Back to table of contents Next article Clinical & ResearchFull AccessCalls to Poison Centers Involving Psilocybin Rising in YouthTerri D'ArrigoTerri D'ArrigoPublished Online:10 May 2024https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2024.06.6.2AbstractDecriminalization, legalization of psilocybin likely play roles in both increased exposure and poisoning.Getty Images/iStock/YarphotoSince 2019, calls to U.S....
announced in April that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the antipsychotic Fanapt (iloperidone) for the acute treatment of manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in adults. Iloperidone has been approved for the acute treatment of schizophrenia since 2009. The approval was based on a phase 3 clinical trial of 414 adults with a history of bipolar I disorder....
In my editorial in the previous issue of Psychiatric News, I discussed the risk of socio-cultural factors affecting the integrity of psychedelic clinical trials (PCTs). In light of these substances' cultural significance, history, and powerful effects (including observable changes in consciousness), rigorous clinical trial design—with randomization, blinding, and control requirements above...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Editor's DeskFull AccessPsychedelic Renaissance: Evidence and CultureAdrian Preda, M.D.Adrian Preda, M.D.Published Online:21 Mar 2024https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2024.04.4.39The ebb and flow of societal beliefs often resemble a pendulum's swing, oscillating between acceptance and rejection. This phenomenon is not confined to the annals...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Med CheckFull AccessMedCheck; Psilocybin, Roluperidone, Latozinemab, LacosamideTerri D'ArrigoTerri D'ArrigoPublished Online:26 Mar 2024https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2024.04.4.1Psilocybin Promising for Anxiety DisorderIncannex's investigational psilocybin product PSX-001 appeared to be effective in relieving symptoms of generalized...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical & ResearchFull AccessMDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD Shows Promise for Patients of Diverse BackgroundsSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:22 Sep 2023https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.10.10.60AbstractMDMA appears to enhance the ability of individuals with PTSD to benefit from psychotherapy by softening their...
The country is the first to make psilocybin and MDMA available for medical use by prescription as part of a psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy regimen. In a move that excited some and concerned others, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) earlier this year approved the use of MDMA and psilocybin as adjuncts in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Med CheckFull AccessMed Check: FDA, Anti-Amyloid Beta Vaccine, Clinical Trials of Psychedelics, and LumryzTerri D’ArrigoTerri D’ArrigoSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:27 Jul 2023https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.08.8.3FDA Expedites Review of Anti-Amyloid Beta Vaccine for Alzheimer’s DiseaseThe Food and Drug...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Annual MeetingFull AccessKetamine Comparable to ECT for Many Patients With Refractory DepressionNick ZagorskiNick ZagorskiSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:24 Jul 2023https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.08.7.47AbstractFollowing a presentation of new clinical trial data at the Annual Meeting, some questioned why...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Annual MeetingFull AccessPsychedelic Therapy Requires Enhanced Consent DiscussionsNick ZagorskiNick ZagorskiPublished Online:28 Jun 2023https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.07.7.46AbstractThe presenters at an Annual Meeting session cautioned that patients pursuing psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy will benefit from physicians offering...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Annual MeetingFull AccessExperts Offer Tips on Talking With Patients About PsychedelicsTerri D’ArrigoTerri D’ArrigoSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:28 Jun 2023https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.07.7.51AbstractPsychedelics differ from one another in their mechanism of action and potential effects on the body and mind....
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Annual MeetingFull AccessKetamine Pioneer Krystal Receives 2023 Nasrallah Family AwardNick ZagorskiNick ZagorskiSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:28 Jun 2023https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.07.7.44AbstractKrystal’s work with ketamine has increased our understanding of the biology of both depression and schizophrenia...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Annual MeetingFull AccessExperts to Discuss the Ethics of PsychedelicsTerri D'ArrigoTerri D'ArrigoPublished Online:27 Mar 2023https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.04.3.10AbstractA session at APA's Annual Meeting will cover the current state of psychedelics research and offer points to consider in the event of broad psychedelics...
