Skip to content

Daniel M. Blumberger

19 papers in the library · 617 citations · publishing 0-2026

Papers

Sort Most recent Most cited

Symptom trajectories and clinical outcomes of intravenous ketamine in treatment-resistant depression: A real-world study using group-based trajectory modeling.

Journal of Affective Disorders January 23, 2026 Reinhard Janssen-Aguilar, Jithin Joseph, Huda Al-Shamali et al.

Intravenous (IV) ketamine is an emerging intervention for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), yet the temporal dynamics of response and the optimal number of infusions remain unclear, particularly in real-world clinical populations with psychiatric comorbidities. We conducted a retrospective chart review of 209 adults with TRD treated with IV ketamine at an interventional psychiatry program....

Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant obsessive–compulsive disorder: protocol for an open-label pilot study

BJPsych Open December 15, 2025 Nicole Ledwos, Jenna Baer, Muhammad Ishrat Husain et al. 2 citations

Background Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental disorder commonly treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, atypical antipsychotic augmentation and cognitive–behavioural therapy. However, up to 60% of people with OCD do not respond to these treatments. Therefore, a novel intervention, psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP), is an option of interest....

Psilocybin in late-life mental health: Addressing depression, loneliness, and existential anxiety

General Hospital Psychiatry December 9, 2025 Gerasimos Konstantinou, Joshua D. Rosenblat, Sarah Hales et al. 4 citations

The global demographic shift toward aging populations has intensified the need for innovative therapeutic interventions targeting late-life mental health conditions, notably depression, loneliness, and existential distress. Traditional pharmacological treatments often exhibit limited efficacy and poor tolerability in older patients, primarily due to age-related physiological changes and the...

Efficacy of intranasal esketamine versus rTMS for treatment-resistant depression: analysis of individual participant data from two clinical trials.

EClinicalMedicine December 1, 2025 Tyler S Kaster, Yi Dai, Fidel Vila-Rodriguez et al. 5 citations

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and intranasal esketamine are effective treatment options for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) that have not been directly compared. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of rTMS, intranasal esketamine, and pharmacotherapy for TRD using data from two randomised clinical trials (RCTs). This secondary analysis of individual patient data...

Biological markers of treatment response to serotonergic psychedelic therapies: a systematic review.

Ther Adv Psychopharmacol October 16, 2025 Stanley Wong, Brett D. M. Jones, Mathura T. Thiyagarajah et al. 3 citations

Background: Results from contemporary clinical trials of serotonergic psychedelic therapies have led to an increasing focus on their potential clinical use across mental disorders. However, studies examining mechanisms of clinical response to psychedelic therapy in psychiatric populations are limited. This review aimed to synthesize evidence from studies examining biomarkers of clinical...

Effect of psilocybin therapy on suicidal ideation, attempts, and deaths in people with psychiatric diagnoses: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology September 1, 2025 Stanley Wong, Gray Meckling, Nicholas Fabiano et al. 6 citations

Background: Suicidal ideation, attempts, and deaths present a major and tragic public health concern. Recent trials of psilocybin therapy (PT) have shown promise in treating treatment-resistant depression and have found a reduction in suicidal ideation. Given the growth of PT research, there is a need to further understand its effect on suicidal ideation, attempts, and deaths. Objective: To...

Mapping psilocybin therapy: A systematic review of therapeutic frameworks, adaptations, and standardization across contemporary clinical trials

Journal of Affective Disorders July 18, 2025 Mary E. Kittur, Mingyao Liu, Brett D. M. Jones et al. 12 citations

Accumulating evidence suggests that psilocybin can produce rapid and sustained clinical benefits when administered in conjunction with psychological support. Though non-pharmacological procedures are considered integral, the field lacks therapeutic guidelines and little is known about current practices. This systematic review sought to provide a comprehensive and cross-diagnostic synthesis of...

Inpatient Treatment of Suicidality: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials.

The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry January 8, 2025 Ali Abdolizadeh, Brett D. M. Jones, Maryam Hosseini Kupaei et al. 2 citations

Objective: Psychiatric inpatients represent an acutely vulnerable population with high rates of suicidality (ie, suicidal ideation, attempts, and completed suicide). This systematic review aimed to evaluate treatments for suicidality delivered within inpatient settings. Data Sources: MEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL, and The Cochrane Library were systematically searched using 3 concepts:...

Mindfulness-based (non-contact) boxing therapy (MBBT) for depression and anxiety: A feasibility study.

PLoS One 2025 Johny Bozdarov, Brett D. M. Jones, Madeha Umer et al. 2 citations

Mindfulness-Based (non-contact) Boxing Therapy (MBBT) is a novel intervention designed to empower and promote self-agency through behavioral interventions, while reducing barriers to exercise for individuals with mental disorders. MBBT is an instructor-led, manualized, non-contact boxing group-exercise program (delivered in 90 min sessions, twice a week, over 10 weeks) that blends principles of...

A Systematic Review of Study Design and Placebo Controls in Psychedelic Research.

