Scientific Reports
January 21, 2021
Laura Kaertner, Michael B. Steinborn, Hannes Kettner et al.
152 citations
Abstract Psychedelic microdosing describes the ingestion of near-threshold perceptible doses of classic psychedelic substances. Anecdotal reports and observational studies suggest that microdosing may promote positive mood and well-being, but recent placebo-controlled studies failed to find compelling evidence for this. The present study collected web-based mental health and related data using...
December 11, 2020
Balázs Szigeti, Laura Kärtner, Allan Blemings et al.
1 citation
Article Figures and data Abstract eLife digest Introduction Materials and methods Results Discussion Appendix 1 Data availability References Decision letter Author response Article and author information Metrics Abstract Microdosing is the practice of regularly using low doses of psychedelic drugs. Anecdotal reports suggest that microdosing enhances well-being and cognition; however, such...
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
October 30, 2020
Kristoffer Andreas Aamodt Andersen, Robin Carhart-Harris, David Nutt et al.
352 citations
Abstract Objective To conduct a systematic review of modern‐era (post‐millennium) clinical studies assessing the therapeutic effects of serotonergic psychedelics drugs for mental health conditions. Although the main focus was on efficacy and safety, study characteristics, duration of antidepressants effects across studies, and the role of the subjective drug experiences were also reviewed and...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
October 8, 2020
Dea Siggaard Stenbæk, M. Madsen, Brice Ozenne et al.
81 citations
Background: Psilocybin is a serotonergic psychedelic with psychoactive effects mediated by serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) activation. It produces an acute psychedelic altered state of consciousness with a unique phenomenology that can be temporally characterized by three intensity phases: onset of psychoactive effect, a peak plateau and return to normal consciousness. Aims: We evaluated...
J Psychopharmacol
June 15, 2020
Anna Borissova, Bart Ferguson, Matthew B. Wall et al.
37 citations
BACKGROUND: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is being actively researched as an adjunct to psychotherapy. It may be beneficial to trust, empathy and cooperative behaviour due to its acute prosocial effects. AIM: To test (a) the acute effects of MDMA on measures of empathy, trust and cooperative behaviour, and (b) subacute changes in mood three days after MDMA administration. METHODS: =7...
Cell
April 1, 2020
David Nutt, David Erritzøe, Robin Carhart-Harris
330 citations
After a legally mandated, decades-long global arrest of research on psychedelic drugs, investigation of psychedelics in the context of psychiatric disorders is yielding exciting results. Outcomes of neuroscience and clinical research into 5-Hydroxytryptamine 2A (5-HT2A) receptor agonists, such as psilocybin, show promise for addressing a range of serious disorders, including depression and...
Sci Rep
November 19, 2019
Christopher Timmermann, Leor Roseman, Michael Schartner et al.
325 citations
Studying transitions in and out of the altered state of consciousness caused by intravenous (IV) N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT - a fast-acting tryptamine psychedelic) offers a safe and powerful means of advancing knowledge on the neurobiology of conscious states. Here we sought to investigate the effects of IV DMT on the power spectrum and signal diversity of human brain activity (6 female, 7...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
July 14, 2019
Livia Ng, Luca Pani, Anaïs Soula et al.
Background: In the past few years, the issue of ‘microdosing’ psychedelics has been openly discussed in the public arena where claims have been made about their positive effect on mood state and cognitive processes such as concentration. However, there are very few scientific studies that have specifically addressed this issue, and there is no agreed scientific consensus on what microdosing is....
Neuropsychopharmacology
March 8, 2019
M. Madsen, Patrick M. Fisher, Daniel Burmester et al.
21 citations
correction
The original version of this article contained an error in the labelling of Figures 2 and 3. While the captions and figures themselves are correct, in order to correspond with the in-text references, they have now been re-numbered in both the PDF and HTML versions of the article.
J Psychopharmacol
February 28, 2019
David Erritzøe, James Smith, Patrick M. Fisher et al.
95 citations
Recreational use of psychedelics is associated with elevated personality trait openness: Exploration of associations with brain serotonin markers.
Neuropsychopharmacology
January 26, 2019
M. Madsen, Patrick M. Fisher, Daniel Burmester et al.
505 citations
The main psychedelic component of magic mushrooms is psilocybin, which shows promise as a treatment for depression and other mental disorders. Psychedelic effects are believed to emerge through stimulation of serotonin 2A receptors (5-HT2ARs) by psilocybin's active metabolite, psilocin. We here report for the first time the relationship between intensity of psychedelic effects, cerebral 5-HT2AR...
Frontiers in Psychology
August 15, 2018
Christopher Timmermann, Leor Roseman, L. Williams et al.
228 citations
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are complex subjective experiences, which have been previously associated with the psychedelic experience and more specifically with the experience induced by the potent serotonergic, N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Potential similarities between both subjective states have been noted previously, including the subjective feeling of transcending one's body and...
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
June 19, 2018
David Erritzøe, Leor Roseman, Matthew M. Nour et al.
