Neuropharmacology
January 21, 2026
Ana Domi, Erika Lucente, Davide Cadeddu et al.
1 citation
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound with potential antidepressant effects. Although it has long been used by humans, primarily for recreational purposes, the molecular mechanisms underlying its actions remain incompletely understood. Here, we examined the acute effects of psilocin, the active metabolite of psilocybin, on excitatory neurotransmission in the prefrontal cortex...
BMC Psychology
January 21, 2026
Christina Chwyl, Angelica Spata, Will Lucas et al.
Findings indicate a "mindset-over-molecule" pattern wherein psychological context ("set") is more strongly associated with psychedelic outcomes than substance type alone.
Pharmacological Reports
January 20, 2026
Piotr Olejnik, Katarzyna Kamińska, Krystyna Gołembiowska et al.
INTRODUCTION: Psilocybin, a classic serotonergic psychedelic, has antidepressant, anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties. However, the immunomodulatory effects of psilocybin within the central nervous system, particularly on microglial activation, remain poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of psilocybin on microglial activation markers and...
Journal of Affective Disorders
January 20, 2026
Laura Mills, Susan L. Rossell, Sean Carruthers
Psilocybin has been reported to decrease depression symptoms among individuals with bipolar disorder (BD), but has also been associated with reports of mania, psychosis and increased depression. With increasing recreational use of psilocybin, and the potential for psilocybin to be used as a treatment for depression, a better understanding of the risks and benefits of this psychedelic among...
Psychedelic Medicine
January 18, 2026
Anthony L. Back, Bonnie A. Mcgregor, Leslie Lazar Thorn et al.
1 citation
Background: Psilocybin is a promising therapy for cancer-related distress, but existing individual treatment models are resource intensive. In this study, we designed and tested a group model of psilocybin therapy for people with metastatic cancer and cancer-related anxiety and depression. Method: Eligibility criteria included metastatic cancer, moderate-to-severe symptoms of anxiety or...
European Neuropsychopharmacology
January 16, 2026
Damian Swieczkowski, Aleksander Kwaśny, Krzysztof Sadko et al.
1 citation
Psilocybin-assisted therapies are increasingly studied for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD), and methodological rigor requires both pharmacological evaluation and consistent reporting of non-pharmacological variables that influence therapeutic outcomes. To address this need, the ReSPCT (Reporting of Setting in Psychedelic Clinical Trials) guidelines were...
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
January 15, 2026
Justyna K. Hinchcliffe, Christopher W. Thomas, Gary Gilmour et al.
preprint
Abstract The serotonergic psychedelic, psilocybin, shows potential for rapid and sustained antidepressant effects but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Using a chronic interferon-alpha–induced rat model of depression, we show acute psilocybin (0.3 mg/kg) reverses impaired reward-induced biases within 24hrs, with effects enduring for at least 7 days. This suggests psilocybin can restore...
January 15, 2026
Benjamin Kelmendi, Thomas G. Adams, Terence H. W. Ching et al.
preprint
Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects 2-3% of the population worldwide. 40-60% of patients do not respond to first-line interventions. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of a single dose of psilocybin in patients with treatment-resistant OCD.Methods: In this phase 2, randomized, double-blind trial, we randomly assigned 28 adults with treatment-resistant OCD to receive a...
Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice
January 14, 2026
Celia Faye Jacobsen, Dea Siggaard Stenbæk, Stig Poulsen et al.
3 citations
A key distinction among clinical trials on psilocybin treatments, for example, those targeting depression, has been whether the psilocybin dosing session is combined with bona fide psychotherapy or with what is referred to as “psychological support” (1-3). The most developed model of psychological support is the Compass Psychological Support Model (CPSM; 1). Kirlić and colleagues specifically...
Psychedelic Medicine
January 12, 2026
Kelsey T. Laird, Prabha Siddarth, Ashley Ramos et al.
Objective: Emerging evidence suggests that mystical experiences mediate the therapeutic effects of psychedelic-assisted therapy. The current study examines associations between mystical experiences and components of “set” (positive mindset, participant intentions, and spirituality) and “setting” (perceived positivity of the dosing environment) in the context of psilocybin-assisted therapy for...