Lancet Reg Health Eur
November 20, 2025
Santiago Madero, Oscar Soto-Angona, Genís Ona et al.
9 citations
Psychedelic-assisted therapy in Europe is gaining momentum through recent initiatives in Switzerland, Germany, and the Czech Republic, though access remains limited. The authors argue for an integrative framework that considers neurobiological mechanisms, subjective experience, and contextual factors, emphasizing how effects involving neuroplasticity and critical periods may interact with psychotherapeutic processes. Context and psychological support are highlighted as crucial for shaping outcomes. Regulatory fragmentation and methodological complexities hinder progress, but publicly funded trials such as EPIsoDE and PsyPal offer promising examples of ethical and effective approaches. The future of psychedelic therapy lies in embracing its complexity.
European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
August 1, 2024
Oscar Soto-Angona, Adriana Fortea, Lydia Fortea et al.
7 citations
A scoping review of 16 human and 11 animal studies suggests that classic psychedelics may not increase seizure risk in healthy individuals or animals when used alone, but concomitant use of other substances like kambo or lithium could raise that risk. The evidence is heterogeneous and lacks sufficient external validity, so conclusions should be interpreted cautiously. The review also outlines possible neurobiological mechanisms and future research directions.
Frontiers in psychiatry
January 1, 2024
Pablo Sabucedo, Óscar Andión, Robert A Neimeyer et al.
4 citations
A protocol describes a clinical trial testing whether ayahuasca-assisted Meaning Reconstruction therapy reduces prolonged grief symptoms more than therapy alone or no treatment. At least 69 people who lost a first-degree relative within the prior year and scored 40 or higher on the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief will be assigned to one of three groups: ayahuasca-assisted therapy, therapy alone, or no treatment. The therapy involves nine online sessions; the ayahuasca group also attends two group sessions with the substance. Grief severity, quality of life, post-traumatic growth, and other measures will be assessed at baseline, after treatment, and at three months. This is the first trial to empirically examine psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for grief.
Scientific reports
September 1, 2025
Oscar Soto-Angona, Óscar Andión, Pablo Sabucedo et al.
3 citations
A three-arm, open-label study compared ayahuasca-assisted meaning reconstruction therapy (A-MR) with meaning reconstruction therapy alone (MR) and a no-treatment control (NT) for 84 adults who had experienced severe grief within 12 months of losing a first-degree relative. All groups showed significant reductions in grief severity, with the largest effect in A-MR (d = 2.44), followed by MR (d = 1.84) and NT (d = 0.74). A-MR led to greater reductions than MR (d = 0.86) and NT (d = 1.07), and also improved prolonged grief symptoms, post-traumatic growth, and quality of life with medium-to-large effects. Ayahuasca was well tolerated with no serious adverse events. Replication in larger randomized trials is needed.
Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science
July 1, 2025
Oscar Soto-Angona, Amanda Rodríguez‐Urrutia, Josep Antoni Ramos‐quiroga et al.
1 citation
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Natural product research
June 2, 2026
Genís Ona, Cristina Llagostera, Oscar Alvarez et al.
Psilocybin from Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms shows therapeutic potential, but current research focuses only on isolated psilocybin, ignoring the whole mushroom's broader pharmacology and cultural use. This perspective advocates for studying standardized whole-mushroom extracts. Preclinical studies comparing whole extracts with pure psilocybin reveal enhanced or distinct effects on synaptic proteins, metabolomic profiles, and behavioral outcomes in models of depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Whole extracts may also enable more affordable and equitable treatment models than high-cost synthetic psilocybin. The article argues for urgent exploration of whole-mushroom therapeutics to base psychedelic medicine on a full spectrum of evidence.
Discover Mental Health
March 19, 2026
Àlvar Farré-colomés, Olga Rublinetska, Oscar Soto-Angona
This review gathers all available fMRI evidence from psilocybin studies. Twenty unique datasets were identified, five of which included participants diagnosed with depression. Dropout rates were high, and most studies lacked follow-up scanning timepoints. Research has concentrated on the amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex, and prefrontal cortex as key regions involved in psilocybin's effects. However, methods and designs across studies are inconsistent. More research is needed to clarify psilocybin's impact on the human brain and its potential to enhance psychotherapy outcomes.
Frontiers in psychiatry
January 1, 2025
Pablo Sabucedo, Óscar Andión, Robert A Neimeyer et al.
correction
A three-arm, non-randomized controlled trial protocol compares Ayahuasca-assisted Meaning Reconstruction therapy (A-MR) with Meaning Reconstruction therapy alone and a no-treatment control for people who lost a first-degree relative within the prior 12 months. The authors hypothesize that A-MR will produce greater reductions in normal and pathological grief symptoms, and greater improvements in quality of life and posttraumatic growth, than either control condition. The rationale draws on neurobiological evidence that ayahuasca stimulates neuroplasticity and on psychological evidence that psychedelic experiences can facilitate meaning reconstruction and cognitive reappraisal. No controlled studies have tested psychedelic-assisted therapy for prolonged grief disorder.