuroscientist and psychiatrist at oregon health & science university. because taking psychedelics without guidance can lead to negative experiences, ‘a guided, more psychotherapy-oriented approach is probably warranted,’ he says. ‘but it’s not clear what aspects of that guidance are critical.’ as mdma and other tightly controlled psychedelic compounds inch closer to regulatory approval, careful supervision from therapists may help overcome their reputation as illicit substances and fears of indiscriminate use. ‘maps has done very well to really emphasize that they’re not just trying to promote a compound,’ says rachel yehuda, who directs the center for psychedelic psychotherapy and trauma research at the icahn school of medicine at mount sinai. maps researchers have worked for more than 3 decades to turn mdma into a prescription medicine. the substance doesn’t produce the vivid hallucinations associated with either lsd or psilocybin, found in magic mushrooms. but it increases the brain’s levels of certain neurotransmitters, including serotonin and dopamine, to cr…”
Révész, D., Ona, G., Rossi, G. N., Rocha, J. M., dos Santos, R. G., Hallak, J. E. C., … Bouso, J. C.. (2021). Cross-Sectional Associations Between Lifetime Use of Psychedelic Drugs and Psychometric Measures During the COVID-19 Confinement: A Transcultural Study. Frontiers in Psychiatry
Plain numerical DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.687546
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“ Background: one of the main public health strategies adopted at the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic consisted of implementing strict lockdowns to stop the transmission of the virus. despite being an effective measure, the confinement and the associated social isolation create a stressful, potentially lengthy situations that has been proven to have several psychological consequences. given the potential benefits that certain psychedelic drugs have shown for the treatment of psychological disorders, this study aimed to assess the impact of lifetime psychedelic drug use on mental health in relation to the first strict lockdown adopted by various countries (april-july 2020). methods: subjects completed an online survey that inquired about sociodemographic factors, activities, and lifestyle factors during confinement, as well as health and mental health related factors. subjects were asked about their lifetime use of psychedelic drugs (mdma, ayahuasca, psilocybin-containing mushrooms, lsd, peyote, san pedro, bufo alvarius or 5-meo-dmt, and others), being classified as regular users (more than once per 6 months), occasional users, or non-users. the survey included psychometric tests used to assess psychological distress, peritraumatic stress, social support, psychopathological symptoms, and personality. linear regressions were performed with psychedelic drug users as the independent variable and psychometric factors as the outcomes, while correcting for age, gender, language, religion, spirituality, and use of non-psychedelic drugs. results: the study included 2,974 english, portuguese, and spanish speakers (497 regular users of psychedelic drugs, 606 occasional users, and 1,968 non-users). on average, respondents were 36 years old and 70% were female. psychedelic drug users, especially regular ones, reported less psychological distress, less peritraumatic stress, and more social support. regarding personality measures, psychedelic drug users scored higher on the novelty-seeking and self-transcendence scales, and lower on cooperativeness. conclusion: our findings showed that regular users of psychedelic drugs had less psychological stress and some personality differences when compared to occasional users and non-users. this suggests that either the use of psychedelics might be a protective factor itself or people with certain previous traits are more prone to frequently using psychedelic drugs. future prospective longitudinal research should investigat…”
Greenway, K. T., Garel, N., Jerome, L., & Feduccia, A. A.. (2020). Integrating psychotherapy and psychopharmacology: psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and other combined treatments. Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2020.1772054
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“Introduction: combinations of psychotherapy with antidepressants are gold-standard psychiatric treatments. they operate through complex and interactional mechanisms, not unlike the reemergent paradigm of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, which promising research suggests may also be highly effective in even challenging populations. areas covered: we review the therapeutic mechanisms behind both conventional and psychedelic paradigms, including the evolution of this knowledge and the associated explanatory frameworks. we explore how psychedelics have provided insights about psychiatric illnesses and treatments over the past decades. we discuss limitations to early explanatory models while highlighting and comparing the psychological and biological mechanisms underlying many psychiatric treatments. methods: a narrative review was conducted based on a search in medline/pubmed up to january 1st, 2020, and iterative retrieval of references from recent reviews and clinical trials. expert opinion: the contextual model of the common factors of psychotherapy provides a powerful perspective on psychotherapy, antidepressants, and psychedelics, as well as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (mdma) and ketamine. it aligns well with key tenets of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. conventional antidepressants and especially psychedelics may improve the efficacy of psychotherapy via neurochemical changes and increased environmental sensitivity. combined treatments hold significant promise for advancing the knowledge and treatment of many forms of psychopathology.”
