The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 1, 2026
J Mingardi, S Spinosa, N Nicosia et al.
Abstract Background Stress is a recognized risk factor for developmental and adult psychiatric disorders. Indeed, stressful events, particularly during the first phases of life, such as trauma, neglect or abuse, have been associated with increased psychiatric risk over the course of a lifetime, although with some sex-differences. Indeed, the biological sex shapes the stress response impacting...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 1, 2026
M di Nicola, M Pepe, G Martinotti
Abstract Background Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) represents a major clinical challenge and is associated with substantial symptom burden, functional impairment, and poor prognosis. Beyond traditional monoaminergic models, converging evidence indicates that dysfunction of the glutamatergic system plays a central role in the pathophysiology of TRD, contributing to impaired neuroplasticity...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 1, 2026
A Nunes, J E Cunningham, B Leden et al.
Abstract Background Use of intravenous ketamine or intranasal esketamine for depression is frequently limited due to resource requirements and cost. Alternative treatment models have used oral, sublingual or intranasal racemic ketamine, but optimal doses and frequency of administration remain unclear. Dosing modelled from the standard 0.5-1.0mg/kg twice weekly IV ketamine result in transient...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 1, 2026
G Gobbi
Abstract Background Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), a serotonergic psychedelic, has gained renewed interest for its potential anxiolytic effects in clinical trials. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these effects remain poorly understood. Aims & Objectives The goal of this study is to understand the mechanism of action of LSD in animal models by using in vivo...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 1, 2026
C Poppe, D Repantis
Abstract Background MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) has shown promise for treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), leveraging unique affective effects such as enhanced trust, empathy, and social connectedness. Despite preliminary efficacy, ethical challenges in clinical trials may directly affect regulatory approval and future clinical implementation. Aims & Objectives The...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 1, 2026
K Yonezawa, K Kusudo, S Tomiyama et al.
Abstract Background Despite recent advances in the treatment of major depression, approximately 30% of patients show insufficient improvement with conventional antidepressants, a condition commonly referred to as treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Psilocybin is a classic psychedelic compound that has received renewed attention as a promising therapeutic candidate for TRD. Clinical trials...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 1, 2026
E Nield, M Lopez-Canul, A Inserra et al.
Abstract Background Pain conditions are major health problems resulting in physical, psychological and social impairment (1), and health care costs (2,3). Within the last decade, research has demonstrated that 5-HT2A agonists including psilocybin and LSD elicit spiritual experiences (4) and functional connectivity changes between diverse brain areas (5). Therefore, it is pertinent to...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 1, 2026
K Kusudo, K Yonezawa, S Tomiyama et al.
Abstract Background Psilocybin, a prodrug metabolized to psilocin, a serotonin 2A receptor agonist, has reemerged as a promising therapeutic option for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Clinical trials conducted mainly in North America and Europe have demonstrated that psilocybin administered with psychological support can produce rapid and sustained antidepressant effects with favorable...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 1, 2026
C Sheridan, G Thuery, K Brennan et al.
Abstract Background Serotonergic psychedelics have recently re-emerged as promising therapeutic agents in psychiatry, showing positive outcomes in clinical trials for treatment-resistant depression, major depression, and PTSD. However, their effects on the immune system are poorly characterized. It remains unclear whether these compounds exert immunomodulatory effects that contribute to their...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 1, 2026
U Schmidt
Abstract Background A substantial proportion of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) fails to derive significant clinical benefit from current standard-of-care treatments. In particular, complex PTSD exhibits a pronounced tendency toward chronicity. For this refractory population, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy has emerged as a highly promising therapeutic avenue. However, the...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 1, 2026
N Hartman, D Ivkic, M C Dorczok et al.
Abstract Background Neuropsychiatric manifestations of Long COVID (LC) frequently include post-exertional malaise (Cheng et al., 2025), fatigue, cognitive dysfunction and impairment, sleep disturbances, post-traumatic stress, autonomic dysregulation, pain, inner tension, psychomotor retardation, aberrations in appetite and weight (Badenoch et al., 2022; O'Mahoney et al., 2025), showing...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 1, 2026
A Bouloufa, S Delcourte, R Rovera et al.
Abstract Background Recent clinical findings have highlighted the therapeutic potential of serotonergic psychedelics, including lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), in the treatment of affective disorders. Despite these advances, the mechanisms driving their beneficial effects remain partially understood. Aims & Objectives This study sought to assess the prophylactic effects of LSD in rodent...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 1, 2026
S Makhoul, N Abdulameer
Abstract Background Esketamine intranasal spray is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but it is not licensed for use in bipolar disorder due to the risk of antidepressants inducing manic or hypomanic episodes. To date, there is limited data on the use of intranasal esketamine in bipolar disorder, and no previous reports of using esketamine as an add-on treatment in patients...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
July 6, 2026
Shabah M. Shadli, Neda Nasrollahi, Calvin K. Young et al.
