Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
July 1, 2026
Denis Arikci, Joran Borgulya, Isabelle Straumann et al.
1 citation
Based on its in vitro profile and preliminary evidence, 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B) may have psychoactive properties that are similar to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and psilocybin, which are investigated for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder and depressive disorders. We compared acute effects of 2C-B (10, 20, and 30 mg), 125 mg MDMA, and 25 mg psilocybin...
Psychopharmacology
June 20, 2026
E. C. H. M. Haijen-Bongers, Petra P M Hurks, J. Schepers et al.
RATIONALE: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) shows substantial heterogeneity in symptoms and cognitive deficits. According to the Triple Pathway Model, this variability may stem from impairments in three neuropsychological domains: inhibition, motivation, and temporal processing. Repeated low-dose administration of psychedelics is being explored as a treatment for ADHD, but...
Religion Brain & Behavior
March 31, 2026
Kurt Stocker, Matthias Hartmann, Frederick S. Barrett et al.
Mystical dynamics—the notion that mystical oneness may unfold involving ego disintegration, renewal, and luminous light—has been discussed anecdotally by psychedelic researchers and therapists but has not yet been empirically examined in controlled settings. This study investigated the occurrence and dose-dependency of mystical dynamics in healthy participants after administration of...
medRxiv
January 16, 2026
Kristian Larsen, Patrick M. Fisher, Drummond E. Mcculloch et al.
1 citation
Classical psychedelics have regained interest for their potential to treat psychiatric and neurological disorders, and explore neural mechanisms supporting perception, cognition, and mood. Acute psychedelic effects have been linked to increases in brain complexity and entropy, but it is unclear if these changes are specific to psychedelics or reflect more general psychoactive effects. Here, we...
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
2026
Isabelle Straumann, Patrick Vizeli, Isidora Avedisian et al.
5 citations
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is used recreationally, as a research tool, and in MDMA-assisted therapy in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder. 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) is a psychoactive metabolite of MDMA. Acute effects of MDMA and MDA have never been directly compared in humans. Lysine-conjugated amphetamines slowly release active amphetamine once absorbed,...
Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich)
2026
Kurt Stocker, Matthias Hartmann, Frederick S. Barrett et al.
Mystical dynamics-the notion that mystical oneness may unfold involving ego disintegration, renewal, and luminous light-has been discussed anecdotally by psychedelic researchers and therapists but has not yet been empirically examined in controlled settings. This study investigated the occurrence and dose-dependency of mystical dynamics in healthy participants after administration of...
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
December 26, 2025
Kurt Stocker, Matthias Hartmann, Yasmin Schmid et al.
5 citations
The Altered States of Consciousness Scale (3/5D-ASC or 11-ASC) is widely used to assess non-ordinary states of consciousness, particularly for psychedelic research. However, its original dimensional model (3D-ASC within 5D-ASC) and later 11-subscale structure (11-ASC) have a hierarchically incompatible higher/lower-order structure. Although the 11-ASC offers superior model fit, the 3D-ASC...
Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
May 26, 2025
Denis Arikci, Friederike Holze, Lorenz Mueller et al.
6 citations
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is currently being investigated as a potential treatment for psychiatric and neurological disorders. Different LSD formulations (base or tartrate, oral or intravenous) are being used. Unclear is whether LSD base and tartrate pharmacokinetics are equivalent. Additionally, LSD's absolute oral bioavailability is unknown. Therefore, we tested the bioequivalence of...
Molecular Psychiatry
April 1, 2025
Mihai Avram, Lydia Fortea, Lea Wollner et al.
26 citations
Psychedelics have recently attracted significant attention for their potential to mitigate symptoms associated with various psychiatric disorders. However, the precise neurobiological mechanisms responsible for these effects remain incompletely understood. A valuable approach to gaining insights into the specific mechanisms of action involves comparing psychedelics with substances that have...
Repository for Publications and Research Data
2025
Kurt Stocker, Matthias Hartmann, Yasmin Schmid et al.
Background: The Altered States of Consciousness Scale (3/5D-ASC or 11-ASC) is widely used to assess non-ordinary states of consciousness, particularly for psychedelic research. However, its original dimensional model (3D-ASC within 5D-ASC) and later 11-subscale structure (11-ASC) have a hierarchically incompatible higher/lower-order structure. Although the 11-ASC offers superior model fit, the...
JAMA Network Open
November 4, 2024
Cihan Atila, Isabelle Straumann, Patrick Vizeli et al.
15 citations
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, or ecstasy) is a recreational drug being investigated for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Acute hyponatremia is a potentially serious complication after even a single dose of MDMA. The assumed etiology has been a vasopressin release inducing the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis combined with increased thirst, causing polydipsia and...
Translational Psychiatry
September 4, 2024
Patrick Vizeli, Erich Studerus, Friederike Holze et al.
15 citations
The pharmacodynamic effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) are diverse and different in different individuals. Effects of other psychoactive substances have been shown to be critically influenced by non-pharmacological factors such as personality traits and mood states. The aim of this study was to determine pharmacological and psychological predictors of the LSD effects in healthy human...
Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging
May 1, 2024
Mihai Avram, Felix Müller, Katrin H. Preller et al.
13 citations
While the exploration of serotonergic psychedelics as psychiatric medicines deepens, so does the pressure to better understand how these compounds act on the brain. We used a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design and administered lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and d-amphetamine in 25 healthy participants. By using spectral dynamic causal...
Frontiers in Pharmacology
April 29, 2024
Jan Thomann, Oliver V Stoeckmann, Deborah Rudin et al.
52 citations
In vivo , psilocybin is rapidly dephosphorylated to psilocin which induces psychedelic effects by interacting with the 5-HT 2A receptor. Psilocin primarily undergoes glucuronidation or conversion to 4-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (4-HIAA). Herein, we investigated psilocybin’s metabolic pathways in vitro and in vivo , conducting a thorough analysis of the enzymes involved. Metabolism studies were...
Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry
January 10, 2024
Mesud Sarmanlu, Kim P. C. Kuypers, Patrick Vizeli et al.
17 citations
The application of MDMA in conjunction with psychotherapy has in recent years seen a resurgence of clinical, scientific, and public interest in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Clinical trials have shown promising safety and efficacy, but the mechanisms underlying this treatment form remain largely unestablished. This article explores recent preclinical and clinical...
Neuropsychopharmacology
April 25, 2023
Peter Bedford, Daniel J. Hauke, Zheng Wang et al.
43 citations
Abstract Psychedelics have emerged as promising candidate treatments for various psychiatric conditions, and given their clinical potential, there is a need to identify biomarkers that underlie their effects. Here, we investigate the neural mechanisms of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) using regression dynamic causal modelling (rDCM), a novel technique that assesses whole-brain effective...
Frontiers in Pharmacology
July 13, 2022
Patrick Vizeli, Isabelle Straumann, Urs Duthaler et al.
43 citations
Background: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has shown initial promise as an adjunct in psychotherapy to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Its efficacy and safety have been demonstrated across phase I–III studies. However, the mechanism underlying the potential utility of MDMA to treat PTSD in humans has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Preliminary evidence suggests that...
Biological Psychiatry Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging
April 29, 2022
Mihai Avram, Felix Müller, Helena Rogg et al.
43 citations
Psychedelics, empathogens, and psychostimulants evoke thalamocortical hyperconnectivity with sensorimotor areas, akin to findings in patients with psychotic disorders.
Neuropsychopharmacology
February 25, 2022
Friederike Holze, Laura Ley, Felix Müller et al.
223 citations
Abstract Growing interest has been seen in using lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin in psychiatric research and therapy. However, no modern studies have evaluated differences in subjective and autonomic effects of LSD and psilocybin or their similarities and dose equivalence. We used a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover design in 28 healthy subjects (14 women,...
Psychopharmacology
January 25, 2022
Felix Müller, Elias Kraus, Friederike Holze et al.
64 citations
Abstract Background LSD and psilocybin are increasingly used in phase I trials and evaluated as therapeutic agents for mental disorders. The phenomenon of reoccurring drug-like experiences after the acute substance effects have worn off was described for both substances and especially attributed to LSD. According to the DSM-V, the persisting and distressing manifestation of these experiences is...
Psychopharmacology
September 13, 2021
Friederike Holze, Toya V Caluori, Patrick Vizeli et al.
57 citations
Abstract Rationale Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is used in psychiatric and psychological research and investigated as a potential treatment for medical and psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, and cluster headache. Objectives Safety data on clinical safety are available from small studies but not from larger samples. We report safety pharmacology data from a large pooled...
Sci Rep
May 25, 2021
Patrick Vizeli, Isabelle Straumann, Friederike Holze et al.
54 citations
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a classic psychedelic substance that is used recreationally and investigated in psychiatric research. There are no pharmacogenetic studies on LSD. In vitro metabolic studies indicate that several cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms (e.g., CYP2D6, CYP1A2, and CYP2C9) are involved in LSD metabolism, but in vivo data are scarce. The present study examined the...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
March 30, 2021
Erich Studerus, Patrick Vizeli, Samuel Harder et al.
51 citations
Background: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “ecstasy”) is used both recreationally and therapeutically. Little is known about the factors influencing inter- and intra-individual differences in the acute response to MDMA. Effects of other psychoactive substances have been shown to be critically influenced by personality traits and mood state before intake. Methods: We pooled data from...
Neuropsychopharmacology
November 20, 2020
Felix Müller, Friederike Holze, Patrick C. Dolder et al.
43 citations
Abstract It has been reported that serotonergic hallucinogens like lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) induce decreases in functional connectivity within various resting-state networks. These alterations were seen as reflecting specific neuronal effects of hallucinogens and it was speculated that these shifts in connectivity underlie the characteristic subjective drug effects. In this study, we...
Neuropsychopharmacology
October 15, 2020
Friederike Holze, Patrick Vizeli, Laura Ley et al.
243 citations
Abstract Growing interest has been seen in using lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in psychiatric research and therapy. However, no modern studies have evaluated subjective and autonomic effects of different and pharmaceutically well-defined doses of LSD. We used a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover design in 16 healthy subjects (eight women, eight men) who underwent six 25...