bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
August 4, 2026
Kanchan Sinha Roy, Payton Martinez, Sedona N Ewbank et al.
preprint
The psychiatric utility of ketamine is limited by its dissociative and systemic side effects. Recently, to enable precision ketamine pharmacotherapy, we introduced SonoKet, ketamine-loaded acoustically activatable liposomes that enable focused ultrasound (FUS)-targeted ketamine delivery to millimeter-sized brain regions. In initial studies, we observed that SonoKet uncaging targeted ketamine to...
medRxiv
July 22, 2026
Kenneth Shinozuka, Clayton Olash, Tracy Han et al.
preprint
Preliminary evidence suggests that the combination of magnesium and ibogaine, an atypical psychedelic, may be a promising treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), opioid use disorder, and traumatic brain injury (TBI). The "mystical" experience elicited by ibogaine, which is characterized by feelings of awe, selflessness, and transcendence, is correlated with improvements in PTSD...
Research Square
June 17, 2026
Martijn Arns, Kenneth Shinozuka, Joseph P Barsuglia
Abstract Ibogaine has shown early therapeutic promise for substance use disorders (SUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans, but concerns about treatment-associated cardiac arrhythmia and death have constrained clinical development. Whether this risk is uniform across indications or concentrated in specific populations is unknown. We conducted a retrospective multisite study of...
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
March 24, 2026
Kenneth Shinozuka, Mattia Rosso, Anna Chaiken et al.
1 citation
Abstract Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that affects millions of veterans. A recent observational study in 30 veterans showed that a single dose of the atypical psychedelic ibogaine can be highly effective at treating PTSD up to twelve months later. Although a prior study demonstrated that ibogaine transiently alters electroencephalography (EEG) power in...
Research Square
February 27, 2026
Randi Brown, Kenneth Shinozuka, Irakli Kaloiani et al.
Abstract The acute effects of psychedelic medicines include shifts in perception and awareness that can often include mystical or spiritual elements. Research suggests that these experiences can also extend into more persisting changes in spirituality, yet this area is underexplored. This study examined the effects of psychedelic experiences on spiritual beliefs using a survey of N = 151 people...
American Journal of Therapeutics
February 20, 2026
Burton J. Tabaac, Kenneth Shinozuka, Anne Weisman et al.
Emerging evidence supports 5-MeO-DMT as a promising, ultra-short-acting psychedelic for treatment-resistant depression and other psychiatric conditions, warranting larger RCTs.
Journal of Affective Disorders
November 18, 2025
Randi Brown, Jennifer I. Lissemore, Kenneth Shinozuka et al.
1 citation
Ibogaine is an atypical psychedelic that evokes unique subjective effects, including mystical experiences. Mystical experiences have shown a mediating effect on clinical improvements following treatment with several psychedelic substances; however, the relationship between mystical experiences and clinical outcomes following ibogaine remains unclear. We examined the association between mystical...
Transl Psychiatry
November 13, 2025
Kenneth Shinozuka, Katarina Jerotic, Pedro A. M. Mediano et al.
correction
Correction: Synergistic, multi-level understanding of psychedelics: three systematic reviews and meta-analyses of their pharmacology, neuroimaging and phenomenology.
bioRxiv Preprint Server
September 19, 2025
Kenneth Shinozuka, Winson F.z. Yang, Ruby M. Potash et al.
3 citations
preprint
In some contemplative traditions, “extended cessation” (EC) refers to a state of advanced meditation in which the meditator intentionally suppresses their own consciousness and re-emerges with a profound sense of clarity and equanimity. Here, we present the first electrophysiological study of EC, in which five meditators underwent concurrent electroencephalography (EEG) and...
Human Brain Mapping
April 1, 2025
Clayton R. Coleman, Kenneth Shinozuka, Robert Tromm et al.
4 citations
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a classic serotonergic psychedelic that induces a profoundly altered conscious state. In conjunction with psychological support, it is currently being explored as a treatment for generalized anxiety disorder and depression. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is a brain region that is known to be involved in mood regulation and disorders; hypofunction...
bioRxiv
March 24, 2025
Kenneth Shinozuka, Mattia Rosso, Clayton R. Coleman et al.
3 citations
preprint
Abstract Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and other psychedelic substances profoundly alter human consciousness. While several studies have demonstrated changes in brain function and connectivity associated with psychedelics, we still have a limited understanding of how LSD reshapes brain networks operating across different frequency bands. In this study, we applied the recently developed...
Imaging Neurosci (Camb)
January 3, 2025
Kenneth Shinozuka, Prejaas K.b. Tewarie, Andrea I. Luppi et al.
9 citations
Psychedelics are serotonergic drugs that profoundly alter consciousness, yet their neural mechanisms are not fully understood. A popular theory, RElaxed Beliefs Under pSychedelics (REBUS), posits that psychedelics flatten the hierarchy of information flow in the brain. Here, we investigate hierarchy based on the imbalance between sending and receiving brain signals, as determined by directed...
Translational Psychiatry
December 4, 2024
Kenneth Shinozuka, Katarina Jerotic, Pedro A. M. Mediano et al.
