Richard C Lennertz

2 papers in the library · 10 citations · publishing 2024-2026

Papers

Co-administration of midazolam and psilocybin: differential effects on subjective quality versus memory of the psychedelic experience.

Translational psychiatry September 12, 2024 Christopher R Nicholas, Matthew I Banks, Richard C Lennertz et al. 10 citations

Psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic, can relieve symptoms in several psychiatric disorders and improve well-being, but it was unclear whether these benefits arise during the acute experience or depend on later memory of it. In 8 healthy participants, psilocybin (25 mg) was co-administered with the amnestic benzodiazepine midazolam at a dose that allowed a conscious psychedelic experience while partially impairing memory for it. Higher midazolam doses and greater memory impairment tended to associate with lower salience, insight, and well-being from psilocybin. These results suggest memory plays a role in therapeutically relevant behavioral effects of psilocybin.

DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-03059-8 Full text Psilocybin Psychedelics Mental health therapy Memory +1

Electrophysiological effects of psilocybin co-administered with midazolam.

Translational psychiatry February 14, 2026 Michael H Sutherland, Christopher R Nicholas, Richard C Lennertz et al.

Psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic, induces neural plasticity and alters consciousness, while midazolam, a benzodiazepine, blunts plasticity and induces sedation. In an open-label pilot study, 25 mg of oral psilocybin was given alongside intravenous midazolam at doses that allowed a full psychedelic experience but blunted memory. Electroencephalography (EEG) data showed that 15–30 minutes after dosing, when midazolam was at its target concentration, beta power increased and spectral exponent decreased. As psilocybin's effects emerged over the next six hours, Lempel-Ziv complexity and spectral exponent increased, while broadband power decreased, especially in delta, theta, and alpha bands. The findings suggest psilocybin's effects persist with midazolam, supporting its use in mechanistic studies.

DOI: 10.1038/s41398-026-03894-x Full text