Future Humanities
December 26, 2024
Minsu Yoo, Sofia Sakopoulos
7 citations
The psychedelic renaissance, a resurgence of interest in psychedelic medicine after decades of repression, is driven by scientific innovation and a flood of venture capital investment. Interviews with industry stakeholders reveal that private funding shapes research practices and public perceptions, creating tension between idealistic and capitalist narratives. The analysis highlights a paradox: psychedelic mysticism resists the rigid criteria of evidence-based medicine, challenging the psychopharmacological paradigm. The findings call for critical public engagement with the ethical dimensions of integrating psychedelics into mainstream medicine, focusing on the emergence of grey areas in capital networks where cultural and political values are rearranged.
International journal of molecular sciences
July 11, 2025
Sofia Sakopoulos, Mcwelling Todman
6 citations
Ketamine infusion therapy produces rapid antidepressant effects in people with treatment-resistant depression, and combining it with weekly psychotherapy yields the strongest symptom reduction. A retrospective chart review of patients receiving single or repeated ketamine infusions, with or without concurrent psychotherapy, measured depression severity using Beck Depression Inventory scores before treatment and 30 days after. All groups showed significant symptom improvement, but those who also attended weekly psychotherapy experienced the most pronounced effects. The number of infusions did not significantly change outcomes. The findings suggest that integrating psychotherapy with ketamine treatment enhances therapeutic response, possibly by taking advantage of ketamine-induced neural plasticity.
Psychoactives
October 12, 2024
Sofia Sakopoulos, Lisa D. Hinz
4 citations
For people with treatment-resistant depression, ketamine infusions may provide lasting relief from depressive symptoms. A retrospective chart review examined 14 patients who received either a single high-dose (1 mg/kg) intravenous ketamine infusion or six repeated infusions. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) before treatment and again 30 days after the last infusion. The results suggest that ketamine can be an effective and enduring intervention for treatment-resistant depression, offering a valuable option when other treatments have failed.
Minsu Yoo, Sofia Sakopoulos
The commercialization of psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA for mental health treatment blurs the line between impartial science and profit-driven industry. Based on in-depth interviews with stakeholders, the study reveals how venture capitalists not only fund research but also provide regulatory and industry knowledge, creating ethical dilemmas for scientists. Researchers' reluctance to disclose personal psychedelic experiences during interviews signals a shift from an illegality paradigm to one of intellectual property. The findings suggest that ethical dynamics in scientific practice must be reconsidered, particularly how public and private funders shape researchers' priorities.