Butler, M., Seynaeve, M., Nicholson, T. R., Pick, S., Kanaan, R. A., Lees, A., … Rucker, J.. (2020). 21 Psychedelic treatment of functional neurological disorder – a systematic review. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2020-bnpa.38
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“Aims neurological disorder (fnd), formerly known as conversion disorder, causes a high burden of disability and distress, and is amongst the most commonly encountered conditions in neurology clinics and neuropsychiatry services, yet the therapeutic evidence base is limited. research into psychedelics such as psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd) is currently being undertaken with significant renewed interest, and in recent studies psychedelics have shown promise in treating a range of psychiatric conditions. modification of neural circuits associated with self-representation is thought to underlie some of this effect, and as some contemporary theories of fnd focus on aberrant somatic self-representation, psychedelics may therefore represent an unexplored treatment option for fnd. methods: we systematically reviewed studies involving the use of psychedelics in fnd. nine studies published between 1954 – 1967, with a total of 26 patients, were identified. due to restriction of licencing of psychedelic drugs since this period, no modern studies were identified.
results
lsd was the most commonly used psychedelic, with some studies also using psilocybin and/or mescaline. the number of therapeutic sessions of psychotherapy ± psychedelic substance administration ranged from one to 26, with descriptions of therapeutic methods used widely varying, and in some cases not described in any detail. psychedelics were given either orally or intramuscularly, with doses of lsd ranging from 25 to 2,000 micrograms (mcg), and doses of psilocybin ranging from 3 to 15 milligrams (mg). of those treated, 69% (n=18) were found to have made at least some recovery, with 23% (n=6) having completely recovered after psychedelic therapy. adverse events were typically mild and transient.
conclusions
studies were generally of low quality, often lacking control groups and valid outcome measures. despite this, the degree of improvement is considerable, even if the presumptive bias in favour of the treatment in the studies is taken into consideration. furthermore, good therapeutic outcomes and lack of adverse events in modern open-label trials utilising psychedelic therapy for neuropsychiatric disorders is encouraging. advances in the understanding of the neurobiology of fnd, as well as further modern clinical research into the therapeutic utility of psychedelics, may help to determine whether psychedelics offer a feasible, safe and effective treatmen…”
Pedersen, W.. (2020). Encountering the sacred: Use of LSD, psilocybin and other psychedelic substances. Tidsskrift for Samfunnsforskning
Plain numerical DOI: 10.18261/ISSN.1504-291X-2020-04-03
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“Over the past years there has been an increasing interest in the use of psychedelics. however, there are few studies based in the social sciences and drawing on qualitative data of the use of such substances in an illegal context. we interviewed 50 norwegian users of psychedelics. i describe their motives for use and their experiences during their trips. theoretically, i draw on norwegian psychoanalyst ola raknes, theologian kristian schjelderup, sociologist émile durkheim and other studies of the sacred and the mystical. previous research suggests that these experiences are often ineffable, and often linked to the transcendence of time and space. some encounter ‘the depths of existence’or a religious or secular unity. scholars have debated whether such experiences have a universal character, or whether they are formed by a concrete social and historical context. our findings suggest that these experiences have had a great impact on the users’ lives, and that they may be interpreted as drawing on the literature of mysticism. however, we also identified current themes such as ecology, climate and ‘green’values. there may be seemingly universal dimensions in experiences as those gained through the use of psychedelics. however, these experiences also seem to be shaped by the concrete historical context. worries about a threatened nature were central elements of these experiences among current users of psychedelics.”
