Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
July 21, 2025
Guy Ludbrook, Nathan Bryson, Beatrix Taylor et al.
2 citations
This study is the first to formally evaluate in humans the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics of RE104, a prodrug of the synthetic psychedelic known as 4-hydroxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine or 4-OH-DiPT. This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 1 study of single subcutaneous (SC) doses of RE104 (5 to 40 mg) included 6 cohorts and a total of 48...
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
March 1, 2024
Justin C Strickland, Albert Garcia‐romeu, Matthew W Johnson
20 citations
The Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ-30) and Challenging Effects Questionnaire (CEQ) are two of the most widely used, validated instruments to probe subjective effects of psychedelic drugs. However, these assessments are lengthy and can be a burden to study participants or patients if administered during acute psychedelic effects, after resolution of psychedelic effects when participants...
Pharmacological Research
2024
David B. Yaden, Andrea P Berghella, Peter S. Hendricks et al.
12 citations
Substance use disorders (SUDs) have an enormous impact on public health. With classic psychedelic-assisted therapies showing initial promise in treating multiple SUDs, it is possible that these treatments will become legally available options for patients with SUDs in the future. This article highlights how classic psychedelic-assisted therapies might be integrated into current clinical...
Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs
October 3, 2023
Zofia Kozak, Matthew W Johnson, Scott T Aaronson
10 citations
There is still much unknown regarding the risks of psilocybin treatment. When weighing the known risks and benefits of psilocybin treatment against those found in existing standards of care, among patients with depression, patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) may be the most suitable candidates for psilocybin treatment at this time.
JAMA Psychiatry
2023
Brian D Kiluk, Bethea A Kleykamp, Sandra D Comer et al.
22 citations
Novel treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD) are needed to address both the ongoing opioid epidemic and long-standing barriers to existing OUD treatments that target the endogenous μ-opioid receptor (MOR) system. The goal of this review is to highlight unique clinical trial design considerations for the study of emerging treatments for OUD that address targets beyond the MOR system. In...
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
March 1, 2022
Anna O. Ermakova, Fiona Dunbar, James Rucker et al.
83 citations
5-Methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) is a naturally occurring, short-acting psychedelic tryptamine, produced by a variety of plant and animal species. Plants containing 5-MeO-DMT have been used throughout history for ritual and spiritual purposes. The aim of this article is to review the available literature about 5-MeO-DMT and inform subsequent clinical development. We searched PubMed...
Advances in pharmacology (San Diego, Calif.)
2022
Justin C Strickland, Matthew W Johnson
13 citations
The past decade has witnessed a rapid growth of research on the basic science and clinical understanding of psychedelics. This chapter provides an overview of the human behavioral pharmacology of psychedelics focusing on three prototypic classic psychedelics-psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and dimethyltryptamine (DMT). A brief historical overview of the classic psychedelics and...
The International journal on drug policy
December 1, 2021
David B. Yaden, Andrea P Berghella, Paul S. Regier et al.
Several pilot studies have provided evidence supporting the potential of classic psychedelics like psilocybin in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs). If larger trials confirm efficacy, classic psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy may eventually be integrated into existing addiction treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, contingency management, and medication-assisted...
Pharmacopsychiatry
July 1, 2021
Sandeep M. Nayak, Matthew W Johnson
66 citations
Psychedelics have shown great promise in modern clinical trials for treating various psychiatric conditions. As a transdiagnostic treatment that exerts its effects through subjective experiences that leave enduring effects, it is akin to psychotherapy. To date, there has been insufficient discussion of how psychedelic therapy is similar to and different from conventional psychotherapy. In this...
ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science
June 11, 2021
Justin C Strickland, Albert Garcia‐romeu, Matthew W Johnson
correction
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.0c00187.].
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
September 1, 2020
Alan K. Davis, John Clifton, Eric G Weaver et al.
144 citations
Experiences of having an encounter with seemingly autonomous entities are sometimes reported after inhaling N,N-dimethyltryptamine. The study characterized the subjective phenomena, interpretation, and persisting changes that people attribute to N,N-dimethyltryptamine-occasioned entity encounter experiences. Two thousand, five hundred and sixty-one individuals (mean age 32 years; 77% male)...
Psychopharmacology
August 1, 2020
Theresa M. Carbonaro, Matthew W Johnson, Roland R. Griffiths
51 citations
Although both psilocybin and dextromethorphan (DXM) produce psychedelic-like subjective effects, rates of non-medical use of psilocybin are consistently greater than DXM. New data are presented from a study of psilocybin and DXM relevant to understanding the features of psilocybin subjective effects that may account for its higher rates of non-medical use. Single, acute oral doses of psilocybin...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
May 14, 2019
Albert Garcia‐romeu, Alan K. Davis, Fire Erowid et al.
286 citations
Background: Meta-analysis of randomized studies using lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for alcohol use disorder (AUD) showed large, significant effects for LSD efficacy compared to control conditions. Clinical studies suggest potential anti-addiction effects of LSD and mechanistically-related classic psychedelics for alcohol and other substance use disorders. Aims: To supplement clinical...