268 citations
Objective To explore whether psilocybin with psychological support modulates personality parameters in patients suffering from treatment‐resistant depression (TRD). Method Twenty patients with moderate or severe, unipolar, TRD received oral psilocybin (10 and 25 mg, one week apart) in a supportive setting. Personality was assessed at baseline and at 3‐month follow‐up using the Revised NEO...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
May 7, 2018
Balázs Szigeti, Adam Winstock, David Erritzøe et al.
17 citations
BACKGROUND: Neuroimaging studies imply that the regular use of ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), the major constituent of ecstasy pills, alters the brain's serotonergic system in a dose-dependent manner. However, the relevance of these findings remains unclear due to limited knowledge about the ecstasy/MDMA use pattern of real-life users. AIMS: We examined the representativeness of...
J Psychopharmacol
February 15, 2018
Robin Carhart-Harris, Leor Roseman, Eline Haijen et al.
646 citations
Psychedelic drugs are making waves as modern trials support their therapeutic potential and various media continue to pique public interest. In this opinion piece, we draw attention to a long-recognised component of the psychedelic treatment model, namely ‘set’ and ‘setting’ – subsumed here under the umbrella term ‘context’. We highlight: (a) the pharmacological mechanisms of classic...
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
November 8, 2017
R. L. Carhart-Harris, Mark Bolstridge, C. M. J. Day et al.
978 citations
RATIONALE: Recent clinical trials are reporting marked improvements in mental health outcomes with psychedelic drug-assisted psychotherapy. OBJECTIVES: Here, we report on safety and efficacy outcomes for up to 6 months in an open-label trial of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. METHODS: Twenty patients (six females) with (mostly) severe, unipolar, treatment-resistant major...
Psychopharmacology
August 9, 2017
Robin Carhart-Harris, David Erritzøe, Eline Haijen et al.
268 citations
Psychedelic drugs are creating ripples in psychiatry as evidence accumulates of their therapeutic potential. An important question remains unresolved however: how are psychedelics effective? We propose that a sense of connectedness is key, provide some preliminary evidence to support this, and suggest a roadmap for testing it further.
Nordic Journal of Psychiatry
July 20, 2017
David Erritzøe, William A. Richards
14 citations
Since the recent re-emergence of research into the effects and safety of psychedelic therapies, a range of psychopathologies such as major depression, cancer-related anxiety and depression, alcohol...
Neuropsychopharmacology
February 14, 2017
Ishan C Walpola, Timothy Nest, Leor Roseman et al.
50 citations
Recent work with noninvasive human brain imaging has started to investigate the effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on large-scale patterns of brain activity. MDMA, a potent monoamine-releaser with particularly pronounced serotonin- releasing properties, has unique subjective effects that include: marked positive mood, pleasant/unusual bodily sensations and pro-social, empathic...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
September 6, 2016
Helle Ruff Laursen, Susanne Henningsson, Julian Macoveanu et al.
8 citations
The brain’s serotonergic system plays a crucial role in the processing of emotional stimuli, and several studies have shown that a reduced serotonergic neurotransmission is associated with an increase in amygdala activity during emotional face processing. Prolonged recreational use of ecstasy (3,4-methylene-dioxymethamphetamine [MDMA]) induces alterations in serotonergic neurotransmission that...
Lancet Psychiatry
May 17, 2016
Robin Carhart-Harris, Mark Bolstridge, James Rucker et al.
1,546 citations
BACKGROUND: Psilocybin is a serotonin receptor agonist that occurs naturally in some mushroom species. Recent studies have assessed the therapeutic potential of psilocybin for various conditions, including end-of-life anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and smoking and alcohol dependence, with promising preliminary results. Here, we aimed to investigate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 14, 2014
Vibe G. Frøkjær, David Erritzøe, Klaus K. Holst et al.
19 citations
Serotonergic signaling is considered critical for an appropriate adaptation to stress. We have previously observed that in healthy volunteers, prefrontal serotonin transporter (SERT) binding is positively associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis output in terms of the cortisol awakening response (CAR). Here, we tested (1) if such a correlation persists in a human model of...
Biological Psychiatry
January 10, 2014
Robin Carhart-Harris, Kevin Murphy, Robert Leech et al.
182 citations
The MTLs appear to be specifically implicated in the mechanism of action of MDMA, but further work is required to elucidate how the drug's characteristic subjective effects arise from its modulation of spontaneous brain activity.
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
December 17, 2013
Robin Carhart-Harris, Matthew B. Wall, David Erritzøe et al.
110 citations
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a potent monoamine-releaser that is widely used as a recreational drug. Preliminary work has supported the potential of MDMA in psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The neurobiological mechanisms underlying its putative efficacy are, however, poorly understood. Psychotherapy for PTSD usually requires that patients revisit traumatic...
Schizophrenia Bulletin
October 6, 2012
Robin Carhart-Harris, Robert Leech, David Erritzøe et al.
267 citations
Psilocybin is a classic psychedelic and a candidate drug model of psychosis. This study measured the effects of psilocybin on resting-state network and thalamocortical functional connectivity (FC) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Fifteen healthy volunteers received intravenous infusions of psilocybin and placebo in 2 task-free resting-state scans. Primary analyses focused on...