The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
August 1, 2025
Thibault Renoir, James J Gattuso, Bilgenur Bezcioglu et al.
Abstract Background The evident limitations of current treatments for depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), underscore the need for a paradigm shift in how we understand and treat these disorders. There is enormous public and research enthusiasm for the potential that psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, the psychoactive compound produced by “magic mushrooms” will drive a...
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
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
Nicolo Fabila, Nimshitha Pavathuparambil Abdul Manaph, V Rudkowsky et al.
Abstract Background Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most prevalent eating disorder, often associated with metabolic syndrome and other mental health comorbidities. Despite its impact, current treatment options remain limited. BED is associated with compulsive intake of foods typically high in fat and sugar, as well as neuroplastic changes in brain regions such as the nucleus accumbens,...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
August 1, 2025
C Donegan, D Daldagen-Bueno, Robin J Murphy et al.
Abstract Background Depressive disorders affect about 280 million people worldwide, with many struggling to find effective relief. Conventional antidepressants are widely prescribed but often lack efficacy and have side effects, leaving many patients dissatisfied or untreated. Concurrently, psychedelic therapies have gained momentum in both research and ‘in the wild’, with emerging evidence...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
August 1, 2025
Susan Meikle, Olivia Carter, Paul Liknaitzky et al.
Abstract Background Depressive disorders are a major global health challenge, with many individuals unresponsive to existing treatments or left with residual symptoms such as impairments in cognition and social functioning. Emerging psychedelic therapies show promise for treating depression but require further research. Aims & Objectives This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility,...
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
C Foldi
Abstract Background Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound produced by so-called “magic” mushrooms has shown promise in alleviating symptoms of a range of psychiatric conditions including depression, anxiety and substance use disorder. Recently, a small Phase 1 trial showed psilocybin to be safe and tolerable for individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN), with 4/10 participants experiencing...
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
Bernard Lerer, T. Tal, Ilana Pogodin et al.
Abstract Background The full therapeutic potential of serotonergic psychedelics (SP) in treating neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and schizophrenia, is limited by possible adverse effects, including perceptual disturbances and psychosis, which require administration in controlled clinical environments. This study investigates the potential synergistic benefits of combining...
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
Giovanni Martinotti, Clara Cavallotto, Giacomo D’andrea et al.
Abstract Background Among the innovative treatments investigated for depression, psilocybin appears to play an extremely promising role, with several studies showing remission rates up to 70% in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) treated with protocols involving a single or double dose administration [1,2]. Psilocybin is a psychedelic compound belonging to the tryptamine class,...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
June 6, 2025
Naim Zaki, Li Nancy Chen, Rosanne Lane et al.
32 citations
The rates of relapse and suicide risk are higher in treatment-resistant depression (TRD) vs non-treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. Even among patients with TRD who initially respond, the majority (70%) relapse within 6 months. To evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of esketamine nasal spray, combined with an oral antidepressant, in patients with TRD. Phase 3, open-label,...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
June 6, 2025
Benjamin Spurny-Dworak, Thomas Liebe, Samantha Graf et al.
2 citations
The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist ketamine has found broad application in the field of psychiatry. Due to its rapid antidepressant and anti-suicidal properties, it is used as a treatment for major depressive disorder. Furthermore, ketamine evokes dissociative and psychotropic states, which allows the modeling of schizophrenic symptoms. The thalamus, a main target for ketamine's...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
May 25, 2025
Ines Erkizia-Santamaría, Nerea Martínez-Álvarez, Leyre Salinas-Novoa et al.
7 citations
Abstract Background The psychedelic psilocybin has been posited as efficacious for the treatment of depression. However, the potential link between the intensity of acute psychedelic effects and long-term therapeutic outcomes remains undiscovered. Moreover, the impact of classical antidepressant drugs that modulate serotonergic activity on psilocybin’s effects is a clinically relevant concern....
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
March 29, 2025
Michal Lazar, Michal Brownstien, Alexander Botvinnik et al.