Halpern, J. H., Suzuki, J., Huertas, P. E., & Passie, T.. (2015). Hallucinogen Abuse and Dependence. In Encyclopedia of Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-36172-2_43
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“Hallucinogen abuse and dependence are known complications resulting from the illicit use of drugs in this category, such as lsd and psilocybin. users do not experience withdrawal symptoms, but the general criteria for substance abuse and dependence otherwise apply. dependence is estimated in approximately 2% of recent-onset users in the united states. acute hallucinogen intoxication may induce a plethora of physical and psychological effects that can become so overwhelming to the user as to result in seeking emergency psychiatric care. providing supportive psychotherapy usually proves effective, though sometimes the use of a sedative hypnotic for anxiety is indicated in addition. no randomized controlled trials have examined treatments of hallucinogen abuse or dependence, but standard treatments (motivational interviewing, relapse prevention, outpatient counseling, participation in self-help groups, family therapy) should still be offered. (psycinfo database record (c) 2020 apa, all rights reserved)”
Grob, C. S.. (2018). Hallucinogens: Spiritual and therapeutic use, overuse, and complications. In Integrative addiction and recovery.
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“This chapter explores the historical background, risks of adverse events, and discussion of hallucinogenic-use disorder. the substances under consideration are the classic hallucinogens—specifically, mescaline, lysergic acid diethylamide, psilocybin, and dimethyltryptamine. hallucinogens, in plant form, have been present since the earliest habitation of the earth and have played a pivotal role in the evolution of human culture. it is by now well established that indigenous tribal groups around the world have, since time began, used plant hallucinogens to catalyze shamanic ceremonies designed to facilitate individual and group healing as well as cultural cohesion. in individuals with severe vulnerability for underlying psychopathology and for those taking hallucinogens under adverse conditions, there is a risk for serious mental health deterioration. often-overlooked adverse phenomena are the responses to traumatic experience, which may occur after having taken a hallucinogen. difficult experiences with hallucinogens may also lead to another form of sustained and posttraumatic stress. future research into mechanisms of action, as well as the potential medical and psychiatric uses of the hallucinogen treatment model, may over time achieve a significant impact on how we facilitate health and healing, on both individual and collective levels. (psycinfo database record (c) 2020 apa, all rights reserved)”
Romeo, B., Hermand, M., Pétillion, A., Karila, L., & Benyamina, A.. (2021). Clinical and biological predictors of psychedelic response in the treatment of psychiatric and addictive disorders: A systematic review. Journal of Psychiatric Research
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.03.002
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“Background: the use of psychedelic treatments has shown very promising results in some psychiatric and addictive disorders, but not all patients achieved a response. aim: the aim of this review is to explore the clinical and biological factors which could predict the response to psychedelics in psychiatric and addictive disorders. methods: a systematic research was performed on medline, psycinfo, web of science, and scopus databases from january 1990 to may 2020. all studies investigating the predictive factors of response to psychedelics regardless of psychiatric or addictive disorders, were included. results: twenty studies investigating addictive disorder, treatment-resistant depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depressive and anxiety symptoms in patients with life-threatening cancer were included in this review. we found that, in all indications, the main predictive factor of response to psychedelics is the intensity of the acute psychedelic experience. indeed, we found this factor for alcohol and tobacco use disorders, treatment-resistant depression, and anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with life-threatening cancer, but not for obsessive-compulsive disorder. conclusion: the intensity of the acute psychedelic experience was the main predicting factor of response. the action mechanism of this experience was not clear, but some hypotheses could be made, such as a modulation of serotoninergic system by 5-ht2a receptors agonism, a modulation of the default mode network (dmn) with an acute modular disintegration of the dmn followed by a re-integration of this network with a normal functioning, or an anti-inflammatory effect of this treatment.”
