Journal of Psychopharmacology
March 20, 2023
Jordan Sloshower, Hamideh Safi-Aghdam, Surbhi Pathania et al.
153 citations
In a small exploratory study, 19 adults with moderate-to-severe major depression received placebo first, then 4 weeks later a single dose of psilocybin (0.3 mg/kg), both embedded in psychotherapy. Depression and anxiety improved after both placebo and psilocybin, with no statistically significant difference between the two conditions. However, antidepressant effect sizes were larger after psilocybin (d′ = 1.02–2.27) than after placebo (d′ = 0.65–0.99), and 66.7% of participants responded and 46.7% remitted following psilocybin. Improvements lasted about 2 months on average. The intensity of mystical-type experience during psilocybin did not correlate with antidepressant effects. The authors conclude that expectancy and therapy effects complicate interpretation but support further study of psilocybin for depression.
Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics
January 1, 2021
Emmanuelle A. D. Schindler, R Andrew Sewell, Christopher Gottschalk et al.
138 citations
In a small exploratory double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study, ten adults with migraine received a single oral dose of psilocybin (0.143 mg/kg) or placebo, with sessions two weeks apart. Over the two weeks following administration, psilocybin reduced weekly migraine days by an average of 1.65 days (95% CI: -2.53 to -0.77), significantly more than placebo, which reduced them by 0.15 days (95% CI: -1.13 to 0.83). The reduction in migraine frequency was not linked to the intensity of acute psychedelic effects. Psilocybin was well-tolerated with no serious adverse events. The findings suggest a lasting therapeutic benefit from a single dose, independent of acute psychological effects.
Biological Psychiatry
November 15, 2012
Mohini Ranganathan, Ashley Schnakenberg, Patrick D. Skosnik et al.
125 citations
Inhaled salvinorin A, the active ingredient in Salvia divinorum, produces transient psychotomimetic and perceptual alterations including dissociative and somaesthetic effects, increases plasma cortisol and prolactin, and reduces resting electroencephalogram spectral power. It does not cause euphoria, cognitive deficits, or changes in vital signs, and the effects are not dose-related. The substance is very well-tolerated without acute or delayed adverse effects, and its lack of euphoric effects suggests a low addictive potential similar to other hallucinogens.
Headache The Journal of Head and Face Pain
November 1, 2022
Christina Luddy, Yutong Zhu, Hayley Lindsey et al.
75 citations
In an exploratory randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, a pulse regimen of three doses of psilocybin (0.143 mg/kg) given about five days apart did not significantly reduce cluster headache attack frequency compared to placebo. Over three weeks, attack frequency changed by −3.2 attacks per week with psilocybin (baseline 9.6) and 0.03 attacks per week with placebo (baseline 8.9), a difference that was not statistically significant. The overall effect size was moderate (d = 0.69), but large in chronic participants (d = 1.25) and small in episodic participants (d = 0.35). Changes in attack frequency were not linked to the intensity of acute psychedelic effects. Psilocybin was well-tolerated with no serious adverse events.
Scientific Reports
April 17, 2024
Jordan Sloshower, Richard J. Zeifman, Jeffrey Guss et al.
56 citations
Psilocybin-assisted therapy improves psychological flexibility, mindfulness, and values-congruent living in people with moderate to severe major depressive disorder, and these improvements are strongly linked to reductions in depression severity. In an exploratory placebo-controlled study, participants received placebo then psilocybin (0.3 mg/kg) four weeks later, with dosing sessions embedded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Psychological flexibility, several facets of mindfulness, and values-congruent living significantly improved after psilocybin and were maintained through week 16. The findings suggest that increasing psychological flexibility may be a key mechanism underlying psilocybin's therapeutic effects.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
June 30, 2023
Jordan Sloshower, Hamideh Safi-Aghdam, Surbhi Pathania et al.
47 citations
A single dose of psilocybin (0.3 mg/kg) doubled electroencephalographic theta power—a marker of neuroplasticity—in the auditory cortex of people with major depressive disorder two weeks later, while placebo produced no such change. Greater increases in theta power correlated with greater reductions in depression symptoms measured by the GRID-HAM-D-17 scale. These results provide evidence that psilocybin can induce sustained changes in human brain plasticity, and the theta-power increase may serve as an EEG biomarker for its antidepressant effects.
