Journal of Psychopharmacology
February 28, 2025
Dea Siggaard Stenbæk, Emil Deleuran Poulsen, Marie Katrine Klose Nielsen et al.
15 citations
A single 25 mg dose of psilocybin, a psychedelic compound, safely reduced alcohol consumption in ten adults with severe alcohol use disorder. Over 12 weeks, heavy drinking days fell by 37.5 percentage points and drinks per day dropped by 3.4. Participants also reported rapid and lasting decreases in craving and increases in self-efficacy. Peak blood levels of the drug varied widely among individuals, from 14 to 59 µg/L. The open-label, single-group design lacked a placebo control, so larger randomized trials are needed to confirm the findings.
Brain : a journal of neurology
June 12, 2025
Marwan H Othman, Attila Géry Toury-Puel, Karen Irgens Tanderup Hansen et al.
7 citations
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 50 intensive care unit patients with acute disorders of consciousness after brain injury received apomorphine, methylphenidate, or placebo. Automated pupillometry measured pupillary responses to verbal commands; neither drug significantly increased these responses overall. However, 20% of patients showed improved clinical arousal at least once after drug administration, with methylphenidate linked to more arousal events than placebo. Patients with greater baseline pupillary responsiveness were more likely to show arousal, suggesting this may predict stimulant effects. No adverse events occurred. The findings need replication but may guide future trials on consciousness recovery.
Research Square
August 23, 2024
Mathias E. Jensen, Dea Siggaard Stenbæk, Catharina Messell et al.
1 citation
A single 25 mg dose of psilocybin, given with preparation and integration sessions, reduced alcohol consumption in ten adults with severe alcohol use disorder. Heavy drinking days dropped by 37.5 percentage points over 12 weeks, and drinks per day decreased by 3.4 units. Participants also reported rapid and lasting reductions in craving and increased self-efficacy. Blood levels of the active metabolite psilocin varied widely between individuals, peaking from 14 to 59 µg per liter. The open-label study, which lacked a placebo group, suggests that even a single psilocybin session may be safe and effective, but larger randomized controlled trials are needed.