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...
Depression is highly prevalent and represents the leading cause of global disability and primary contributor to overall global burden of disease. Several lines of evidence from early-phase experimental trials suggest that serotonergic psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, with therapeutic support show great promise in the treatment of depression with large effect sizes. Neuroimaging data have...
This manuscript reviews research suggesting that classic psychedelics (5-HT2A receptor agonists) are effective in treating addictions including tobacco use disorder. I review historical research from the 1950s to 1970s suggesting that classic psychedelics are associated with addiction recovery across pharmacologically distinct drugs of addiction. I then review anthropological reports about...
The largest trial to date of the psychedelic drug psilocybin has shown that, alongside psychological support, a single 25mg dose may improve the symptoms of treatment-resistant depression. The phase II study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on 3 November 2022, was conducted across 22 sites in 10 countries, including the UK, between […]
As the consumers push towards use of natural substances for whole body health increases, and as the dependence upon prescription drugs shows no abatement, substances such as psilocybin (magic mushrooms) have emerged as acceptable methods to treat ailments previously addressed by prescription drugs. In addition to medical solutions provided naturally, many of these substances (primarily...
In November 2022, the largest trial to date of the psychedelic drug, psilocybin, showed that — alongside psychological support — a single 25mg dose could improve the symptoms of treatment-resistant depression for up to 12 weeks. Previous studies have suggested an antidepressant mechanism for psilocybin therapy and have shown that psilocybin is at least as […]
This article shows, from historical and ethnographic perspectives, how the city of Huautla de Jiménez in the Sierra Mazateca (Oaxaca, Mexico) became an emblematic place for the trade of psilocybin mushrooms. Sales to foreigners started to take place in the Sierra Mazateca during the 1950s, stimulated by botanical expeditions and by the collapse in coffee prices, the main commercial crop in the...
Veterans are at increased risk of experiencing symptoms of trauma. Although many benefit from available treatments, some find treatment inaccessible or ineffective and explore alternative substances. One such substance is psilocybin. This Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study aimed to provide an initial insight into the experiences of veterans who have used or have considered using...
Background: The United States boasts the largest prison population in the world, conferring significant direct and indirect costs (e.g. lost wages for the incarcerated, increased morbidity/mortality, etc.) to society. Recidivism rates are high for the imprisoned and most interventions to reduce criminality are minimally effective. Thus, in addition to the need for criminal justice reform, there...
Psychedelics such as psilocybin have recently gained remarkable interest in both the specialist literature and the lay press because studies suggest that these substances may have great therapeutic potential in various psychiatric disorders, including major depression. However, clinical trials with psychedelic drugs pose particular methodological challenges to researchers, some of which differ...