Thorn, R. G., Malloch, D. W., Saar, I., Lamoureux, Y., Nagasawa, E., Redhead, S. A., … Moncalvo, J. M.. (2020). New species in the gymnopilus junonius group (Basidiomycota: Agaricales). Botany
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1139/cjb-2020-0006
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“Mushrooms named gymnopilus spectabilis and g. junonius have been reported widely in north america on both dead hardwood or dead or living conifers. based on dna sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region (its) and large ribosomal subunit (lsu), we found that although gymnopilus junonius (= g. spectabilis s. auct.) is widespread in europe, south america, and australia, none of the limited sequences available from north america represent this species. we report five species of this group from north america, including three previously described species, g. luteus, g. subspectabilis, and g. ventricosus, and two new species, gymnopilus voitkii and gymnopilus speciosissimus. we recognize a sister species to g. luteus, based on sequences previously reported as g. spectabilis from china, japan, and the russian far east, but, lacking material to describe it as a new species, we give it an informal clade name, sororiluteus. another new species in this complex is described from japan, as gymnopilus orientispectabilis. species in this group may be distinguished by their its sequences as well as by macro- and micromorphology, substrate, and geography.”
Cotovio, G., da Silva, D. R., Real-Lage, E., Seybert, C., & Oliveira-Maia, A. J.. (2020). P.296 Interhemispheric imbalance of motor cortex excitability in affective disorders – a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Neuropsychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.09.220
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“Introduction: mood and emotions are key features in human experience and its normal function are known to be impaired in some of the most debilitating neuropsychiatric disorders – affective disorders. historically, mood valence has been hypothesised to be lateralised in the brain, with negative emotions (depression) associated right hemisphere function, and positive emotions (euphoria) associated with left hemisphere function [1]. consistent with this hypothesis, strong evidence claims a left-sided impairment in depression, suggested by left-sided predominance of brain lesions causing depression [2], dysfunction of left-sided functional networks and impaired function of left-sided hubs of the limbic circuit. additionally, manic syndromes have been associated to right-sided dysfunction revealed by right lateralised lesions causing mania [3], right orbitofrontal and temporal abnormalities in bipolar disorder and state-related dysfunction in right-sided functional networks. transcranial magnetic stimulation has been used as a non-invasive research tool to acquire in vivo neurophysiologic measures in humans [4], such as cortical excitability or plasticity measures, with promising biomarker features [5]. tms may thus be used to access lateralisation of cortical excitability or plasticity measure in affective disorders. aims: our primary goal was to compare, using a meta-analytic approach, lateralisation of cortical excitability or plasticity, acquired using tms, between healthy subjects and patients with depression or mania. secondarily, we aim to understand if lateralisation of cortical excitability or plasticity is changed in response to treatment. finally, we propose to explore determinants of cortical excitability lateralization, in patients with affective disorders. methods: using four different databases we performed a systematic review (prospero registration crd42019145239) of the evidence concerning interhemispheric differences in motor cortex excitability acquired by transcranial magnetic stimulation in patients with affective disorders. three researchers reviewed available evidence separately according to prisma guidelines. a meta-analytic approach was used to assess the presence of interhemispheric asymmetry in several cortical excitability and plasticity measures acquired with tms, among patients with depression or mania and healthy subjects. we also studied predictors of greater interhemispheric asymmetry among the patients diagnosed with affect…”
Khamsehzadeh, J.. (2020). Psychedelic (R)Evolution. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses
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“Psilocybin mushrooms may have played a role in the origin of humanity, and consciousness-expanding medicines may contribute to the future evolution of our species. neuroscientists from imperial college london recently discovered that psilocybin, found in over 200 species of mushrooms worldwide, stimulates neurogenesis, particularly in the hippocampus, a region of the brain involved in learning. aside from participating in the formation of new neurons, the variety of psychedelic states of consciousness psilocybin catalyzes dissolves the brain’s default mode network, which scientists call the ego state of consciousness. instead, a more hyperconnected brain state takes the place of the physiological configuration representative of our habitual state of consciousness. some neural pathways that are catalyzed by psilocybin stabilize, establishing lasting effects in the individual’s physiology and consciousness. these results are in agreement with the findings of a recent study on psilocybin conducted at johns hopkins university, in which doctors found long-term positive changes in the participants’ personalities. terence and dennis mckenna hypothesized that psilocybin mushrooms might have been the key ingredient that catalyzed the evolution of humanity. terence mckenna was an intellectual who was a spread cultural awareness of psilocybin mushrooms, and dennis is an ethno-pharmacologist who has received post-doctoral research fellowships from both the national institute of mental health and the department of neurology at the stanford university school of medicine. a mounting body of evidence over the last several decades appears to support their hypothesis. an example is that 9,000-year-old cave paintings, located relatively close to the region where humanity emerged in africa, arguably depict the shamanic use of mushrooms; this shows psilocybin mushroom evolved where early humans also evolved. currently, surveys intended to find the regularity of psychedelic use estimate that 1 in 10 americans use psychedelics, and rigorous experiments are finding that psychedelic treatments can enhance creativity and heal trauma. federal legalization of mdma is projected to occur in 2021, with legalization of psilocybin to follow shortly after. as psychedelic treatments enter mainstream culture through legal legitimacy, these medicines may influence our values, ecological awareness, creativity, and identities.”