BACKGROUND: Neurotic disorders - major depressive disorder (MDD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and specific phobia - have differing pharmaceutical profiles. But all, even when resistant to conventional treatment (TR), respond quickly to low dose (0.5-1.0 mg/kg I.M.) ketamine....
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
June 2, 2026
John R. Kelly, Christopher Sheridan, Patricia Iusan et al.
Classical serotonergic psychedelics, such as psilocybin, show emerging evidence of therapeutic potential across a range of mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders, with indications of transdiagnostic efficacy. While early-phase studies yielded encouraging results, recent larger-scale phase 3 trials, such as those evaluating psilocybin for...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
May 5, 2026
Hiroyuki Uchida, Gabriella Gobbi, Joseph Zohar et al.
BACKGROUND: Over the past decade, neuropsychopharmacology has shifted from stagnation to momentum, with first-in-class mechanisms and biomarker-enabled trials spanning psychiatry and neurology. METHODS: We narratively synthesized advances from 2013 to 2026 across central nervous system (CNS) discovery and development, including pivotal trials, regulatory actions, digital/real-world evidence,...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
May 3, 2026
Kuan-I Liu, Wei-Chen Lin, Cheng-Ta Li et al.
Intravenous ketamine demonstrates rapid efficacy for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). However, its impact on individual depressive symptoms and whether the degree of treatment resistance moderates these effects remain unclear. This study aimed to dissect symptom-specific trajectories and examine the moderating role of the degree of treatment resistance. We conducted a post-hoc analysis of...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
October 1, 2025
Igor D. Bandeira, Luke A. Jelen, Jason M Tucciarone et al.
4 citations
Igor D Bandeira, MD, PhD, Luke A Jelen, MD, PhD, Jason M Tucciarone, MD, PhD, Boris D Heifets, MD, PhD, Carolyn I Rodriguez, MD, PhD, Alan F Schatzberg, MD
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
August 1, 2025
Klára Šíchová, Barbara Mallarino, Lucie Janeckova et al.
1 citation
Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) is a new psychoactive substance known for its mind-altering effects and temporary legal status. It is widely used in parts of the Europe and United Kingdom as a legal alternative to ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol, yet little research has explored its effects and safety. This study examined how HHC is processed in the body, its toxicity, and its impact on behavior in male...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
August 1, 2025
Hiroe Tani
Abstract Background Psychedelics have long been explored as potential treatments for mental illnesses. Since the mid-20th century, clinical trials of psychedelics such as LSD for depression and anxiety in terminally ill patients have been conducted. In the 21st century, revived and accelerated efforts to promote the proper use of psychedelics in the medical field have led to increasingly...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
August 1, 2025
N Acevdo, David Castle, Susan L. Rossell
Abstract Background Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), and anorexia nervosa (AN) are some of the most debilitating and chronic mental health conditions, with impairments across multiple domains of functioning, leading to poor quality of life and well-being. These conditions share overlapping psychopathological determinants in terms of cognitive-behavioural...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
August 1, 2025
B. D. Richardson, Marco Pileggi, Thomas Prudhomme et al.
Abstract Background Psychedelics hold potential as therapeutics in psychological disorders. Even if they primarily act on 5-HT2A receptors, their mechanisms and effects on the brain are not well understood. Simply activating 5-HT2A receptors does not induce psychedelic effects. For example, psilocybin and lisuride both bind to 5-HT2A receptors, but only psilocybin induces hallucinogenic...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
August 1, 2025
Yana Babii, C. Barbara, Dorota Bederska‐łojewska et al.
Abstract Background Numerous data indicates that hallucinogens from various groups such as ketamine, scopolamine or psilocybin exert rapid antidepressant effects in both preclinical and clinical studies. Group II glutamate (mGlu) metabotropic receptor antagonists also show rapid antidepressant efficacy in animal studies, moreover we have shown that mGluR2/3 antagonist, LY341495 is able to...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
August 1, 2025
Bernard Lerer, Michal Brownstien, Mitchell A. Lazar et al.
Abstract Background Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with significant personal suffering and functional impairment. At least a third of OCD patients do not respond to conventional treatments. There is a substantial anecdotal literature suggesting that psychedelic agents, specifically psilocybin and psilocybin-containing psychedelic mushroom extract (PME), may be therapeutic in...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
August 1, 2025
Valeria Bruno, Bruce Richardson, Martha López-canul et al.
Abstract Background Recent years have seen renewed scientific interest in psychedelics, including psilocybin, for their potential in treating neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the reward-related properties and behavioral impacts of a high dose of psilocybin remain insufficiently explored. Aims & Objectives Assessing the potential rewarding properties of a high dose of psilocybin (10 mg/kg...