Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology
January 1, 2020
Matthew Butler, Mathieu Seynaeve, Timothy R. Nicholson et al.
38 citations
Functional neurological disorder (FND), previously called conversion disorder, is common in neurology clinics and causes substantial disability, but treatment options are limited. Psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD may help by altering brain circuits involved in self-representation, which is thought to be disrupted in FND. A systematic review of nine studies from 1954 to 1967, involving 26 patients, found that most received psychotherapy with variable adjunctive psychedelic use (psycholytic therapy). Of those treated, 69% (18 patients) showed at least some recovery on subjective clinician-rated criteria. Adverse events were mostly mild, though one patient withdrew due to distressing effects. All studies were low quality, lacking controls and valid outcome measures, so no conclusions on efficacy can be drawn.
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 8, 2017
Alexander Bryson, Olivia Carter, Trevor R. Norman et al.
19 citations
Functional neurological disorders are common, have poor outcomes, and few treatments exist. Their cause is unknown, but leading theories suggest a disturbance in how the mind represents the body, with abnormal top-down cognitive influences on sensorimotor function despite intact neural pathways. Recent studies indicate that 5-HT2A agonists, such as psychedelics, alter brain activity in ways that disrupt hierarchical dynamics and modulate networks involved in self-processing. Converging evidence suggests these agents may hold unique therapeutic potential for these disorders. Given the personal and societal burden, the authors argue a clinical trial to test this hypothesis is warranted.
Acta Neuropsychiatrica
November 4, 2025
Chiranth Bhagavan, Alexander Bryson, Olivia Carter et al.
4 citations
Combining psychedelics with physiotherapy may offer a new treatment for motor functional neurological disorder (FND), a condition with no effective medications and often persistent disability. This protocol describes the first trial testing two psilocybin-assisted physiotherapy regimens in 24 people with refractory motor FND. Participants are randomly assigned to either 15 mg psilocybin with movement tasks during the drug's acute effects or 25 mg psilocybin alone. All receive two physiotherapy sessions before dosing and six after, with follow-ups at one and four weeks. The study assesses tolerability, feasibility, symptom severity, and brain imaging to inform a larger definitive trial.
Wellcome open research
January 1, 2024
Matt Butler, Catherine Bird, Carolina Maggio et al.
4 citations
Functional neurological disorder (FND) causes seizures and movement disorders, is debilitating, and often has a poor prognosis. Brain imaging suggests FND involves multiple networks, and mechanisms like dissociation and abnormal motor agency may play a role. Psychedelics disrupt brain networks and are being tested for neuropsychiatric disorders. This open-label neuroimaging study will give 25 mg oral psilocybin with psychological support to 24 people with chronic FND. Resting-state and task-based fMRI, plus measures of interoception, somatisation, and dissociation, will be collected before and after psilocybin, with three-month follow-up. The study aims to probe FND mechanisms and assess safety and feasibility of psychedelic administration in this population.
Wellcome Open Research
April 22, 2025
Matthew Butler, Catherine Bird, Carolina Maggio et al.
3 citations
Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a common, debilitating condition linked to abnormal brain networks, dissociation, interoception, and motor agency. This open-label neuroimaging protocol will administer 25 mg of oral psilocybin with psychological support to 24 people with chronic FND. Resting-state and task-based functional MRI sequences will be compared before and after psilocybin. Additional measures include interoception, somatisation, illness perceptions, suggestibility, and dissociation. Participants will be followed for three months. The study aims to probe mechanisms underlying FND and assess the safety and feasibility of psychedelic administration with psychological support in this population.
Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice
July 23, 2024
Chiranth Bhagavan, Richard Kanaan, Olivia Carter et al.
2 citations
A protocol for the first study testing whether movement tasks can be performed safely while under the influence of psilocybin. Twelve healthy participants will each receive three different doses (5 to 20 mg) in a randomized, blinded order at least one week apart. Motor function, safety, brain activity via fMRI, and subjective experience will be measured during the acute drug effects. The study aims to inform future research combining psychedelics with motor retraining for conditions involving motor dysfunction.
Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
February 10, 2026
Chiranth Bhagavan, Olivia P. Carter, Alexander Bryson et al.
1 citation
Functional disorders, where symptoms lack an organic explanation, are difficult to treat with existing therapies. This review of 55 studies found that classic psychedelics, particularly LSD in older studies and psilocybin in newer trials, show potential for treating these conditions. 60.7% of studies reported improvement, primarily for functional neurological symptoms. However, the evidence is limited by mostly observational designs, few control groups, and a lack of long-term data. Adverse events included acute psychological and physical effects, and transient worsening of functional symptoms. Future research needs standardized protocols and better safety assessments.
medRxiv
December 23, 2025
Chiranth Bhagavan, O. Carter, Glenn Nielsen et al.
1 citation
Movement tasks such as walking, reaching, and dexterity tests were feasible for healthy volunteers who took psilocybin doses up to 15 mg. At 20 mg, impairments appeared in tasks that combined movement with cognitive demands, such as the Box and Block Test and Digit Symbol Substitution Test. Nausea (62% of participants) and headache (54%) were the most common adverse events; no serious adverse events occurred. Participants and physiotherapists guessed the dose correctly only about half the time, indicating adequate blinding. These results suggest that psilocybin-assisted physical rehabilitation may be safe and feasible for future trials in people with movement disorders.
Psychopharmacology
June 17, 2026
Pierre Klintefors, Chiranth Bhagavan, Richard Kanaan et al.
Low to moderate doses of psilocybin (5–20 mg) do not meaningfully disrupt manual dexterity or hand coordination in healthy adults. In a blinded trial, participants showed a modest biphasic dose-response pattern at higher doses (10–20 mg): slight impairment during peak effects and slight improvement 4.5 hours after administration, but effect sizes were small compared to baseline variability. Kinematic analyses found no substantial changes in movement smoothness or velocity, and the latent coordination structure remained stable, though finger movements showed a subtle increase in complexity. These results support the feasibility of combining psilocybin with active motor rehabilitation.