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Ryan M Brudner

6 papers in the library · 109 citations · publishing 2024-2026

Papers

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Examining the effects of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy on anhedonia in treatment-resistant depression

Journal of Affective Disorders February 12, 2026 Erica Kaczmarek, Nelson Rodriguez, Noah Chisamore et al.

Anhedonia, a core symptom of depression, is often resistant to conventional treatments and significantly impacts quality of life. This secondary analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) on anhedonia severity in individuals with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Participants (n = 30) with TRD and a primary diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder or...

Cognitive outcomes following psilocybin-assisted therapy in treatment-resistant depression: A post-hoc analysis of a randomized, waitlist-controlled trial

Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry November 22, 2025 Shakila Meshkat, Noah Chisamore, Zoe Doyle et al.

PAP was associated with modest, short-term improvements in performance on measures of processing speed and executive function among individuals with TRD. While these changes appeared independent of mood, they did not consistently exceed expected practice effects. These findings highlight the need for adequately powered, controlled trials to clarify whether observed cognitive changes reflect...

Examining mystical experiences as a predictor of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression

Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2025 Ryan M Brudner, Erica Kaczmarek, Marc G Blainey et al. 3 citations

Background: Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) is a promising treatment for various psychiatric disorders. However, the exact biological and psychological mechanisms of action of PAP remain to be determined. Examining predictors of PAP outcomes may help identify necessary processes for positive treatment outcomes. Mystical experiences are considered a key aspect of the subjective effects...

Comparing Antidepressant Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy in Individuals That Were Unmedicated at Initial Screening Versus Individuals Discontinuing Medications for Study Participation: Comparaison des effets antidépresseurs de la psychothérapie assistée par la psilocybine (PAP) chez les personnes non médicamentées à la sélection initiale et les personnes ayant arrêté les médicaments pour participer à l’étude

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry March 25, 2025 Noah Chisamore, Erica Kaczmarek, Zoe Doyle et al. 1 citation

Objective: To compare changes in depression, anxiety, and suicidality symptoms after a single 25 mg oral dose of psilocybin between treatment-resistant depression participants not on antidepressants at screening to participants that discontinued antidepressant medications leading up to receiving psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP). Methods: Participants (n = 27) received at least one 25 mg...

Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression in Bipolar II Disorder

Psychedelic Medicine November 18, 2024 Shakila Meshkat, Erica Kaczmarek, Zoe Doyle et al. 8 citations

Background: Bipolar II disorder (BD-II) is often associated with chronic and treatment resistant major depressive episodes. Psilocybin has shown promise for its rapid-acting antidepressant effects, though its impact on bipolar depression remains unexplored. In the present subgroup analysis of an already published trial on treatment-resistant depression (TRD), we aimed to preliminarily evaluate...

Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for treatment resistant depression: A randomized clinical trial evaluating repeated doses of psilocybin.

Med (New York, N.Y.) March 8, 2024 Joshua D. Rosenblat, Shakila Meshkat, Zoe Doyle et al. 97 citations

Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) has been associated with antidepressant effects. Trials to date have typically excluded participants with complex presentations. Our aim was to determine the feasibility of PAP in a complex population, including high levels of treatment resistance in major depressive and bipolar disorder and patients with baseline suicidality and significant comorbidity....