serotonergic psychedelics

Psilocybin-assisted therapy for severe alcohol use disorder: protocol for a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, 7-month parallel-group phase II superiority trial

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This study tests whether psilocybin (the active compound in magic mushrooms) combined with therapy can help people with severe alcohol addiction reduce drinking. Participants receive either a high or low dose of psilocybin during a guided session as part of a hospital rehabilitation program. The researchers will measure changes in drinking behavior, mood, anxiety, and brain function to determine if this treatment works better than current options.

Synergistic, multi-level understanding of psychedelics: three systematic reviews and meta-analyses of their pharmacology, neuroimaging and phenomenology

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This comprehensive study analyzed three classic psychedelic drugs—LSD, psilocybin (from magic mushrooms), and DMT—across three levels: how people experience them, how they affect brain activity, and how they interact with brain receptors. Researchers found that LSD produces more intense visual experiences than psilocybin, and all three drugs significantly alter brain connectivity patterns. The study highlights the importance of standardizing research methods to better understand how these compounds might help treat depression and addiction.

Psilocybin-induced modulation of visual salience processing

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When people take psilocybin mushrooms, they look at images differently – they focus more on visually striking regions while keeping their eyes in smaller areas. Brain recordings showed changes in electrical activity patterns. The research suggests psilocybin alters how the brain balances what naturally catches attention versus where we intentionally choose to look.

Comparing Antidepressant Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy in Individuals That Were Unmedicated at Initial Screening Versus Individuals Discontinuing Medications for Study Participation

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This study compared how well psilocybin therapy works for people with treatment-resistant depression depending on whether they were already off antidepressants or had stopped taking them for the study. The researchers found that both groups improved similarly in depression and anxiety symptoms after receiving psilocybin with therapy support. These results suggest that stopping antidepressants before psilocybin treatment may not reduce its effectiveness, though more research is needed to fully understand the relationship between medication status and treatment outcomes.

Addressing blinding in classic psychedelic studies with innovative active placebos

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This research paper discusses how scientists can better test whether psychedelic drugs actually work by improving the way they conduct clinical trials. A major problem is that psychedelic drugs produce obvious effects that make it easy for patients and researchers to figure out who received the real drug versus a fake one. The authors recommend using different types of drugs as placebos that produce similar effects without being therapeutic themselves, such as certain existing medications. By using these better-designed placebos along with other strategies, future research can more definitively prove whether psychedelics truly help treat depression, chronic pain, and other conditions.

Enhanced visual contrast suppression during peak psilocybin effects: Psychophysical results from a pilot randomized controlled trial

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Researchers studied how psilocybin affects the way our visual system processes contrast and surrounding visual information. Participants completed vision tests after taking psilocybin or placebo, and the results showed that psilocybin made people more influenced by surrounding visual elements when judging the brightness of objects. Interestingly, the stronger the visual effects people experienced from psilocybin, the more their perception was influenced by these surroundings. This finding might help explain how psilocybin affects mood and could help scientists better understand depression and other conditions affecting vision.

The effect of psilocybin on empathy and prosocial behavior: a proposed mechanism for enduring antidepressant effects

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This review examines how psilocybin may help treat depression by increasing empathy and prosocial behavior. While psilocybin leaves the body within hours, its antidepressant effects can last months, and researchers believe empathy and helping others may explain this lasting benefit. The authors suggest psilocybin starts a positive cycle where increased empathy leads to helping others, which boosts mood and well-being, which further reinforces empathetic behavior.

Direct comparison of the acute effects of lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin in a double-blind placebo-controlled study in healthy subjects

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This study directly compared two popular psychedelic drugs, LSD and psilocybin (magic mushrooms), in 28 healthy volunteers. Researchers found that these substances produce very similar mental effects when given at equivalent doses, with the main difference being that LSD lasts longer. The study establishes that about 20 milligrams of psilocybin is roughly equivalent to 100 micrograms of LSD. These findings could help guide dosing for future psychiatric treatments using these psychedelics.

Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: The need to monitor adverse events

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While psychedelics show promise for treating depression and other mental health conditions, researchers need better systems to monitor and report any harmful effects they might cause. This paper calls for more careful, consistent tracking of both physical changes (like blood pressure) and psychological experiences during psychedelic therapy. The authors emphasize that safety monitoring should continue even after patients leave the clinic and that women may experience different side effects than men.

Research Keyword: serotonergic psychedelics