Neuropsychiatrie : Klinik, Diagnostik, Therapie und Rehabilitation : Organ der Gesellschaft Osterreichischer Nervenarzte und Psychiater
June 30, 2026
Cielo A Estela-Fernandez, Reem Mohamed Yousif Elsheikh, Dal Bianco Beatrice et al.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a heterogeneous, debilitating disorder. A distinct subgroup within the MDD spectrum is identified to have treatment-resistant depression (TRD). There is an impetus to find alternative treatments for TRD to reduce disease burden and improve quality of life. Psychedelics have been used in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders since the 1950s, with...
Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior
June 30, 2026
Lucie Ladislavová, Viera Kútna, Kristýna Mazochová et al.
Psilocin (4-hydroxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine) is a substituted tryptamine alkaloid and a nonselective serotonergic agonist acting predominantly at 5-HT2A/C receptors, with substantial binding to 5-HT1A and 5-HT2B receptors. Microdosing is the practice of taking a very small, sub-perceptual dose, typically 5% to 10% of a full recreational dose, to improve mood, creativity, and focus without...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
June 28, 2026
Yiğit Özaydın, Buket Canlan Özaydın
Background: Psychedelic microdosing—repeated sub-perceptual doses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) or psilocybin—has attracted scientific interest as a potential mood and cognitive intervention. The evidence base remains methodologically heterogeneous and vulnerable to expectancy bias. Methods: We conducted an umbrella review with narrative synthesis following Joanna Briggs Institute...
The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update
June 28, 2026
A Phase 1 trial comprising 15 patients has found that repeated high‐dose administration of psilocybin was more effective than low‐dose psilocybin or placebo in reducing symptoms of obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD). Psilocybin was generally well‐tolerated, with no reports of serious adverse events.
J Psychopharmacol
June 28, 2026
Yingjie Du, Xiangting Zhao, Yishan Yao et al.
BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder are often comorbid in humans. Psilocybin reportedly has beneficial therapeutic effects on depression, possibly by promoting neuroplasticity. PTSD is associated with the dysregulation of neuroplasticity in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). We hypothesized that psilocybin might reduce fear memory by...
Open MIND
June 26, 2026
Max Courtney
Substance use disorders (SUDs) represent a persistent global public health burden for which existing pharmacological and behavioral interventions show limited long-term efficacy across various patient populations (Sinha, 2011). Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) has reemerged as a promising therapeutic treatment approach and has had renewed clinical interest with a growing amount of research...
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
June 26, 2026
Paulina Clara Dagnino, Irene Acero-Pousa, Robin Carhart-Harris et al.
Abstract A central challenge in neuroscience is understanding how the human brain is organised to support optimal functioning and adaptability. One approach to characterise complex brain dynamics is by artificially perturbing whole-brain models. Here, we asked whether whole-brain organisation under perturbation in major depressive disorder (MDD) changes after intervention with psilocybin and...
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
June 25, 2026
Pavan S Brar, Rebecca B Price, Stephen Ross et al.
In the past decade, interest in studying psychedelic compounds as potential therapeutic agents has resurged. These studies carefully exclude individuals at risk for developing psychotic symptoms in response to psychedelic use. Given the potential for psychedelics to be established as treatments in psychiatry, it is important to more robustly understand their link with psychosis and...
International Journal of Innovative Technologies in Social Science
June 24, 2026
Aleksandra Łoś, Kacper Szkodziński, Inga Jakubczyk et al.
Introduction: Depressive disorders are one of the greatest public health challenges worldwide, affecting up to 16% of the population over a lifetime and significantly impacting quality of life, disability, and premature mortality. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability, despite the availability of numerous treatment options. In 20–50% of patients, traditional...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
June 23, 2026
Lenka Seillier, Alexandre Seillier, Morgan A. Zvolska et al.
BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder is one of the most debilitating psychiatric disorders worldwide. First-line treatments such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have significant limitations, including delayed onset of therapeutic effects and treatment resistance in about 30% of patients. Increasing evidence suggests that acute administration of serotonergic psychedelics, such as...
Monash University
June 23, 2026
Sheida Shadani
This thesis examined how psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) affects social behaviour in mice with and without anorexia-like symptoms. It found that psilocybin's effects varied dramatically between male and female mice and changed over time. Female mice became more social and showed increased brain reward signals, while males displayed reduced stress behaviours and dampened...
Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry
June 20, 2026
Agnieszka Bysiek, Izabela Szpręgiel, Adam Wojtas et al.
Psychedelics have emerged as a promising novel therapeutic approach for major depressive disorder (MDD). Altered activity and structural atrophy of the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and limbic structures are associated with depressive disorders. Psilocybin may reverse the loss of synaptic connections and restore the function of these brain regions. In this study, we investigated the effects...
Research Square
June 19, 2026
Aline Frick, Grace Blest‐hopley, Manesh Grin et al.
Abstract Rationale: Major depressive disorder (MDD) shows marked sex differences in prevalence, symptomatology, and treatment response. However, women remain underrepresented in many clinical trials, and sex-specific treatment outcomes are rarely examined. Objectives This study reanalyzed data from a randomized controlled trial comparing psilocybin and escitalopram for MDD to evaluate sex...
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
June 18, 2026
Jacob J. Baker, Emily Kogan, Shaorong Ma et al.
It is unclear how serotonin 2A receptors (5-HT 2A Rs) in cortical layer 5 pyramidal neurons (L5 PyrNs) differentially contribute to psilocybin-induced hallucinations versus neuroplasticity. Here we show that psilocybin promotes synapse formation and maturation while accelerating the elimination of pre-existing synapses. Cell type-specific manipulation further demonstrated that 5-HT 2A R...
Annals of Medicine and Surgery
June 18, 2026
Astrit Sabani, Adnan Khatak
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) remains a major clinical challenge and is typically defined as the persistence of depressive symptoms despite at least two adequate antidepressant trials. Individuals with TRD experience substantial morbidity, impaired functioning, and elevated suicide risk, highlighting the need for therapeutic strategies beyond incremental refinements of conventional...