Bills that would decriminalize the use of psychedelics are popping up faster than magic mushrooms, but the field of psychedelics research has yet to yield supporting evidence about their safety and efficacy. Legislative reform regarding psychedelics is gaining ground, a study in JAMA Psychiatry has found. From January 1, 2019, to September 28, 2022, 25 states considered 74 bills that proposed...
Psychiatric NewsFebruary 16, 2023Jacques Ambrose, Jeffrey S Zabinski
With the impending FDA review of the phase 3 data for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, experts reflect on ethical considerations, appropriate use, and access. The groundswell of interest in psychedelics in psychiatry, medicine broadly, and in popular culture continues without a peak in sight. Though the term “psychedelic” was coined in the 20th century, these compounds have an extensive...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical & ResearchFull AccessDepression Improves Following Single Dose of PsilocybinNick ZagorskiNick ZagorskiPublished Online:26 Dec 2022https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.01.1.50AbstractPatients with treatment-resistant depression who receive a single dose of psilocybin may experience a reduction in depression symptoms.iStock/Rich...
Activating Memories During Sleep Found to Reduce NightmaresiStock/cyano66Using sounds to activate positive memories during sleep may boost the effectiveness of a daytime therapy for nightmare disorder called image rehearsal therapy (IRT)." Nightmare disorder is characterized by dreams with strong negative emotions occurring during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep," wrote a team of researchers...
AD109 Fast Tracked for Obstructive Sleep ApneaThe U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given fast track status to AD109, an investigational oral medication for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, Apnimed announced in June. The FDA fast track is a process designed to facilitate the development of drugs that treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need and to expedite...
Researchers at two APA Annual Meeting sessions engaged in a wide-ranging talk on psychedelic neurobiology and whether an out-of-body experience resulting from psychedelic use is necessary for the medications to be therapeutic. One of the key questions in psychedelic medicine is quantifying how this class of drugs operates at the higher-order brain level. It is known that they activate serotonin...
A small study involving 24 participants found that psilocybin therapy was safe and effective up to one year following administration. More research using larger sample sizes is needed to further clarify efficacy and safety. A study on the safety and efficacy of psilocybin-assisted therapy in a therapeutic setting in 24 participants with major depressive disorder found that the hallucinogen...
A growing body of research suggests that psychedelic compounds may be useful for treating patients with certain disorders. As highlighted by several sessions at the APA Annual meeting, there’s a growing renewed interest in psychedelics, which are compounds that induce changes in thought, perception, and mood, in the clinical and research communities. Classic psychedelics refer to a subset whose...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Ethics CornerFull AccessEthics Committees ReimaginedClaire Zilber, M.D.Claire Zilber, M.D.Published Online:28 Jan 2022https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2022.2.25The APA and district branch (DB) ethics committees used to stay busy processing complaints from patients, their family members, and colleagues about members who allegedly engaged in...
Aduhelm Shows Promise for Alzheimer's DiseaseTwo phase 3 clinical trials of Aduhelm (aducanumab) showed a correlation between plasma p-tau reduction and less cognitive and functional decline in patients with Alzheimer's disease, Biogen and Esai announced last November. The accumulation of the protein tau inside neurons leads to neurofibrillary tangles—a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's...
Positive findings from a phase 3 trial may have brought MDMA-assisted therapy closer to FDA approval, but experts remain unclear about how long the effects of the therapy might last. When Charles Raison, M. D. , a professor of psychiatry and the Mary Sue and Mike Shannon Chair for Healthy Minds, Children & Families at the University of Wisconsin-Madison joined the scientific board at the...
After decades of quiescence, psychedelics are back and making quite a ruckus. In the 1950s and 1960s, a flurry of cutting-edge psychedelic research engendered real enthusiasm among clinicians, suggesting potential treatment efficacy for a range of serious refractory disorders. But a cultural and political backlash led to the imposition of draconian laws, effectively sidelining psychedelic...