Psychedelic Med (New Rochelle) March 12, 2024 Alexander Wen, Nikhita Singhal, Brett D. M. Jones et al. 36 citations

Introduction: Effective blinding is especially challenging in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving psychedelics due to the inherent alterations in consciousness that these compounds induce. In this systematic review and exploratory analysis, we aim at synthesizing the methodologies used in RCTs involving classic psychedelics and identify procedures that can help minimize unblinding and...

A proof-of concept randomized controlled trial to show that the antidepressant effect of psilocybin does not require a psychedelic experience: study protocol

European Psychiatry November 17, 2023 M. I. Husain, Daniel M. Blumberger, David Castle et al.

Introduction During the last decade there has been a resurgence of interest on the use of psychedelics as novel treatments for mental disorders, including treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Psilocybin, the chemical component of “magic mushrooms”, has been administered with psychotherapy in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) showing large and sustained antidepressant effects. As the use of...

Beyond Psilocybin: Reviewing the Therapeutic Potential of Other Serotonergic Psychedelics in Mental and Substance Use Disorders

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs August 24, 2023 Stanley Wong, An Yi Yu, Nicholas Fabiano et al. 11 citations

There has been a resurgence of interest in the use of psychedelic therapies for several mental and substance use disorders. Psilocybin, a "classic" serotonergic psychedelic, has emerged as one of the primary compounds of interest in clinical research. While research on psilocybin's potential mental health benefits has grown, data on the safety and efficacy of other serotonergic psychedelics...

Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression without psychedelic effects: study protocol for a 4-week, double-blind, proof-of-concept randomised controlled trial

BJPsych Open July 1, 2023 Muhammad Ishrat Husain, Nicole Ledwos, Elise Fellows et al. 41 citations

Background Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of psilocybin have reported large antidepressant effects in adults with major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Given psilocybin's psychedelic effects, all published studies have included psychological support. These effects depend on serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor activation, which can be blocked by 5-HT2A receptor...

Serotonergic psychedelics for depression: What do we know about neurobiological mechanisms of action?

Frontiers in Psychiatry February 10, 2023 Muhammad Ishrat Husain, Nicole Ledwos, Elise Fellows et al. 47 citations

Introduction Current treatment options for major depressive disorder (MDD) have limited efficacy and are associated with adverse effects. Recent studies investigating the antidepressant effect of serotonergic psychedelics—also known as classic psychedelics—have promising preliminary results with large effect sizes. In this context, we conducted a review of the putative neurobiological...

Neural Correlates of the DEEPP (Anti-suicidal Response to Ketamine in Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Depression) Study: Protocol for a Pilot, Open-Label Clinical Trial.

JMIR Research Protocols January 27, 2023 Yuliya Knyahnytska, Reza Zomorrodi, Tyler S Kaster et al.

Suicide is among the top 10 leading causes of death worldwide. Of people who died by suicide, the majority are diagnosed with depression. It is estimated that 25%-60% of people with bipolar depression (BD) will attempt suicide at least once, and 10%-15% will die by suicide. Several treatments, such as lithium, clozapine, electroconvulsive therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy, have been...

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy vs. a health enhancement program for the treatment of late-life depression: Study protocol for a multi-site randomized controlled trial.

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 2022 Magnus Bein, Myriam Lesage, Elena Dikaios et al.

Late-life depression (LLD) affects up to 18% of older adults and has been linked to elevated dementia risk. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) holds promise for treating symptoms of depression and ameliorating cognitive deficits in older adults. While preliminary findings are promising, a definitive RCT investigating its effects on late life depression and cognition have not yet been...

Enhancing Cognition in Older Persons with Depression or Anxiety with a Combination of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): Results of a Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial

Mindfulness October 5, 2021 Heather J. Brooks, H. Oughli, Lojine Y. Kamel et al.

Individuals with subjective memory complaints and symptoms of depression and/or anxiety are at high risk for further cognitive decline, and possible progression to dementia. Low-burden interventions to help slow or prevent cognitive decline in this high-risk group are needed. The objective of this study is to assess the feasibility of combining Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) with...

Management of Treatment-Resistant Depression: Challenges and Strategies

Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2020 Daphne Voineskos, Zafiris J Daskalakis, Daniel M. Blumberger 430 citations

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a subset of Major Depressive Disorder which does not respond to traditional and first-line therapeutic options. There are several definitions and staging models of TRD and a consensus for each has not yet been established. However, in common for each model is the inadequate response to at least 2 trials of antidepressant pharmacotherapy. In this review, a...

A Critical Appraisal of Evidence on the Efficacy and Safety of Serotonergic Psychedelic Drugs as Emerging Antidepressants: Mind the Evidence Gap.

Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology Nicole Ledwos, Joshua D. Rosenblat, Daniel M. Blumberger et al. 16 citations

There has been resurgence of interest in the therapeutic use of serotonergic ("classic") psychedelics in major depressive disorder (MDD) and end-of-life distress. This commentary offers a critical appraisal of current evidence for antidepressant effects of classic psychedelics from contemporary clinical trials and highlights pitfalls that should be addressed before clinical translation. A...