From 2013 to 2022, there was a 3-fold increase in psilocybin-related PC encounters, nearly all of which occurred since 2019. A similar pattern was not observed with other substances. Although the number of encounters remains low, this trend could continue as psilocybin use increases.
<p><strong>Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in certain mushrooms, has gained increasing attention for its potential therapeutic applications in mental health treatment. While clinical research highlights its efficacy in alleviating mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance use disorders, much remains to be known about the role of acute doses of psilocybin...
Abstract Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) has been shown in early trials to reduce the symptoms of treatment-resistant depression (TRD). This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of PAT as a third-line treatment for major depressive disorder compared to standard of care (SOC). We used an individual-level, probabilistic simulation model that portrays representative US adults with TRD who...
Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition for which there are few efficacious treatments. Psilocybin is being studied for use in treatment-resistant depression but has not yet been investigated in PTSD. Aims: The trial’s primary outcome was to investigate the safety and tolerability of single-dose psilocybin in participants with PTSD. Methods: This was a...
Established by the 1971 United Nations (UN) Convention on Psychotropic Substances, the prohibition of the recreational use of psychedelics (lysergic acid diethylamide [LSD], psilocybin, N , N -dimethyltryptamine [ N , N -DMT], and mescaline) has two premises. First, recreational use poses a serious threat to public health because psychedelics are highly liable to addiction and abuse. Second,...
Background and aims: Drug discrimination procedures have made important contributions to the pre-clinical investigation of psychedelic drugs, such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT). One of the most important being to highlight the critical role of central 5-HT2A receptor agonism as a mediator of...
Abstract We quantify cellular- and circuit-resolution neural network dynamics following therapeutically relevant doses of the psychedelic psilocybin. Using chronically implanted Neuropixels probes, we recorded local field potentials (LFP) alongside action potentials from hundreds of neurons spanning infralimbic, prelimbic and cingulate subregions of the medial prefrontal cortex of...
Abstract The extent to which anatomical connectivity constrains pharmacologically altered brain dynamics remains poorly understood. Here, we combined psilocybin administration with a structurally informed effective-connectivity model to examine how structural connectivity shapes directed inter-regional influences across experiential contexts. Using dynamic causal modeling embedded in a...
Brain SciencesAugust 21, 2025Dean Bilenker, Nicole M. Avena2 citations
Recent advances in psychedelic research have renewed interest in their therapeutic potential for psychiatric disorders characterized by cognitive and behavioral rigidity. This review examines the rationale for using serotonergic psychedelics—particularly 5-HT2A receptor agonists such as psilocybin—in the treatment of eating disorders (EDs), including anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN),...
Psilocybin, a serotonergic compound that produces psychedelic effects primarily through activation of the 5-HT2A receptor, has shown promise in treating neuropsychiatric conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the effects of chronic psilocybin administration on gut function, microbiota, and behavioural phenotypes remain understudied. The present study investigated...
FigshareAugust 20, 2025Danielle S. Stolzenberg
preprint
Data files associated with the manuscript titled: Psilocybin during the postpartum period induces long-lasting adverse effects in both mothers and offspring. These files contain the analyses used for each figure of the paper including the supplement. The postpartum stress protocol is included along with all of the raw maternal behavior data. Additional raw data can be found in the manuscript...
Through its widespread reciprocal connections with the cerebral cortex, the claustrum is implicated in sleep and waking cortical network states. Yet, basic knowledge of neuromodulation in this structure is lacking. The claustrum is richly innervated by serotonergic fibers, expresses serotonin receptors, and is suggested to play a role in the ability of psilocybin, which is metabolized to the...
Abstract Importance Depression is a major cause of disability worldwide, motivating substantial interest in psilocybin as a potential treatment. Objective To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of psilocybin’s impact on depressive symptoms and provide a living open data resource. Data Sources PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO retrieved by a systematic search up to...
Novel phenalkylamines and tryptamines such as psilocybin demonstrate promising nontraditional pharmacological profiles for treating psychiatric syndromes. Structural modifications yield functional selectivity at 5-HT receptors, mitigating hallucinogenic risk while preserving therapeutic efficacy. This study integrates receptor and behavioral data to support phenalkylamines and psilocybin as...
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy appears safe and may offer durable relief from depression and anxiety in individuals with a life-threatening illness.
RATIONALE: Anecdotal evidence suggests that psychedelic researchers often have personal experiences with psychedelic substances. While such experiences may benefit research, concerns have been raised about potential biases and "excessive enthusiasm." However, the prevalence of personal experiences, their perceived relevance, and their association with opinions about psychedelics remain...
Psychedelics are often queried as a potential therapeutic option in a multitude of conditions, including pain and mental health disorders, with a growing body of patient reports and scientific publications describing potential benefit. This article reviews recent research on psychedelic compounds for treatment of headache disorders. Observational data, case reports, and a few recent small,...
Treatment resistant depression (TRD) is frequently encountered in clinical practice. The lack of response of the condition to conventional medications and augmentation strategies has spawned the search for novel treatment approaches. Psychedelic medications used in conjunction with intensive psychotherapy, so-called psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP), have been evaluated in a limited...
Introduction Psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic, has shown therapeutic potential in treating mental health disorders by, amongst the many effects, promoting neuroplasticity and reorganising functional connectivity across cortical and subcortical networks involved in emotion and cognition. Veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) often experience chronic neurological and psychological...