Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, yet many patients have inadequate responses to current treatments. Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a serotonergic psychedelic with rapid onset and short duration, shows promise as a potential antidepressant (AD), although clinical evidence in MDD remains limited. We conducted a phase IIa, double-blind, placebo-controlled,...
The resurgence in research with classic psychedelics (e.g. LSD, psilocybin) underscores their potential for improved well-being; however, the interpersonal context and mechanisms of psychedelic impacts remain unknown. In a sample of 798 participants (81 couples), this survey study tested whether use of a psychedelic with a romantic partner (v. not together) was associated with couples' shared...
Meditation and psychedelics have separately been studied as powerful tools for probing consciousness through their capacity to deconstruct the sense of self. Yet, direct empirical comparisons remain scarce, particularly in expert meditators. Here, we report for the first time a case study in which an advanced meditator and Lama from the Mahāmudrā meditation tradition engaged in a traditional...
5-MeO-DMT is a short-acting psychedelic that is anecdotally reported to induce a radical disruption of the self and a paradoxical quality of aroused, waking awareness that is nevertheless devoid of any specific perceptual contents. Here, we conducted an exploratory observational study of the phenomenological and neuronal effects of this compound. We collected micro-phenomenological interviews,...
Psychedelic therapies are an emerging class of treatments in psychiatry with great potential, however relatively little is known about their interactions with other commonly used psychiatric medications. As psychedelic therapies become more widespread and move closer to the clinic, they likely will need to be integrated into existing treatment models which may include one or more traditional...
Background Chronic pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Fibromyalgia is a particularly debilitating form of widespread chronic pain. Fibromyalgia remains poorly understood, and treatment options are limited or moderately effective at best. Here, we present a protocol for a mechanistic study investigating the effects of psychedelic-assisted-therapy in a fibromyalgia population. The...
Background: Reference to an intrinsic healing mechanism or an ‘inner healer’ is commonplace amongst psychedelic drug-using cultures. The ‘inner healer’ refers to the belief that psychedelic compounds, plants or concoctions have an intrinsically regenerative action on the mind and brain, analogous to intrinsic healing mechanisms within the physical body, for example, after sickness or injury....
Background: There is growing evidence for the therapeutic effects of the psychedelic drug psilocybin for major depression. However, due to the lack of safety data on combining psilocybin with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and concerns that there may be a negative interaction on efficacy, participants enrolling in...
Abstract Do psychedelics affect sexual functioning postacutely? Anecdotal and qualitative evidence suggests they do, but this has never been formally tested. While sexual functioning and satisfaction are generally regarded as an important aspect of human wellbeing, sexual dysfunction is a common symptom of mental health disorders. It is also a common side effect of selective serotonin reuptake...
Background: There is growing evidence for the therapeutic effects of psychedelics. However, it is still uncertain how these drugs interact with serotonergic antidepressants (serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs)). Objective: This study explores the interaction between psychedelics and SRIs in terms of therapeutic effects. The objective is to compare acute psychedelic effects and subsequent...
Psychedelic therapy has witnessed a resurgence in interest in the last decade from the scientific and medical communities with evidence now building for its safety and efficacy in treating a range of psychiatric disorders including addiction. In this review we will chart the research investigating the role of these interventions in individuals with addiction beginning with an overview of the...
Due to their potential impact on mood and wellbeing there has been increasing interest in the potential of serotonergic psychedelics such as N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The aim of Part A of this study was to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) profile of escalating doses of SPL026 (DMT fumarate)...
Background Major depressive disorder is often associated with maladaptive coping strategies, including rumination and thought suppression. Aims To assess the comparative effect of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram, and the serotonergic psychedelic psilocybin (COMP360), on rumination and thought suppression in major depressive disorder. Method Based on data derived from a...