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Albert Garcia‐romeu

Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Medicine

66 papers in the library · 4,542 citations · publishing 2013-2026

Papers

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Seeing the forest for the trees: An ecological systems theory approach to addressing emergent issues in psychedelic-assisted therapy research

Journal of Psychedelic Studies June 5, 2024 Meghan DellaCrosse, Albert Garcia‐romeu, Alan K. Davis 4 citations

Despite growing interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) research, there remains a lack of consensus about key issues relevant to difficulties in predicting acute drug effects, and the role of therapeutic support in clinical trials. In the absence of a clear theoretical model to conceptualize multifaceted components in PAT research, dialogue across contexts (e.g., popular media, peer...

Psychedelic Experiences Increase Mind Perception but do not Change Atheist-Believer Status: A Prospective Longitudinal Study

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs May 7, 2024 Sandeep M. Nayak, Sydney H White, Samantha Hilbert et al. 18 citations

Recent studies suggest psychedelic use may be associated with changes in a variety of beliefs or belief-like states, including increased 1) mind perception, 2) non-naturalistic beliefs, and 3) Atheist-Believer status (e.g. believer, agnostic, or nonbeliever). We conducted a prospective longitudinal study among participants (N = 657) who planned to have a psilocybin experience outside a...

The Mystical Experience Questionnaire 4-Item and Challenging Experience Questionnaire 7-Item.

Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.) March 1, 2024 Justin C Strickland, Albert Garcia‐romeu, Matthew W Johnson 20 citations

The Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ-30) and Challenging Effects Questionnaire (CEQ) are two of the most widely used, validated instruments to probe subjective effects of psychedelic drugs. However, these assessments are lengthy and can be a burden to study participants or patients if administered during acute psychedelic effects, after resolution of psychedelic effects when participants...

IUPHAR-review: The integration of classic psychedelics into current substance use disorder treatment models.

Pharmacological Research 2024 David B. Yaden, Andrea P Berghella, Peter S. Hendricks et al. 12 citations

Substance use disorders (SUDs) have an enormous impact on public health. With classic psychedelic-assisted therapies showing initial promise in treating multiple SUDs, it is possible that these treatments will become legally available options for patients with SUDs in the future. This article highlights how classic psychedelic-assisted therapies might be integrated into current clinical...

Exploring psychedelic use in athletes and their attitudes toward psilocybin-assisted therapy in concussion recovery

Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology 2024 Baeleigh VanderZwaag, Albert Garcia‐romeu, Mauricio A. García-barrera 9 citations

Background: Psychedelics are receiving growing interest among clinical researchers for their effects on mood and cognition. Psilocybin is one of the most widely studied classic psychedelics which has shown good safety and clinical benefit for major depression and substance use disorders. Athletes frequently sustain concussions and often experience myriad symptoms, including cognitive and mood...

Innovations in group‐based psilocybin‐assisted therapy of major depression in patients with cancer

Cancer December 18, 2023 Johannes Thrul, Zofia Kozak, Michael A. Carducci et al. 5 citations

Several recent studies have investigated psilocybin as a novel therapeutic compound for the treatment of existential distress in patients with cancer, demonstrating persistent, positive effects on mood. This editorial discusses two articles in the current issue of Cancer that report findings of a group‐based psilocybin‐assisted intervention for treatment of depression in patients diagnosed with...

Naturalistic psilocybin use is associated with persisting improvements in mental health and wellbeing: results from a prospective, longitudinal survey

Frontiers in Psychiatry September 19, 2023 Hillary Jackson, Sara So, Abigail Yaffe et al. 87 citations

Introduction The classic psychedelic psilocybin, found in some mushroom species, has received renewed interest in clinical research, showing potential mental health benefits in preliminary trials. Naturalistic use of psilocybin outside of research settings has increased in recent years, though data on the public health impact of such use remain limited. Methods This prospective, longitudinal...

