medRxiv
June 22, 2026
Roi Basch, Maya Cohen, Leehe Peled-Avron
Abstract Background Serotonin has been implicated in cognitive flexibility and pathological perseverative thinking (PT), including rumination, worry, and obsessions. However, evidence remains fragmented across pharmacological manipulations, clinical populations, and outcome measures. This multilevel meta-analysis examined whether serotonergic interventions influence PT and cognitive...
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
2026
Netta Pinhas, Nofar Eidlman, Avigail Barnea et al.
2 citations
Microdosing - the practice of consuming extremely low doses of classical psychedelic substances that do not elicit overt psychedelic effects - has gained significant attention as a potential method for enhancing cognitive performance. However, findings from controlled studies remain mixed and inconclusive. This preregistered meta-analysis examined the cognitive effects of classical psychedelic...
Scientific Reports
November 29, 2025
Leehe Peled-Avron, Jacob S. Aday, Madeline M. Pantoni et al.
1 citation
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is an amphetamine derivative known as an "entactogen," influencing emotional and social processing. Phase III clinical trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder have reported promising results, and MDMA-assisted therapy is currently under regulatory review. However, the precise mechanisms underlying positive treatment...
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
October 1, 2025
Anna Vaslavski, Anna Harwood Gross, Salomon Israel et al.
1 citation
3,4-Methylenedioxmethamphetamine (MDMA) has been shown to enhance social cognition, partly through its effects on oxytocin, a neuropeptide involved in social cognition. Despite growing evidence linking MDMA to increased oxytocin levels, no study has systematically examined this relationship across different doses, times, and participant characteristics. This systematic review and meta-analysis...
Scientific Reports
October 18, 2024
Amit Olami, Leehe Peled-Avron
9 citations
This meta-analysis investigates the effect of classic psychedelic drugs on empathy and focuses on cognitive and emotional empathy measured using the Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET). Empathy entails the ability to understand and share the feelings of another and is a significant component of social interaction. Several studies have examined the effects of psychedelic drugs such as LSD,...
Front Psychiatry
June 10, 2024
Leehe Peled-Avron, Jacob S. Aday, Amilia Lydia Kalafateli et al.
2 citations
Editorial: Down the rabbit hole - the psychological and neural mechanisms of psychedelic compounds and their use in treating mental health and medical conditions.