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Journal articleWeiss B, Roseman L, Giribaldi B, et al., 2024,
Unique Psychological Mechanisms Underlying Psilocybin Therapy Versus Escitalopram Treatment in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder
, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION, Vol: 22, Pages: 806-841, ISSN: 1557-1874 -
Journal articleVohryzek J, Cabral J, Lord L-D, et al., 2024,
Brain dynamics predictive of response to psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression
, BRAIN COMMUNICATIONS, Vol: 6 -
Journal articleTimmermann Slater CB, Zeifman R, Erritzoe D, et al., 2024,
Effects of DMT on mental health outcomes in healthy volunteers
, Scientific Reports, Vol: 14, ISSN: 2045-2322Psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic, is being increasingly researched in clinical studies for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. The relatively lengthy duration of oral psilocybin’s acute effects (4–6 h) may have pragmatic and cost-effectiveness limitations. Here, we explored the effects of intravenous (IV) N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a closely related, but faster-acting psychedelic intervention, on mental health outcomes in healthy volunteers. Data is reported from two separate analyses: (1) A comparison of mental health-related variables 1 week after 7, 14, 18, and 20 mg of IV DMT versus IV saline placebo (n = 13) and, (2) A prospective dataset assessing effects before versus 2 weeks after 20 mg of IV DMT (n = 17). Mental health outcomes included measures of depression severity (QIDS-SR16), trait anxiety (STAI-T), Neuroticism (NEO-FFI), wellbeing (WHO-5), meaning in life (MLQ), optimism (LOT-R), and gratitude (GQ-6). In both the prospective and placebo-controlled datasets, significant improvements in scores of depression were found 1–2 weeks after DMT administration. Significant reductions in trait Neuroticism were only found for the placebo-controlled sample. Finally, changes in depression and trait anxiety correlated with acute peak experiences (assessed via ‘Oceanic Boundlessness’). While the use of two separate cohorts in pooled analysis limits the generalizability of these correlational findings, these results suggest that DMT may reduce depressive symptomatology by inducing peak experiences. The short half-life of IV DMT and its potential for flexible dosing via controlled infusions makes it an appealing candidate for psychedelic medicine. Further research in clinical samples is needed to corroborate the therapeutic potential of DMT.
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Journal articleBarba T, Kettner H, Radu C, et al., 2024,
Psychedelics and sexual functioning: a mixed-methods study
, Scientific Reports, Vol: 14, ISSN: 2045-2322Do psychedelics affect sexual functioning postacutely? Anecdotal and qualitative evidence suggests they do, but this has never been formally tested. While sexual functioning and satisfaction are generally regarded as an important aspect of human wellbeing, sexual dysfunction is a common symptom of mental health disorders. It is also a common side effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a first line treatment for depression. The aim of the present paper was to investigate the post-acute effects of psychedelics on self-reported sexual functioning, combining data from two independent studies, one large and naturalistic and the other a smaller but controlled clinical trial. Naturalistic use of psychedelics was associated with improvements in several facets of sexual functioning and satisfaction, including improved pleasure and communication during sex, satisfaction with one’s partner and physical appearance. Convergent results were found in a controlled trial of psilocybin therapy versus an SSRI, escitalopram, for depression. In this trial, patients treated with psilocybin reported positive changes in sexual functioning after treatment, while patients treated with escitalopram did not. Despite focusing on different populations and settings, this is the first research study to quantitively investigate the effects of psychedelics on sexual functioning. Results imply a potential positive effect on post-acute sexual functioning and highlight the need for more research on this.
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Journal articleSzigeti B, Weiss B, Rosas FE, et al., 2024,
Assessing expectancy and suggestibility in a trial of escitalopram v. psilocybin for depression
, PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE, ISSN: 0033-2917 -
Journal articleWeiss B, Ginige I, Shannon L, et al., 2024,
Personality change in a trial of psilocybin therapy vs escitalopram treatment for depression
, Psychological Medicine, Vol: 54, Pages: 178-192, ISSN: 0033-2917Background:Psilocybin Therapy (PT) is being increasingly studied as a psychiatric intervention. Personality relates to mental health and can be used to probe the nature of PT's therapeutic action.Methods:In a phase 2, double-blind, randomized, active comparator controlled trial involving patients with moderate-to-severe major depressive disorder, we compared psilocybin with escitalopram, over a core 6-week trial period. Five-Factor model personality domains, Big Five Aspect Scale Openness aspects, Absorption, and Impulsivity were measured at Baseline, Week 6, and Month 6 follow-up.Results:PT was associated with decreases in neuroticism (B = −0.63), introversion (B = −0.38), disagreeableness (B = −0.47), impulsivity (B = −0.40), and increases in absorption (B = 0.32), conscientiousness (B = 0.30), and openness (B = 0.23) at week 6, with neuroticism (B = −0.47) and disagreeableness (B = −0.41) remaining decreased at month 6. Escitalopram Treatment (ET) was associated with decreases in neuroticism (B = −0.38), disagreeableness (B = −0.26), impulsivity (B = −0.35), and increases in openness (B = 0.28) at week 6, with neuroticism (B = −0.46) remaining decreased at month 6. No significant between-condition differences were observed.Conclusions:Personality changes across both conditions were in a direction consistent with improved mental health. With the possible exception of trait absorption, there were no compelling between-condition differences warranting conclusions regarding a selective action of PT (v. ET) on personality; however, post-ET changes in personality were significantly moderated by pre-trial positive expectancy for escitalopram, whereas expectancy did not moderate response to PT.
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Journal articleWeiss B, Ginige I, Shannon L, et al., 2024,
Personality Change in a Trial of Psilocybin Therapy vs Escitalopram Treatment for Depression (vol 54, pg 178, 2024)
, PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE, Vol: 54, Pages: 217-217, ISSN: 0033-2917- Cite
- Citations: 1
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Journal articleBarba T, Erritzoe D, Greenway K, et al., 2024,
Psilocybin vs Escitalopram for depression: 6-month follow-up
, Neuroscience Applied, Vol: 3, Pages: 104377-104377, ISSN: 2772-4085 -
Journal articleNutt DJ, Peill JM, Weiss B, et al., 2024,
Psilocybin and Other Classic Psychedelics in Depression.
, Curr Top Behav Neurosci, Vol: 66, Pages: 149-174, ISSN: 1866-3370Psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin and ketamine are returning to clinical research and intervention across several disorders including the treatment of depression. This chapter focusses on psychedelics that specifically target the 5-HT2A receptor such as psilocybin and DMT. These produce plasma-concentration related psychological effects such as hallucinations and out of body experiences, insightful and emotional breakthroughs as well as mystical-type experiences. When coupled with psychological support, effects can produce a rapid improvement in mood among people with depression that can last for months. In this chapter, we summarise the scientific studies to date that explore the use of psychedelics in depressed individuals, highlighting key clinical, psychological and neuroimaging features of psychedelics that may account for their therapeutic effects. These include alterations in brain entropy that disrupt fixed negative ruminations, a period of post-treatment increased cognitive flexibility, and changes in self-referential psychological processes. Finally, we propose that the brain mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effect of serotonergic psychedelics might be distinct from those underlying classical serotonin reuptake-blocking antidepressants.
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Journal articleSimonsson O, Carlbring P, Carhart-Harris R, et al., 2023,
Assessing the risk of symptom worsening in psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression: A systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis
, PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH, Vol: 327, ISSN: 0165-1781- Cite
- Citations: 15
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