Pharmaceutics
March 25, 2025
Shakila Meshkat, Huda Al-Shamali, Argyrios Perivolaris et al.
22 citations
Psilocybin is rapidly converted to its active metabolite psilocin after oral intake. Psilocin reaches peak concentration in blood plasma between 1.8 and 4 hours, with maximum concentration ranging from 8.2 ng/mL in plasma to 871 ng/mL in urine, depending on dose. Its bioavailability is about 53%, and it distributes extensively into tissues, with volume of distribution between 277 and 1016 liters. Metabolism involves CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 enzymes, plus monoamine oxidase A, producing 4-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid and 4-hydroxytryptophol. Elimination half-life ranges from 1.5 to 4 hours. These pharmacokinetics vary with dosage, route, and species, and the role of CYP enzymes indicates possible drug interactions.
Psychology Research and Behavior Management
June 1, 2024
Lisa Burback, Christine Forner, Olga Winkler et al.
7 citations
Pathological dissociation—a persistent, maladaptive form of the normal threat response—is linked to severe trauma, insecure attachment, treatment non-response, and harmful coping behaviors such as substance use and self-harm. A systematic review of 69 studies found that most interventions, primarily psychotherapy (72.5% of studies) and some medications or neurostimulation, reported positive outcomes, though only a minority targeted dissociative symptoms as the primary objective. The authors argue that effective treatments facilitate an internal or relational sense of safety, grounded in neurobiological and evolutionary perspectives, and call for more research on treatments specifically for dissociative symptoms.
Journal of affective disorders
January 23, 2026
Reinhard Janssen-Aguilar, Jithin Joseph, Huda Al-Shamali et al.
In a retrospective chart review of 209 adults with treatment-resistant depression treated with intravenous ketamine, depressive and anxiety symptoms improved significantly over four or six infusions, but the improvements were modest and highly variable across individuals. Anxiety symptoms improved more slowly and less robustly than depressive symptoms. End-of-treatment response and remission rates were numerically higher after six infusions than after four, but the difference was not statistically significant. Four distinct patterns of symptom change emerged for both depression and anxiety, highlighting the heterogeneity of treatment response. Durability after six infusions could not be assessed because follow-up data were available only for the four-infusion group.