In people with treatment-resistant depression who received a single dose of 25, 10, or 1 mg of COMP360 psilocybin, the drug dose was the strongest and most consistent predictor of the subjective psychedelic experience. Some pretreatment characteristics—such as positive affect, lower generalized anxiety symptoms, higher executive functioning, and greater personality disorder symptoms—had weak effects on different aspects of the experience. These findings suggest that pretreatment clinical characteristics are not major determinants of the acute psychedelic experience; dose remains the largest driver.
Combining mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) guided audio exercises with daily transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) sessions for major depressive disorder proved largely unfeasible. Of 29 depressed patients who started, 17 completed the 5-week protocol and 12 dropped out. Reasons for discontinuation included inability to meditate in the treatment setting and induction of negative mood states. TMS percussive sensations and clicking sounds hindered concentration on the audio narrator. Some patients felt overwhelmed, increased pressure, anxiety, or aggravation trying to meditate during TMS. The findings highlight numerous feasibility issues with delivering MBCT via guided audiotapes concurrently with TMS.