Pharmacology & Therapeutics
May 1, 2019
Matthew W Johnson, Peter S. Hendricks, Frederick S. Barrett et al.
520 citations
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-HT2AR) 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...
Psychopharmacology
October 1, 2018
Frederick S. Barrett, Theresa M. Carbonaro, Ethan Hurwitz et al.
109 citations
Classic psychedelics (serotonin 2A receptor agonists) and dissociative hallucinogens (NMDA receptor antagonists), though differing in pharmacology, may share neuropsychological effects. These drugs, however, have undergone limited direct comparison. This report presents data from a double-blind, placebo-controlled within-subjects study comparing the neuropsychological effects of multiple doses...
Psychopharmacology
February 1, 2018
Theresa M. Carbonaro, Matthew W Johnson, Ethan Hurwitz et al.
139 citations
Although psilocybin and dextromethorphan (DXM) are hallucinogens, they have different receptor mechanisms of action and have not been directly compared. This study compared subjective, behavioral, and physiological effects of psilocybin and dextromethorphan under conditions that minimized expectancy effects. Single, acute oral doses of psilocybin (10, 20, 30 mg/70 kg), DXM (400 mg/70 kg), and...
Personality and Individual Differences
October 15, 2017
Frederick S. Barrett, Matthew W Johnson, Roland R. Griffiths
98 citations
Classic hallucinogens (e.g. psilocybin and LSD) have substantial effects on perception, cognition, and emotion that can often be psychologically challenging, however we know very little regarding the source of significant individual variability that has been observed in the frequency and intensity of challenging experiences (i.e. "bad trips") with psychedelics. Previous clinical and...
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
April 1, 2016
Matthew W Johnson, Katherine A Maclean, Michael J Caspers et al.
11 citations
Salvinorin A is a kappa opioid agonist and the principal psychoactive constituent of the Salvia divinorum plant, which has been used for hallucinogenic effects. Previous research on salvinorin A pharmacokinetics likely underestimated plasma levels typically resulting from the doses administered due to inefficient vaporization and not collecting samples during peak drug effects. Six healthy...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
October 6, 2015
Frederick S. Barrett, Matthew W Johnson, Roland R. Griffiths
634 citations
The 30-item revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30) was previously developed within an online survey of mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin-containing mushrooms. The rated experiences occurred on average eight years before completion of the questionnaire. The current paper validates the MEQ30 using data from experimental studies with controlled doses of psilocybin. Data...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
September 1, 2015
Peter S. Hendricks, Matthew W Johnson, Roland R. Griffiths
107 citations
Hendricks et al. (2015) found that having ever used any classic psychedelic substance—namely, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), ayahuasca, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), mescaline, peyote or San Pedro, or psilocybin—was associated with a significantly reduced likelihood of past month psychological distress (weighted OR = .81 (.72–.91)), past year suicidal thinking (weighted OR = .86 (.78–.94)), past...
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
March 1, 2015
Peter S. Hendricks, Christopher B Thorne, C Brendan Clark et al.
377 citations
Mental health problems are endemic across the globe, and suicide, a strong corollary of poor mental health, is a leading cause of death. Classic psychedelic use may occasion lasting improvements in mental health, but the effects of classic psychedelic use on suicidality are unknown. We evaluated the relationships of classic psychedelic use with psychological distress and suicidality among over...
Adolescent psychiatry (Hilversum, Netherlands)
April 1, 2013
Ryan Vandrey, Matthew W Johnson, Patrick S Johnson et al.
26 citations
Over the past decade, non-medical use of novel drugs has proliferated worldwide. In most cases these are synthetic drugs first synthesized in academic or pharmaceutical laboratories for research or drug development purposes, but also include naturally occurring substances that do not fit the typical pharmacological or behavioral profile of traditional illicit substances. Perhaps most unique to...
Psychopharmacology
March 1, 2013
Katherine A Maclean, Matthew W Johnson, Chad J Reissig et al.
134 citations
Salvinorin A is a kappa opioid agonist and the principal psychoactive constituent of the plant Salvia divinorum, which has increased in popularity as a recreational drug over the past decade. Few human studies have examined salvinorin A. This double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the dose-related effects of inhaled salvinorin A in individuals with histories of hallucinogen use. Eight...
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
March 1, 2013
Lawrence P Carter, Chad J Reissig, Matthew W Johnson et al.
28 citations
Although concerns surrounding high-dose dextromethorphan (DXM) abuse have recently increased, few studies have examined the acute cognitive effects of high doses of DXM. The aim of this study was to compare the cognitive effects of DXM with those of triazolam and placebo. Single, acute, oral doses of DXM (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800 mg/70 kg), triazolam (0.25, 0.5mg/70 kg), and...
Psychopharmacology
September 1, 2012
Chad J Reissig, Lawrence P Carter, Matthew W Johnson et al.
89 citations
Although reports of dextromethorphan (DXM) abuse have increased recently, few studies have examined the effects of high doses of DXM. This study in humans evaluated the effects of supratherapeutic doses of DXM and triazolam. Single, acute oral doses of DXM (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, and 800 mg/70 kg), triazolam (0.25 and 0.5 mg/70 kg), and placebo were administered to 12 healthy...