17 citations
Serotonergic psychedelics induce altered states of consciousness and have shown potential for treating a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression and addiction. Yet their modes of action are not fully understood. Here, we provide a novel, synergistic understanding of psychedelics arising from systematic reviews and meta-analyses of three hierarchical levels of analysis: (1)...
PsyArXiv
December 4, 2024
Kenneth Shinozuka, Ben Cox, Leor Roseman
1 citation
preprint
Psychedelics are hallucinogenic drugs that have the potential to treat depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other psychiatric conditions. The dominant paradigm in contemporary psychedelic-assisted therapy is non-directive; that is, participants undergo the psychedelic treatment with minimal external guidance from therapists. However, the clinical outcomes of psychedelic therapy could...
American Journal of Therapeutics
March 1, 2024
Kirsten Cherian, Kenneth Shinozuka, Burton J. Tabaac et al.
9 citations
BACKGROUND: Ibogaine is a plant-derived alkaloid that has been used for thousands of years in rites of passage and spiritual ceremonies in West-Central Africa. In the West, it has primarily been used and studied for its anti-addictive properties and more recently for other neuropsychiatric indications, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and traumatic brain injury....
December 27, 2023
Owen S. Muir, Kenneth Shinozuka, Bryce D. Beutler et al.
preprint
The reviews in this special edition have presented a primer on the state of the literature for six different psychedelic compounds and their plausible role in medicine. In a common format underscoring strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats (SWOT), this article addresses how psychedelic compounds fit into the broader healthcare landscape for indicated conditions. Historically,...
December 26, 2023
Burton J. Tabaac, Kenneth Shinozuka, Alejandro Arenas et al.
preprint
Background: The primary psychoactive drug in magic mushrooms, psilocybin induces profound alterations in consciousness through its action at the 5-HT2A receptor. This comprehensive review consolidates current research findings to elucidate the pharmacology, safety profile, and clinical applications of psilocybin.Areas of Uncertainty: Despite initial concerns that psilocybin could cause...
December 26, 2023
Burton J. Tabaac, Kenneth Shinozuka, Alejandro Arenas et al.
preprint
Background: Psychedelic drugs have recently emerged as plausibly effective pharmacological agents for the management of depression, anxiety, and other neuropsychiatric conditions, including conditions that have not benefited from prior interventions. The latter half of the twentieth century marked a revolution in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and psychosis, exemplified by the...
December 26, 2023
Kirsten Cherian, Kenneth Shinozuka, Burton J. Tabaac et al.
preprint
Background: Ibogaine is a plant-derived alkaloid that has been used for thousands of years in rites of passage and spiritual ceremonies in West-Central Africa. In the West, it has primarily been used and studied for its anti-addictive properties and more recently for other neuropsychiatric indications, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and traumatic brain...
Electronic workshops in computing
July 1, 2021
Carl Smith, Kenneth Shinozuka, Alex T. Zhao et al.
3 citations
The Museum of Consciousness contains exhibits by a multitude of artists, mavericks and consciousness explorers who are here to transmit their most treasured work: For the first exhibition we decided to use short, audio-based samples that are designed to cultivate and manufacture expansive states of consciousness. The range of samples encompassed by the current iteration of the museum includes...
American Journal of Therapeutics
Burton J. Tabaac, Kenneth Shinozuka, Alejandro Arenas et al.
14 citations
The primary psychoactive drug in magic mushrooms, psilocybin, induces profound alterations in consciousness through the 5-HT2A receptor. This review consolidates current research findings to elucidate the pharmacology, safety profile, and clinical applications of psilocybin. Despite initial concerns that psilocybin could cause psychosis, contemporary research has demonstrated that psilocybin is...
American Journal of Therapeutics
Kenneth Shinozuka, Burton J. Tabaac, Alejandro Arenas et al.
12 citations
N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a naturally occurring serotonergic psychedelic found in natural plants around the globe. As the main psychoactive component in ayahuasca, which also contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors, DMT has been consumed as plant-based brew by indigenous peoples for centuries. Further research is required to delineate the therapeutic utility of DMT. Although previous...
American Journal of Therapeutics
Burton J. Tabaac, Kenneth Shinozuka, Alejandro Arenas et al.
12 citations
Psychedelic drugs have recently emerged as plausibly effective pharmacological agents for the management of depression, anxiety, and other neuropsychiatric conditions, including those that are treatment-resistent. The latter half of the 20th century marked a revolution in the treatment of mental illnesses, exemplified by the introduction of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and other...
American Journal of Therapeutics
Bryce D. Beutler, Kenneth Shinozuka, Burton J. Tabaac et al.
11 citations
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a hallucinogenic agent. In the mid-20th century, it was used to augment psychoanalysis and to treat alcohol use disorder. However, LSD was banned in 1970 in part because of concerns that it could bring about or exacerbate mental illness. Its therapeutic potential remains incompletely understood. While uncontrolled recreational use of LSD can, in rare...
American Journal of Therapeutics
Viviana D. Evans, Alejandro Arenas, Kenneth Shinozuka et al.
10 citations
Ketamine, an arylcyclohexylamine dissociative anesthetic agent, has evolved into a versatile therapeutic. It has a rapid-onset, well-understood cardiovascular effects and a favorable safety profile in clinical use. Its enantiomeric compound, esketamine, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2019 for both treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder with suicidal...