JAMA Psychiatry
November 4, 2020
Mary P Cosimano, Alan K. Davis, Frederick S. Barrett et al.
1,269 citations
Two doses of psilocybin (20 and 30 mg per 70 kg) combined with supportive psychotherapy produced large, rapid antidepressant effects in adults with major depressive disorder who were not taking other antidepressants. In a randomized waiting list-controlled trial with 24 completers, depression scores on the GRID-Hamilton scale dropped from a mean of 22.8 at baseline to 8.0 one week after the second session, compared with 23.8 at the same time point in the delayed-treatment group. Seventy-one percent of participants showed a clinically significant response at week 1, and 58% met remission criteria. Effects persisted through the four-week follow-up.
Translational Psychiatry
November 8, 2021
Manoj K. Doss, Michal Považan, Monica D Rosenberg et al.
343 citations
Psilocybin therapy increased cognitive flexibility for at least four weeks in 24 patients with major depressive disorder, though these improvements were not linked to antidepressant effects. One week after treatment, glutamate and N-acetylaspartate concentrations decreased in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and functional connectivity dynamics increased between the ACC and posterior cingulate cortex. Surprisingly, larger increases in this neural flexibility were associated with smaller gains in cognitive flexibility. Baseline brain connectivity from the ACC predicted cognitive flexibility improvements, with greater baseline connectivity linked to better baseline flexibility but less improvement. The findings suggest that while some increase in neural dynamics may help shift from rigid states, larger persisting increases may be less beneficial.
JAMA Psychiatry
January 1, 2023
Brian D Kiluk, Bethea A Kleykamp, Sandra D Comer et al.
22 citations
A review sponsored by a public-private partnership addresses clinical trial design for new opioid use disorder (OUD) treatments that target systems other than the μ-opioid receptor. The authors present consensus recommendations for evaluating novel therapies such as cannabinoids, psychedelics, sedative-hypnotics, and immunotherapeutics. Key design elements include specifying the treatment stage (e.g., early abstinence, long-term recovery), defining the treatment's role (adjunctive or independent), selecting patient-informed primary outcomes that assess opioid use patterns, retention, and quality of life, and monitoring adverse events like relapse or overdose, especially when patients are not on maintenance opioid agonist or antagonist medications. Incorporating input from people with lived experience is urged to accelerate development and uptake of effective therapeutics.
The journal of pain
July 1, 2024
Patrick H. Finan, Carly Hunt, Michael L. Keaser et al.
18 citations
A pilot mechanistic randomized controlled trial tested a positive emotion-enhancing intervention called Savoring Meditation against a Slow Breathing control in 44 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Savoring significantly reduced experimental pain intensity ratings relative to rest and increased cerebral blood flow in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, as well as connectivity between that region and the caudate during painful stimulation. Participants in the Savoring condition also reported significantly increased positive emotions and reduced anhedonic symptoms from pre- to post-intervention. The findings suggest that Savoring recruits reward-enhancing corticostriatal circuits in the face of pain, warranting future work on clinical pain outcomes.
Mindfulness
April 1, 2023
Carly Hunt, Janelle E. Letzen, Samuel R Krimmel et al.
9 citations
A secondary analysis of a clinical trial compared a 12-week enhanced mindfulness-based stress reduction course (MBSR+) to stress management for headache in 98 migraine patients. Greater pre-treatment functional connectivity between the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and right nucleus accumbens predicted more meditation practice during MBSR+ and larger reductions in headache frequency. Participants who meditated more showed increased mindfulness and reduced helplessness related to pain, but not improvements in headache frequency, severity, or impact. Increased mindfulness mediated reductions in headache impact but not frequency. The findings suggest mesocorticolimbic system function relates to motivated behavior, and motivation-enhancing interventions might boost meditation engagement.
medRxiv
September 8, 2023
Patrick H. Finan, Carly Hunt, Michael L. Keaser et al.
6 citations
preprint
A brief Savoring Meditation intervention, compared to Slow Breathing, reduced experimental pain intensity ratings in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. It increased cerebral blood flow in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and connectivity between that region and the caudate during painful thermal stimulation. Participants also reported increased positive emotions and reduced anhedonic symptoms from before to after the intervention. These results suggest that Savoring Meditation engages reward-related brain circuits during pain, which may inform future work on clinical pain outcomes.
The journal of pain
July 21, 2025
Nicholas P. Cherup, Patrick H. Finan
Chronic pain and functional disabilities can transform a person's identity and sense of meaning. Existing treatments often fail to provide adequate pain relief or functional recovery, and psychological issues like depression, anxiety, and fear of movement can worsen outcomes by reducing engagement in rehabilitation. Psilocybin alters consciousness by changing connectivity in brain regions involved in self-perception and movement. Early evidence suggests it helps with psychiatric disorders and unhelpful coping, but its potential for pain relief and improving rehabilitation participation through changes in self-perception and meaning-making is underexplored. This article proposes using psilocybin as a psychophysical adaptogen to reframe perceived barriers to exercise and improve both illness identity and neuromotor outcomes.
Journal of Health Psychology
September 30, 2024
Carly Hunt, Janelle E. Letzen, Dana Direnzio et al.
A new scale, the Self-Efficacy for Regular Meditation Practice Scale (SERMS), was developed to measure confidence in one's ability to meditate regularly and secure the psychological, social, and structural supports needed. Online survey data were collected at baseline and one-week follow-up. Exploratory factor analysis (n = 249) and confirmatory factor analysis (n = 249) revealed a three-factor structure: self-efficacy to benefit from meditation, persist in meditation, and obtain teacher and community support. Validity and test-retest reliability coefficients indicated the SERMS is a promising measure for studying meditation behavior adoption.