Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment
January 1, 2024
Nadav Liam Modlin, Michael Creed, Maria Sarang et al.
18 citations
Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often find standard psychotherapies burdensome and drop out. Psychedelic therapy (PT) shows promise for difficult-to-treat conditions, but trials of classical psychedelics for PTSD are lacking. This systematic review of 40 qualitative studies (26 on evidence-based psychotherapies for PTSD, 14 on PT for various conditions) found overlapping themes: both therapies involve key mechanisms of change, require psychological safety and readiness, and can burden patients. In PT, indirect trauma processing and reorganization of self-narratives emerged as unique themes. Trauma-informed care may improve safety and acceptability of PT research.
Headache The Journal of Head and Face Pain
September 20, 2024
James Rucker, Sadie Hambleton, Catherine Bird et al.
12 citations
A small open-label trial tested low doses of psilocybin (5, 7.5, and 10 mg) with psychological support in four patients with chronic short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks (SUNHA), a severe headache disorder. The study was terminated early due to recruitment difficulties; three participants completed all sessions. No significant adverse events occurred. Cognitive testing during the acute drug experience was not possible because participants reported high subjective dose intensity. Headache impact remained severe throughout the trial. Mean daily attack frequency decreased by more than 50% in two participants at final follow-up. Thematic analysis of clinical notes suggested psychological insights, including reconfigured relationships to headache pain, were key features of participants' experience. The clinical results provide no conclusive evidence for psilocybin in SUNHA.
Wellcome open research
January 1, 2024
Matt Butler, Catherine Bird, Carolina Maggio et al.
4 citations
Functional neurological disorder (FND) causes seizures and movement disorders, is debilitating, and often has a poor prognosis. Brain imaging suggests FND involves multiple networks, and mechanisms like dissociation and abnormal motor agency may play a role. Psychedelics disrupt brain networks and are being tested for neuropsychiatric disorders. This open-label neuroimaging study will give 25 mg oral psilocybin with psychological support to 24 people with chronic FND. Resting-state and task-based fMRI, plus measures of interoception, somatisation, and dissociation, will be collected before and after psilocybin, with three-month follow-up. The study aims to probe FND mechanisms and assess safety and feasibility of psychedelic administration in this population.
Wellcome Open Research
April 22, 2025
Matthew Butler, Catherine Bird, Carolina Maggio et al.
3 citations
Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a common, debilitating condition linked to abnormal brain networks, dissociation, interoception, and motor agency. This open-label neuroimaging protocol will administer 25 mg of oral psilocybin with psychological support to 24 people with chronic FND. Resting-state and task-based functional MRI sequences will be compared before and after psilocybin. Additional measures include interoception, somatisation, illness perceptions, suggestibility, and dissociation. Participants will be followed for three months. The study aims to probe mechanisms underlying FND and assess the safety and feasibility of psychedelic administration with psychological support in this population.
Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology
June 8, 2025
Nadav Liam Modlin, Victoria Williamson, Carolina Maggio et al.
1 citation
PTSD is a common and debilitating condition that current treatments only partially address. This review examines psilocybin, a classical psychedelic, as a potential therapeutic agent. It synthesizes recent literature on psychedelic therapies for trauma-related conditions, including treatment-resistant depression and end-of-life anxiety. The authors propose a conceptual framework viewing PTSD as a maladaptive interpretive framework that psilocybin may disrupt through its psychopharmacological properties and subjective effects. A clinical narrative illustrates this process. Recommendations emphasize rigorous, trauma-informed protocols for safe administration in medical research settings.
Psychodynamic psychiatry
June 1, 2026
Nadav Liam Modlin, Zsofia Elek, Carolina Maggio et al.
Psychedelic therapy may help people access unconscious mental content—preverbal, dissociated, or developmentally buried material—that emerges through bodily sensations, symbolic images, and intense emotions. A psychodynamic framework, drawing on psychoanalytic theory, can guide clinicians in working with this material across four phases: screening, preparation, the treatment session, and follow-up integration. Although neurobiological mechanisms like 5-HT2A receptor activation are well studied, unconscious processes remain underexplored. The authors argue that psychoanalytic models, though currently underrepresented, can deepen understanding of therapeutic change beyond symptom reduction and should inform future research, training, and individualized care as psychedelic treatments move toward broader clinical use.
Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology
August 14, 2025
Nadav Liam Modlin, Jessica L. Maples‐keller, Maria Sarang et al.
Among 873 people who reported trauma symptoms or a PTSD/CPTSD diagnosis, 94.8% had experienced psychological trauma and 73.4% had a formal diagnosis. Many had tried multiple medications and psychotherapies but were highly dissatisfied. Significant numbers used marijuana, psychedelics, or MDMA on their own to manage symptoms, with few physical or psychological complications. After learning about MDMA and psilocybin therapies, willingness to try them was high (0.81 and 0.83, respectively). Women and heterosexual individuals showed lower willingness, while younger and more educated respondents were more willing. The findings point to a need for further clinical research and public education about risks and harm reduction.