Mark Sinyor

Measuring and appraising placebo effects in clinical trials: contemporary challenges and approaches in psychiatry.

The Lancet Psychiatry May 1, 2026 Joseph J. Taylor, Balázs Szigeti, Noah D. Silverberg et al.

Placebo effects are among the greatest paradoxes in medical research. Although more data on placebos are available from placebo-controlled trials than on any treatment in medicine, there has been comparatively little deep interrogation of issues related to their measurement, appraisal, and interpretation. Most of the work that has been done, including that in psychiatry, is narrowly focused on...

DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(26)00018-0 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab)

Adverse events associated with classic psychedelics and MDMA: a real-world population-based study using the WHO pharmacovigilance database (VigiBase)

Psychiatry Research December 29, 2025 Omer A. Syed, Sean M. Nestor, Muhammad Ishrat Husain et al. 1 citation

Psychedelic use has greatly increased within clinical and recreational settings over recent years. While demonstrating a favorable safety profile within certain clinical populations, little empirical research has explored safety of psychedelic use within real-world samples. Using the World Health Organization (WHO) VigiBase, a comprehensive global pharmacovigilance database with voluntary...

DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116929 (opens in new tab) Psilocybin MDMA Mescaline Ecstasy +13

Engaging Mood Brain Circuits with Psilocybin (EMBRACE): a study protocol for a randomized, placebo-controlled and delayed-start, neuroimaging trial in depression.

Trials July 3, 2024 Joshua M. Poulin, Gregory E. Bigford, Krista L. Lanctôt et al. 3 citations

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide across domains of health and cognition, affecting overall quality of life. Approximately one third of individuals with depression do not fully respond to treatments (e.g., conventional antidepressants, psychotherapy) and alternative strategies are needed. Recent early phase trials suggest psilocybin may be a safe and...

DOI: 10.1186/s13063-024-08268-6 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Major depressive disorder Psilocybin Magic mushrooms Arterial spin labelling +7

Engaging Mood Brain Circuits with Psilocybin (EMBRACE): a study protocol for a randomized, proof-of-principle, placebo-controlled and crossover, neuroimaging trial in depression

Research Square December 28, 2023 Joshua M. Poulin, Gregory E. Bigford, Krista L. Lanctôt et al. 1 citation preprint

Abstract Background: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide across domains of health and cognition, affecting overall quality of life. Approximately one third of individuals with depression do not fully respond to treatments (e.g., conventional antidepressants, psychotherapy) and alternative strategies are needed. Recent early phase trials suggest psilocybin...

DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3474764/v1 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Psilocybin Major depressive disorder Default mode network Neuroplasticity +10

Ketamine augmentation for major depressive disorder and suicidal ideation: Preliminary experience in an inpatient psychiatry setting.

Journal of Affective Disorders December 1, 2018 Mark Sinyor, Marissa Williams, Sue Belo et al.

Ketamine is known to rapidly reduce depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation (SI) in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), but evidence is limited for its acceptability and effectiveness in "real-world" settings. This case series examines serial ketamine infusions in reducing SI and depression scores in adults with MDD admitted to a tertiary care hospital. Five inpatients with MDD and...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.07.073 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Ketamine Major depressive disorder Inpatients Midazolam +1