Cerebral Cortex
September 12, 2017
Frederick S. Barrett, Katrin H. Preller, Marcus Herdener et al.
52 citations
Classic psychedelic drugs that activate serotonin 2A receptors alter how the brain responds to the changing tonal structure of music. In 25 healthy adults, brain imaging after placebo, LSD, and LSD combined with a serotonin 2A blocker showed that serotonin 2A signaling changes neural activity in regions for basic and higher-level music processing, memory, emotion, and self-referential thought. This signaling appears critical for tracking musical tonality and for the heightened emotionality, connectedness, and meaningfulness people often report after taking psychedelics. The findings clarify the neuropsychopharmacology of music perception and why music can feel profoundly altered during psychedelic experiences.
EClinicalMedicine
March 14, 2025
Raoul Bitar, Simon Halm, Christina Rossgoderer et al.
42 citations
A randomized controlled trial investigated whether psilocybin-assisted therapy could reduce relapse in patients with alcohol use disorder. The study compared psilocybin therapy against a control condition, finding that the psilocybin group showed a significantly lower rate of heavy drinking days over the follow-up period. The results suggest that psilocybin, when combined with psychotherapy, may be a promising intervention for relapse prevention in alcohol dependence, though further research is needed to confirm these findings.
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
August 18, 2025
Flora Moujaes, Nathalie M. Rieser, L. Belinger et al.
5 citations
Serotonergic psychedelics are being investigated as treatments for psychiatric conditions, with promising results in mood disorders suggesting their effects on emotional processing may be central to therapeutic potential. However, mechanistic and clinical studies reveal a complex picture of how psychedelics impact emotions and mood. This review covers recent findings on psychedelics' effects on emotion, emotional empathy, and mood, discussing their influence on long-term emotion management strategies, the role of challenging experiences, and neuroplastic changes. The authors argue that more precise characterization of emotional states and attention to temporal dynamics of psychedelic-induced effects are critical for clarifying mechanisms and optimizing therapeutic impact.
Translational psychiatry
May 26, 2026
Marvin M Urban, Lea Zillich, Nathalie M Rieser et al.
1 citation
In a pilot study of 37 detoxified patients with alcohol use disorder, psilocybin (25 mg) produced changes in DNA methylation across the genome compared to placebo. One methylation site in the TLE4 gene and a differentially methylated region in RASGRP4 were linked to psilocybin treatment. Co-methylation networks related to psilocybin were associated with reductions in depressive symptoms and drinking behavior, and gene analysis pointed to involvement in neuroplasticity and immune functions. The primary trial endpoints—duration of abstinence and mean alcohol use—were not reached, so the analysis focused on secondary psychometrics. The findings suggest immunomodulatory actions of psilocybin but are limited by the modest sample size.
July 18, 2025
Marvin M. Urban, Eric Zillich, Nathalie M. Rieser et al.
preprint
A single dose of psilocybin (25 mg) was associated with changes in DNA methylation in patients with alcohol use disorder. One methylation site in the TLE4 gene and a region in the RASGRP4 gene showed significant alterations. Co-methylation networks linked to psilocybin treatment were also associated with reduced depressive symptoms and drinking behavior, and involved genes related to neuroplasticity and immune function. Baseline methylation differences between treatment responders and non-responders appeared in genes related to synaptic plasticity and neurotransmitter systems. The findings are preliminary due to the small sample size but align with prior research and suggest possible biological pathways for psilocybin's therapeutic effects.