Trends in the Top-Cited Articles on Classic Psychedelics
Bhanu Sharma, David W. Lawrence, Roland R. Griffiths, Robin Carhart-Harris
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs February 3, 2021 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2021.1874573 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Bibliometric analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 76 |
| Population | Top-cited classic psychedelic publications |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Cohort study |
| Citations | 37 |
| Key points | Recent top-cited psychedelic publications are more likely to be clinical trials studying therapeutic uses for affective and substance use disorders, while older top-cited publications were predominantly basic science and preclinical studies. |
Abstract
This study was designed to identify trends in the top-cited classic psychedelic publications. The top 50 publications on classic psychedelics with the greatest total of number of citations and annual citation rate were identified and pooled. Unique articles (n = 76) were dichotomized by median year of publication (2010.5); the differential distribution of study characteristics between the "Recent Cohort" (n = 38) and "Older Cohort" (n = 38) were documented. The Recent Cohort had a greater annual citation rate (median 76.0, IQR 38.5 to 101.5) compared to the Older Cohort (median10.0, IQR 5.2 to 19.3, p n = 26 [68.4%] vs. n = 9 [23.7%]) while the Older Cohort included more basic science and preclinical studies (n = 21 [55.3%] vs. n = 2 [5.3%], p n = 25 [65.8%] vs. n = 9 [23.7%]) while lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) was predominantly studied in the Older Cohort (n = 25 [65.8%] vs. n = 18 [47.4%], p = .013). The Recent Cohort included more studies examining affective disorders (n = 15 [39.5%] vs. n = 3 [7.9%]) and substance use disorders (n = 6 [15.8%] vs. n = 0 [0.0%]), while the Older Cohort included a greater number of pharmacological outcomes (n = 29 [76.3%] vs. n = 6 [15.8%], p < .001). This study identified and documented trends in the top-cited classic psychedelic publications. The field is continuing to form a foundational understanding of the pharmacological effects of psychedelics and is now advancing with the identification of therapeutic uses within clinical populations.