Frontiers in Psychiatry
September 3, 2026
Mary R. Shen, Kwadwo Owusu-Boaitey, Zackari D. Murphy et al.
IntroductionOpioid use disorder (OUD) remains a major public health crisis despite evidence-based medications, including methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Persistent challenges with treatment retention, access, stigma, and incomplete response highlight the need for adjunctive pharmacotherapies targeting neurobiological systems beyond the mu-opioid receptor.MethodsWe conducted a...
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
March 1, 2026
Veronica Szpak, Samuel Maddams, Amanda Kim et al.
New treatment options are needed to improve outcomes for patients with both opioid use disorder (OUD) and injection-related infections. Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) has been suggested as a potential treatment for substance use disorders (SUD). To address this need, a qualitative study was conducted to understand the attitudes toward PAT from individuals with OUD who have survived...
Journal of Addiction Medicine
May 28, 2025
Sara Prostko, Alexander Wu, Samuel Maddams et al.
2 citations
Psychedelics may be promising treatments for substance use disorders (SUD). This study aims to understand how individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD), opioid use disorder (OUD), and psychiatric disorders perceive and experience psychedelics for both nonmedical and medical use. Data for this cross-sectional survey study were collected from June 2023 to February 2024 at a large, tertiary...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
2025
Mary R Shen, Dylan E Campbell, Anika Kopczynski et al.
10 citations
Opioid use disorder (OUD) continues to be a public health crisis in the United States, with mortality having doubled over the last twenty years, leading to significant economic cost, morbidity, and mortality. This has caused significant demand for novel therapeutics. Preliminary evidence demonstrates that ketamine may be helpful in treating OUD as well as serve as an adjunct during treatment of...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
2025
Ezioma Gbujie, Lisa Vercollone, Joji Suzuki
2 citations
The presence of fentanyl in the drug supply is thought to contribute to the incidence of buprenorphine-precipitated opioid withdrawal (BPOW) during initiation. Long used as a surgical anesthetic and an analgesic, the utility of ketamine for psychiatric and substance use disorder indications continues to grow. We present a case of intravenous (IV) ketamine use on the general medical floor for...
Addict Sci Clin Pract
November 25, 2024
Veronica Szpak, Amanda Kim, Zachary Sager et al.
2 citations
Survey of Massachusetts peer recovery coaches' attitudes toward the use of psychedelics to treat substance use disorders.
General Hospital Psychiatry
2024
Jeong Hoo Lee, Joji Suzuki
4 citations
While the majority of patients with catatonia fully respond to benzodiazepines or ECT, some have a partial or no response. Benzodiazepines may be contraindicated such as when delirium co-exists. This review discusses the utility of NMDA receptor antagonists as alternatives to benzodiazepines in the treatment of catatonia in adults. A PubMed search adhering to PRISMA guidelines was conducted for...
The American Journal on Addictions
November 1, 2023
Amanda Kim, Joji Suzuki
15 citations
In recent years, there has been accelerating scientific and public interest in the use of psychedelics to treat mental health disorders. Our study's objective was to assess the attitudes of addiction specialists regarding therapeutic psychedelics. Our study utilized an anonymous online survey to assess the opinions of 145 addiction specialists regarding the therapeutic promise, potential risks,...
Psychosomatics
2015
Joji Suzuki, Michael A Dekker, Erin S Valenti et al.
A new class of synthetic hallucinogens called NBOMe has emerged as drugs of abuse. Our aim was to conduct a systematic review of published reports of toxicities associated with NBOMe ingestion. We searched PubMed for relevant English-language citations that described adverse effects from analytically confirmed human NBOMe ingestion. Demographic and clinical data were extracted. A total of 10...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
October 20, 2014
Joji Suzuki, Justin L. Poklis, Alphonse Poklis
60 citations
A new class of synthetic hallucinogens called NBOMe has emerged, and reports of adverse effects are beginning to appear. We report on a case of a suicide attempt after LSD ingestion which was analytically determined to be 25I-NBOMe instead. Clinicians need to have a high index of suspicion for possible NBOMe ingestion in patients reporting the recent use of LSD or other hallucinogens.