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...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
November 23, 2023
Anya Ragnhildstveit, Ryan Khan, Paul Seli et al.
17 citations
Psychedelic therapy is, arguably, the next frontier in psychiatry. It offers a radical alternative to longstanding, mainstays of treatment, while exciting a paradigm shift in translational science and drug discovery. There is particular interest in 5-methoxy- N,N -dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT)—a serotonergic psychedelic—as a novel, fast-acting therapeutic. Yet, few studies have directly...
Chronic Stress
August 12, 2020
Alan K. Davis, Lynnette A. Averill, Nathan D. Sepeda et al.
83 citations
Background U.S. Special Operations Forces Veterans are at increased risk for a variety of mental health problems and cognitive impairment associated with military service. Current treatments are lacking in effectiveness and adherence. Therefore, this study examined psychedelic treatment with ibogaine and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine for trauma-related psychological and cognitive impairment...
The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
2019
Alan K. Davis, Sara So, Rafael Lancelotta et al.
141 citations
A recent epidemiological study suggested that 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) used for spiritual and recreational reasons is associated with subjective improvement in depression and anxiety. Further exploration of the potential psychotherapeutic effects of 5-MeO-DMT could inform future clinical trials. We examined self-reported improvement in depression and anxiety among people who...
Frontiers in Psychology
December 6, 2018
Rafael Lancelotta, Austin-Marley Windham-Herman, Kristel Peterson et al.
80 citations
5-MeO-DMT is a psychoactive substance found in high concentrations in the bufotoxin of the Colorado River Toad (Bufo alvarius). Emerging evidence suggests that vaporized 5-MeO-DMT may occasion mystical experiences of comparable intensity to those occasioned by more widely studied psychedelics such as psilocybin, but no empirical study has tested this hypothesis. Data was obtained from 20...
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
July 1, 2018
Alan K. Davis, Joseph P Barsuglia, Rafael Lancelotta et al.
137 citations
5-Methoxy- N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) is a psychoactive compound found in several plants and in high concentrations in Bufo alvarius toad venom. Synthetic, toad, and plant-sourced 5-MeO-DMT are used for spiritual and recreational purposes and may have psychotherapeutic effects. However, the use of 5-MeO-DMT is not well understood. Therefore, we examined patterns of use, motivations for...
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
June 1, 2018
Thaddeus James Camlin, Donald Eulert, A. Thomas Horvath et al.
21 citations
This study examined the lived experience of individuals who underwent ibogaine treatment for an opioid use disorder. Semi-structured interview questions probed for potential changes in predetermined categories derived from a literature review. Participants' experiences with ibogaine were analyzed for commonalities and emergent themes. Categories that emerged revealed themes about subjective...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
2018
Benjamin Malcolm, Martin Polanco, Joseph P Barsuglia
64 citations
Opioid use disorder (OUD) is currently an epidemic in the United States (US) and ibogaine is reported to have the ability to interrupt opioid addiction by simultaneously mitigating withdrawal and craving symptoms. This study examined opioid withdrawal and drug craving scores in 50 participants with OUD undergoing a week-long detoxification treatment protocol with ibogaine. The Addiction...
Progress in Brain Research
2018
Joseph P Barsuglia, Martin Polanco, Robert Palmer et al.
37 citations
Ibogaine is a plant-derived alkaloid and dissociative psychedelic that demonstrates anti-addictive properties with several substances of abuse, including alcohol. 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) is a naturally occurring psychedelic known to occasion potent mystical-type experiences and also demonstrates anti-addictive properties. The potential therapeutic effects of both compounds...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
2018
Alan K. Davis, Elise Renn, Austin-Marley Windham-Herman et al.
34 citations
We examined persisting effects, self-perceived challenges, and potential benefits associated with positive outcomes following ibogaine detoxification using data collected as part of a larger online retrospective study of 73 patients who received treatment for chronic opioid use in Mexico between 2012 and 2015. A mixed-methods design was used comparing treatment responders versus non-responders,...
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
November 1, 2017
Alan K. Davis, Joseph P Barsuglia, Austin-Marley Windham-Herman et al.
60 citations
Very few studies have reported the effectiveness of ibogaine as a treatment for chronic opioid use. Therefore, this study evaluated the acute subjective effects of ibogaine, outcomes on problematic opioid consumption, and the long-term associations with psychological functioning. Using online data collection, 88 patients who received ibogaine treatment in Mexico between 2012 and 2015 completed...