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Arnt Schellekens

9 papers in the library · 353 citations · publishing 2016-2026

Papers

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Ibogaine is associated with reorganization of high-beta brain networks in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder

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...

Efficacy and Safety of Psychoactive Tryptamines in Addiction: A Systematic Review

Psychedelic Medicine October 8, 2025 Pim B. van der Meer, Nout Schukking, Miranda G. Dik et al.

Background: Psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin have shown a beneficial effect on substance use disorder (SUD) symptoms. In this systematic review, we aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of psychoactive tryptamines in patients with an SUD or non-substance-related disorder (i.e., gambling disorder) in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the available...

Psychedelic Research for Alcohol Use Disorder with Comorbid Major Depressive Disorder: An Unmet Need.

Current Psychiatry Reports December 1, 2024 Daan de Jonge, Pim B. van der Meer, Cornelis Kramers et al. 2 citations

In this narrative review, we discuss evidence for psilocybin- and LSD-assisted treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). We describe limitations of psychedelic research and posit methodological considerations when designing a trial in patients with both disorders. In AUD, a growing evidence base for psilocybin treatment shows a promising beneficial and...

The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ibogaine in opioid use disorder patients.

Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) May 1, 2024 Thomas Knuijver, Rob Ter Heine, Arnt Schellekens et al. 15 citations

Ibogaine is a hallucinogenic drug that may be used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). The relationships between pharmacokinetics (PKs) of ibogaine and its metabolites and their clinical effects on side effects and opioid withdrawal severity are unknown. We aimed to study these relationships in patients with OUD undergoing detoxification supported by ibogaine. The study was performed in 14...

Therapeutic effect of psilocybin in addiction: A systematic review

Frontiers in Psychiatry February 9, 2023 Kees Kramers, Arnt Schellekens, Metten Somers et al. 119 citations

Background Psychedelic-assisted therapy [e.g., with lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)] has shown promising results as treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs). Previous systematic reviews assessing the efficacy of psilocybin in SUDs only included clinical trials conducted in the last 25 years, but they may have missed clinical trials assessing the efficacy of psilocybin that were conducted...

Safety of ibogaine administration in detoxification of opioid-dependent individuals: a descriptive open-label observational study.

Addiction (Abingdon, England) 2022 Thomas Knuijver, Arnt Schellekens, Maarten Belgers et al. 49 citations

Ibogaine is an indole alkaloid used in rituals of the African Bwiti tribe. It is also used in non-medical settings to treat addiction. However, ibogaine has been linked to several deaths, mainly due to cardiac events called torsades des pointes preceded by QTc prolongation as well as other safety concerns. This study aimed to evaluate the cardiac, cerebellar and psychomimetic safety of ibogaine...

Psilocybin for treating substance use disorders?

Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics August 10, 2016 Bas T.h. de Veen, Arnt Schellekens, Michel M. M. Verheij et al. 102 citations

Evidence based treatment for Substance use disorders (SUD) includes psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. However, these are only partially effective. Hallucinogens, such as psilocybin, may represent potential new treatment options for SUD. This review provides a summary of (human) studies on the putative therapeutic effects of psilocybin, and discusses the receptor systems, brain regions and...

Ibogaine and addiction in the animal model, a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Translational Psychiatry May 31, 2016 Maarten Belgers, M Leenaars, Judith R. Homberg et al. 64 citations

Ibogaine is a naturally occurring substance which has been increasingly used in the lay-scene to reduce craving and relapse in patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). Although human clinical trials on the safety and efficacy of ibogaine are lacking, animal studies do support the efficacy of ibogaine. In this systematic review and meta-analysis (MA), we summarise these animal findings,...

Treatment of heroin dependence with ibogaine

European Psychiatry March 1, 2016 Arnt Schellekens, Toon Van Oosteren, Thomas Knuijver et al. 1 citation

Background The use of the hallucinogen ibogaine as an anti-addiction agent has been described in several case reports, dating back to the eighties. The anti-addiction properties of ibogaine have been confirmed in a large body of animal work. Ibogaine has been shown to be effective in reducing withdrawal severity and substance use for a variety of substances, including cocaine and opiates....