Journal of the Neurological Sciences
May 15, 2024
Emmanuelle A. D. Schindler, R Andrew Sewell, Christopher Gottschalk et al.
37 citations
In a blinded extension of a prior randomized trial, ten people with cluster headache received a second round of three doses of psilocybin (10 mg/70 kg, five days apart) at least six months after their first round. Attack frequency dropped significantly from a baseline of 18.4 attacks per week to 9.8 attacks per week in the three weeks after the first dose, a reduction of about 50%. This benefit occurred regardless of whether the participant had responded to psilocybin in the first round. No serious or unexpected adverse events occurred. The findings suggest that repeating a pulse of psilocybin can substantially reduce cluster headache attacks and that prior response does not predict the effect of retreatment.
Psychopharmacology
October 1, 2024
Ardavan Mohammad Aghaei, Lia Urban Spillane, Brian Pittman et al.
9 citations
After a single 10 mg oral dose of THC, women reported a heightened subjective feeling of being 'high' compared to men, while psychotomimetic and physiological effects were similar across sexes. No sex differences appeared in verbal learning and memory. The findings suggest that women may experience a more pronounced subjective psychoactive response to THC, pointing to individual vulnerabilities that could inform tailored interventions for cannabis use disorder.
General Hospital Psychiatry
January 1, 2024
Mina Ansari, Brian Pittman, Daniel S Tylee et al.
6 citations
Blood pressure increases during ketamine infusion for depression, peaking at 40 minutes with average rises of 16.0 mmHg systolic and 11.0 mmHg diastolic. Severe hypertension occurred in 12.5% of patients and 0.98% of infusion sessions, most often during the first three treatments. Older age and a history of hypertension were associated with larger blood pressure surges, indicating that careful cardiovascular monitoring is needed, especially for these patients.
The American Journal on Addictions
May 1, 2024
Michael Rogan, Julio C Nunes, Catherine Z Xie et al.
2 citations
Greater childhood trauma is linked to lower aversive effects from higher doses of THC in people being treated with methadone for opioid use disorder. In a placebo-controlled crossover trial with 25 participants, those with more childhood trauma reported fewer negative subjective effects after taking 20 mg of oral THC. This reduced sensitivity to THC's aversive effects may contribute to increased cannabis use among individuals with opioid use disorder. The findings highlight the importance of assessing childhood trauma in opioid use disorder treatment and research.
Headache The Journal of Head and Face Pain
December 29, 2025
Emmanuelle A. D. Schindler, Christopher Gottschalk, Brian Pittman et al.
1 citation
In an exploratory randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, adults with migraine received either two doses of diphenhydramine placebo, one dose of psilocybin (10 mg) plus one dose of diphenhydramine, or two doses of psilocybin, each separated by 7 days. Over the two weeks after the sessions, the reduction in migraine days per week did not differ significantly among groups, though large effect sizes were seen for those receiving psilocybin. Over eight weeks, all groups showed similar reductions in migraine frequency of about 50%. Diphenhydramine partially mimicked psilocybin's acute effects, but blinding was incomplete. No serious adverse events occurred.
Journal of Psychiatric Research
September 1, 2024
Noah R Wolkowicz, Mehmet Sofuoglu, Brian Pittman et al.
Attentional bias (AB) toward pain and opioid cues may be altered by delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in adults with opioid use disorder (OUD) receiving methadone. In a crossover trial, 27 participants received single oral doses of 10 mg THC, 20 mg THC, or placebo. Among those on high methadone doses (≥90 mg/day), 10 mg THC increased AB toward opioid cues, while 20 mg THC decreased it. Those on low methadone doses showed more variable opioid-related AB after THC. These preliminary results suggest THC produces dose-dependent effects on attention to opioid cues, warranting further study of cannabinoids in OUD.
Consciousness and Cognition
June 1, 2011
Michelle Neider, Edward F Pace-Schott, Erica Forselius et al.
Greater lucidity in dreams is linked to better performance on a task that engages the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (the Iowa Gambling Task), but not on a task engaging the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (the Wisconsin Card Sort Task). In a prospective study of 28 high school students, those with higher lucidity scored significantly higher on the Iowa Gambling Task. No differences were found in sleep quality or baseline characteristics. The findings suggest a connection between lucid dreaming and ventromedial prefrontal function.