Double-Blind Comparison of the Two Hallucinogens Dextromethorphan and Psilocybin: Experience-Dependent and Enduring Psychological Effects in Healthy Volunteers

Psychedelic Medicine August 30, 2023 Samantha Hilbert, David S. Mathai, Nathan D. Sepeda et al. 10 citations

This analysis suggests the utility of exploring clinical applications of dissociatives that occur within the supportive contexts that are characteristic of psychedelic research and that prioritize the optimization of psychologically valuable drug experiences. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02033707).

Psilocybin’s effects on cognition and creativity: A scoping review

Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2023 Justin N Bonnieux, Baeleigh VanderZwaag, Zahra Premji et al. 29 citations

Background: Research on psilocybin has become increasingly popular during the current psychedelic renaissance, which began in the early 1990s. Psilocybin’s effects on mental health are promising and there are ongoing efforts to investigate its clinical implementation and its effects on cognition. Aims: The purpose of this study is to report trends in publications, methods, and findings from...

Naturalistic Psilocybin Use Increases Mind Perception but not Atheist-Believer status: A Prospective Longitudinal Study

June 9, 2023 Sandeep M. Nayak, Sydney H White, Samantha Hilbert et al. 1 citation preprint

Recent studies suggest psychedelic use may be associated with changes in a variety of beliefs or belief-like states, including increased 1) mind perception, 2) non-naturalistic beliefs, and 3) Atheist-Believer status (e.g., believer, agnostic, or non-believer). We conducted a prospective longitudinal study among participants (N = 657) who planned to have a psychedelic experience. We asked...

Reconsidering "dissociation" as a predictor of antidepressant efficacy for esketamine.

Psychopharmacology April 1, 2023 David S. Mathai, Sandeep M. Nayak, David B. Yaden et al. 36 citations

The relationship between subjective drug experience and antidepressant outcomes for ketamine derivatives is poorly understood but of high clinical relevance. Esketamine is the patented (S)-enantiomer of ketamine and has regulatory approval for psychiatric applications. We examined the relationship between acute dissociation, as measured by the Clinician-Administered Dissociative States Scale...

Ancient Roots of Today's Emerging Renaissance in Psychedelic Medicine.

Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry December 1, 2022 Daniel R George, Ryan Hanson, Darryl Wilkinson et al. 65 citations

An international ban on psychedelics initiated by the United Nations' Convention on Psychotropic Substances in 1971 restricted the clinical use of these ancient psychoactive substances. Yet, in an era marked by rising mental health concerns and a growing "Deaths of Despair" epidemic (i.e., excess mortality and morbidity from suicide, drug overdose, and alcoholism), the structured psychedelic...

Psychedelic Identity Shift: A Critical Approach to Set And Setting

Kennedy Institute of Ethics journal December 1, 2022 Neşe Devenot, Aidan Seale-Feldman, Elyse Smith et al. 50 citations

While the literature on psychedelic medicine emphasizes the importance of set and setting alongside the quality of subjective drug effects for therapeutic efficacy, few scholars have explored the therapeutic frameworks that are used alongside psychedelics in the lab or in the clinic. Based on a narrative analysis of the treatment manual and post-session experience reports from a pilot study of...

Mapping consent practices for outpatient psychiatric use of ketamine.

Journal of Affective Disorders September 1, 2022 David S. Mathai, Scott M Lee, Victoria Mora et al. 16 citations

Given increasing community-based and off-label use of ketamine for psychiatric indications, we examined current informed consent processes from a convenience sample of outpatient ketamine clinics to identify areas of congruence with current evidence and opportunities for growth. Using a rubric developed from existing practice guidelines, we conducted an exploratory analysis of informed consent...

Special considerations for evaluating psilocybin-facilitated psychotherapy in vulnerable populations

Neuropharmacology May 13, 2022 Cynthia E. Ortiz, Haley Maria Dourron, Noah W Sweat et al. 26 citations

Psilocybin-facilitated psychotherapy shows potential transdiagnostic efficacy for a range of mental health conditions. Though vulnerable populations bear disproportionate mental health burden, they have been largely neglected in the clinical psilocybin literature. However, if the field is to best respond to the diverse needs of individuals from vulnerable populations, care must be taken to...