3 citations
Abstract Background SAPAP3-knockout (SAPAP3-KO) mice develop excessive self-grooming behavior at 4-6 months of age, serving as a model for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Given that anxiety often precedes OCD diagnosis in humans, this study investigated whether juvenile SAPAP3-KO mice exhibit anxiety-like behaviors before developing the self-grooming phenotype, and whether such behaviors...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 4, 2025
Yingliang Dai, Ben J. Harrison, Christopher G. Davey et al.
6 citations
Ketamine is an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist that has shown effectiveness as a rapidly acting treatment for depression. Although advances have been made in understanding ketamine's antidepressant pharmacological and molecular mechanisms of action, the large-scale neurocognitive mechanisms driving its therapeutic effects are less clearly understood. To help provide such a framework,...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 4, 2025
Yulin Feng, Yinghua Lv, Juan Yang et al.
3 citations
This study aims to quantitatively evaluate the efficacy and safety of various treatment regimens for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) across oral, intravenous, and intranasal routes to inform clinical guidelines. A systematic review identified randomized controlled trials on TRD, with efficacy measured by changes in the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). We developed...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 1, 2025
Martin Kuchař, Klara Gotwaldova, Jan Borovička et al.
1 citation
Abstract Synthetic psilocybin (PSB), but also the PSB-containing mushrooms are used for psychedelic therapy and microdosing. It is necessary to know alkaloids variability and stability in wild-grown mushrooms. Concentrations of other psychotropic (or potentially psychotropic) tryptamines such as psilocin (PS), baeocystin (BA), norbaeocystin (NB), and aeruginascin (AE) are also relevant. This...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 1, 2025
Clara Cavallotto, Giacomo D’andrea, Andrea Miuli et al.
1 citation
Abstract Background Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) affects almost 30% of patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) (1). Esketamine Nasal Spray (ESK-NS) has recently been approved for TRD in combination with a Serotonin Specific Reuptake Inhibitor/SSRI or a Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor/SNRI. There is a lack of studies investigating the effectiveness and safety of ESK-NS...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 1, 2025
Hui-Ju Wu, *Mu-Hong Chen, Wei-Chen Lin
Abstract Background The role of neurofilament light chain (NFL) in treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is unclear. Whether baseline NFL concentrations are associated with the antidepressant effects of low- dose ketamine infusion has not been determined. Methods The NFL concentrations of 71 patients with TRD and 17 healthy controls were assessed. Patients with TRD were randomly administered a...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 1, 2025
Leonard Lerer, Kathleen Spear, Jeet Varia et al.
Abstract Background Psilocybin research in depression has been generated using chemically synthesized psilocybin (PSI). Psychedelic mushrooms produce additional tryptamines that may enhance the neuroplastic effect of psilocybin. In a rodent depression model, an extract of a psychedelic mushroom (PME) had a stronger and more prolonged effect than PSI on behavior[1]. Aims and Objectives To...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 1, 2025
Martine Skumlien, Tom P. Freeman, Daniel L. Hall et al.
Abstract Background Cannabis, and its main psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), may alter the brain’ s reward system both acutely and over time. The endocannabinoid and reward systems mature during adolescence and adolescents may therefore respond differently to acute cannabis exposure compared with adults. Despite this, no previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 1, 2025
Zitong Wang, Yanbo Zhang, Xin-Min Li
Abstract Background Dr. George Engel introduced the biopsychosocial model into the field of psychiatry 40 years ago, highlighting the profound connection between social environment and mental health. Factors have been categorized into biological, psychological, and socio-environmental domains. Numerous animal models have been developed to investigate the pathophysiology and treatment of...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 1, 2025
Sofia Nasini, Sara Tidei, Benedetta Barzon et al.
Abstract Background For centuries, American indigenous populations have utilized psilocybin-containing mushrooms for both traditional medical and religious purposes, often in the context of psychedelic experiences. More recently, there has been a notable increase in the interest for and in the practice of psilocybin 'microdosing': regular intake of psilocybin-containing mushrooms in amounts...