International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
August 1, 2025
Jonathan W. Kanen, Andrea I. Luppi, Q. Luo et al.
Abstract Background The REBUS (RElaxed Beliefs Under pSychedelics) and the anarchic brain model of psychedelic drug action proposes that confidence in beliefs – and thus expectations (priors) – are relaxed under these drugs. The brain makes inferences to minimize surprise, or discrepant expectations and outcomes (prediction error [PE]), and better model the world. We recently showed that the...
Comprehensive Psychiatry
July 1, 2025
Luca Pellegrini, Naomi A Fineberg, Sorcha O'Connor et al.
17 citations
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common and disabling condition. A large proportion of patients fail to respond to first-line treatment with serotonin reuptake inhibitors either selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or clomipramine. Preliminary evidence suggests psilocybin, a serotonin receptor agonist, might be efficacious. We conducted a pharmacological challenge study to...
Cureus
January 29, 2025
Sorcha O'Connor, Kate Godfrey, Sara Reed et al.
2 citations
This study's results are expected to offer critical insights into the neural mechanisms underlying the effects of psilocybin-assisted therapy in treating OCD, and whether these correlate with changes in the cognitive features of the condition. As a secondary aim, it will ascertain whether a low, tolerable dose is a feasible and efficacious clinical treatment, and will provide crucial data to...
Cureus
2025
Sorcha O'Connor, Kate Godfrey, Sara Reed et al.
correction
Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a complex condition marked by persistent distressing thoughts and repetitive behaviours. Despite its prevalence, the mechanisms behind OCD remain elusive, and current treatments are limited. This protocol outlines an investigative study for individuals with OCD, exploring the potential of psilocybin to improve key components of cognition...
Psychological Medicine
October 1, 2023
Jonathan W. Kanen, Qiang Luo, Mojtaba Rostami Kandroodi et al.
44 citations
The non-selective serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor agonist lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) holds promise as a treatment for some psychiatric disorders. Psychedelic drugs such as LSD have been suggested to have therapeutic actions through their effects on learning. The behavioural effects of LSD in humans, however, remain incompletely understood. Here we examined how LSD affects probabilistic...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
October 31, 2014
Samuel A Barnes, Stephen J Sawiak, Daniele Caprioli et al.
N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) dysfunction is thought to contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Accordingly, NMDAR antagonists such as phencyclidine (PCP) are used widely in experimental animals to model cognitive impairment associated with this disorder. However, it is unclear whether PCP disrupts the structural integrity of brain areas relevant to the profile of cognitive...