Toward Synergies of Ketamine and Psychotherapy

Frontiers in Psychology March 25, 2022 David S. Mathai, Victoria Mora, Albert Garcia‐romeu 51 citations

Ketamine is a dissociative drug that has been used medically since the 1970s primarily as an anesthetic agent but also for various psychiatric applications. Anecdotal reports and clinical research suggest substantial potential for ketamine as a treatment in conjunction with psychological interventions. Here, we review historical and modern approaches to the use of ketamine with psychotherapy,...

Psychedelics as Novel Therapeutics in Alzheimer's Disease: Rationale and Potential Mechanisms.

Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences 2022 Albert Garcia‐romeu, Sean Darcy, Hillary Jackson et al.

Serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) agonist "classic psychedelics" are drawing increasing interest as potential mental health treatments. Recent work suggests psychedelics can exert persisting anxiolytic and antidepressant effects lasting up to several months after a single administration. Data indicate acute subjective drug effects as important psychological factors involved in observed...

Classic psychedelics in the treatment of substance use disorder: Potential synergies with twelve-step programs.

The International journal on drug policy December 1, 2021 David B. Yaden, Andrea P Berghella, Paul S. Regier et al.

Several pilot studies have provided evidence supporting the potential of classic psychedelics like psilocybin in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs). If larger trials confirm efficacy, classic psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy may eventually be integrated into existing addiction treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, contingency management, and medication-assisted...

Parental Attitudes Toward Use of Ketamine in Adolescent Mood Disorders and Suicidality

Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology October 1, 2021 David S. Mathai, Alexis G. McCathern, Andrew G. Guzick et al. 14 citations

Objectives: Investigation into parental decision-making processes involving ketamine is of high priority, given the necessary role of parents in consenting to treatment. In this study, we examined parental attitudes toward the emerging use of ketamine in adolescent mood disorders and suicidality. Methods: Two hundred eighty-three English-speaking parents completed an online survey using Amazon...

Predicting changes in substance use following psychedelic experiences: natural language processing of psychedelic session narratives

The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse June 5, 2021 David J. Cox, Albert Garcia‐romeu, Matthew W. Johnson 29 citations

Background: Experiences with psychedelic drugs, such as psilocybin or lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), are sometimes followed by changes in patterns of tobacco, opioid, and alcohol consumption. But, the specific characteristics of psychedelic experiences that lead to changes in drug consumption are unknown.Objective: Determine whether quantitative descriptions of psychedelic experiences...

Psychedelics and Consciousness: Distinctions, Demarcations, and Opportunities

The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology May 10, 2021 Natalie Gukasyan, David B. Yaden, Matthew W. Johnson et al. 56 citations

Abstract Psychedelic substances produce unusual and compelling changes in conscious experience that have prompted some to propose that psychedelics may provide unique insights explaining the nature of consciousness. At present, psychedelics, like other current scientific tools and methods, seem unlikely to provide information relevant to the so-called “hard problem of consciousness,” which...

Whitewashing psychedelics: racial equity in the emerging field of psychedelic-assisted mental health research and treatment

Drugs Education Prevention and Policy April 30, 2021 Johannes Thrul, Albert Garcia‐romeu 78 citations

Growing research on potential therapeutic applications of highly restricted Schedule I hallucinogens, including the ‘classic psychedelic’ psilocybin, and the entactogen 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphet...

Optimal dosing for psilocybin pharmacotherapy: Considering weight-adjusted and fixed dosing approaches

Journal of Psychopharmacology February 20, 2021 Albert Garcia‐romeu, Frederick S. Barrett, Theresa M. Carbonaro et al. 101 citations

Background: Growing evidence suggests psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic, is a safe and promising pharmacotherapy for treatment of mood and substance use disorders when administered as part of a structured intervention. In most trials to date, psilocybin dose has been administered on a weight-adjusted basis rather than the more convenient procedure of administering a fixed dose....