Fogg, C., Michaels, T. I., de la Salle, S., Jahn, Z. W., & Williams, M. T.. (2021). Ethnoracial health disparities and the ethnopsychopharmacology of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies.. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology
Plain numerical DOI: 10.1037/pha0000490
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“Emerging evidence from randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials suggests psychedelic compounds such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (mdma), psilocybin, and lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd), when administered as an adjunct to psychotherapy, that is, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (pap), may be beneficial for treating substance use disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder (ptsd), depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric conditions. previous ethnopsychopharmacological research has identified ethnoracial differences in the metabolism, safety, and efficacy of psychotropic drugs, yet no studies have directly investigated the impact of ethnoracially based differences in psychedelic drug pharmacology. although there is an extensive global history of psychedelic use among peoples of various cultures, ethnicities, and intersectional identities, psychedelic research has been conducted almost exclusively on white populations in north america and western europe. the failure to include black, indigenous, and people of color (bipoc) in psychedelic research trials neglects the ethnic, racial, and cultural factors that may impact individual responses to pap and thereby prevents generalizability of findings. this article investigates the impact of biological and social factors related to culture, ethnicity, and race on pharmacological responses to pap, as well as clinical outcomes. the limitations of ethnopsychopharmacology are discussed, and the authors present expected cultural, clinical, and public health benefits of expanding funding for this area. this work will draw attention to the unique and individualized needs of ethnoracially diverse clients in therapeutic settings and is intended to inform future pap trials. (psycinfo database record (c) 2021 apa, all rights reserved).”
Brennan, W. T.. (2021). A qualitative inquiry into ethical relationship and boundary-setting in underground psychedelic healing. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering
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“As both mdma- and psilocybin-assisted psychedelic psychotherapy near fda approval and gain acceptance as efficacious clinical approaches, concerns have been raised about their alleged proneness to therapist sexual abuse and other relational boundary transgressions. in the current study, 23 practitioners who have administered mdma and psilocybin to clients in underground healing contexts were interviewed about their experiences navigating multiple relationships, non-sexual touch, and maintaining sexual boundary-setting in their work. twelve of these practitioners have undergone formal, graduate-level training in psychotherapy. a phenomenological research design was used to assess what unique relational challenges they have faced in this work and what practices they have found helpful in doing so. two sets of themes addressing these two questions were developed from the data. descriptive themes represent the unique challenges that psychedelic practitioners have encountered in their work, and prescriptive themes are made up of the ‘best practices’ they have found most useful in confronting these challenges. some themes are unique to psychedelic work (e.g., client nudity, the use of touch, the belief that therapists must continue to have their own psychedelic experiences), while others represent a psychedelic-specific take on standard ethical considerations (e.g., transference, supervision, staying within one’s scope of competence). discussion of these results includes implications for the training of psychedelic psychotherapists and other regulatory decisions facing the field. (psycinfo database record (c) 2021 apa, all rights reserved)”
Gard, D. E., Pleet, M. M., Bradley, E. R., Penn, A., Gallenstein, M. L., Riley, L. S., … Woolley, J. D.. (2021). Evaluating the Risk of Psilocybin for the Treatment of Bipolar Depression: A Systematic Review of Published Case Studies. MedRxiv
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“250 words text: 4998 words number of figures: 1 number of tables: 2. cc-by-nc-nd 4.0 international license it is made available under a is the author/funder, who has granted medrxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. (which was not certified by peer review) the copyright holder for this preprint this version posted april 7, 2021. ; https://doi. abstract objective: given the treatment limitations of depression in bipolar disorder, we evaluated the”
Altered Consciousness in the Twentieth Century. (2019). Altered Consciousness in the Twentieth Century
Plain numerical DOI: 10.4324/9780429061196
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“The twentieth century saw an unprecedented spike in the study of altered states of consciousness (ascs). new ascs, such as those associated with lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin mushrooms, were cultivated and studied, while older ascs were given new classifications: out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences, psychokinesis and extrasensory perception. this book analyses these different approaches and methodologies, and includes exciting new research into neglected areas. it investigates the representation of ascs in the culture of the twentieth century and examines the theoretical models that attempt to explain them. the international contributors critically examine a variety of ascs, including precognition, near-death experiences, telepathy, new age ‘channelling’, contact with aliens and unidentified flying objects (ufos), the use of alcohol and entheogens, analysing both the impact of ascs on the culture and how cultural and technological changes influenced ascs. the contributors are drawn from the fields of english and american literature, religious studies, western esotericism, film studies, sociology and history of art, and bring to bear on ascs their own disciplinary and conceptual perspectives, as well as a broader interdisciplinary knowledge of the subject. the collection represents a vital contribution to the growing body of work on both ascs and the wider academic engagement with millennialism, entheogens, occulture and the paranormal. (psycinfo database record (c) 2021 apa, all rights reserved)”
Abdallah, C. G.. (2021). Brain Functional Connectivity Scans, Acquired Years Before the Pandemic, Predict COVID-19 Infections in Older Adults: Data From 3,662 Participants. MedRxiv
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“Background our behavioral traits, and subsequent actions, could affect the risk of exposure to the coronavirus disease of 2019 (covid-19). the current study aimed to determine whether unique brain endophenotypes predict the covid-19 infection risk.methods this research was conducted using the uk biobank resource. functional magnetic resonance imaging scans acquired before the covid-19 pandemic in a cohort of general population older adults (n=3,662) were used to compute the whole-brain functional connectomes. a network-informed machine learning approach was used to identify connectome and nodal fingerprints that predicted positive covid-19 status during the pandemic up to february 4th, 2021.results brain scans, acquired an average of 3 years before covid-19 testing, significantly predicted the infection results. the predictive models successfully identified 6 fingerprints that were associated with covid-19 positive, compared to negative status (all p values < 0.005). overall, lower integration across the brain modules and increased segregation, as reflected by internal within module connectivity, were associated with higher infection rates. more specifically, covid-19 infections were predicted by 1) reduced connectivity between the central executive and ventral salience, as well as between the dorsal salience and default mode networks; 2) increased internal connectivity within the default mode, ventral salience, subcortical and sensorimotor networks; and 3) increased connectivity between the ventral salience, subcortical and sensorimotor networks.conclusion individuals are at increased risk of covid-19 infections if their brain connectome is consistent with reduced connectivity in the top-down attention and executive networks, along with increased internal connectivity in the introspective and instinctive networks.competing interest statementdr. abdallah has served as a consultant, speaker and/or on advisory boards for genentech, janssen, psilocybin labs, lundbeck, guidepoint, and fsv7, and as editor of chronic stress for sage publications, inc. he also filed a patent for using mtorc1 inhibitors to augment the effects of antidepressants (aug 20, 2018).funding statementthis work was supported by the department of veterans affairs, the va national center for ptsd and the beth k and stuart yudofsky chair in the neuropsychiatry of military post traumatic stress syndrome. the funding sources have had no involvement in the study design, the analysis an…”
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