Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology
February 1, 2023
Daniel Rødbro Burmester, Martin Korsbak Madsen, Attila Szabo et al.
24 citations
A single dose of psilocybin did not significantly change peripheral biomarkers of inflammation—high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), tumor-necrosis-factor (TNF), and soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR)—in 16 healthy individuals one day after administration. All effect sizes were small (Cohen's d ≤ 0.31) and p-values were ≥ 0.23. These findings do not support that a single dose of psilocybin reduces inflammation in healthy people, though future studies should examine additional markers and clinical populations where effects may be more detectable.
BMJ Open
October 1, 2022
Mathias Ebbesen Jensen, Dea Siggaard Stenbæk, Tobias Søgaard Juul et al.
21 citations
A planned clinical trial will test whether psilocybin-assisted therapy, compared to a placebo, reduces heavy drinking in people with alcohol use disorder. Ninety treatment-seeking adults aged 20–70 will be randomly assigned to receive either psilocybin or placebo alongside psychological support. The main outcome is the change in percentage of heavy drinking days from baseline to 12 weeks after dosing. Secondary outcomes include total alcohol consumption, a blood biomarker for alcohol, the active drug metabolite in blood, the subjective drug experience, and brain responses to alcohol cues measured with functional MRI one week after dosing. The trial is registered and has ethical approval.
Neuroscience applied
January 1, 2024
Drummond E-Wen Mcculloch, Juan Pablo Lopez, Christina Dalla et al.
2 citations
Classical psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and LSD stimulate the serotonin 2A receptor and are being investigated for clinical effects in brain disorders. Experts at the ECNP 'New Frontiers meeting' in March 2023 identified key knowledge gaps in psychedelic mechanisms, including the need for appropriate behavioral models, dose optimization, molecular mechanisms, sex differences, and effects on neurotransmitter release and brain activity. The meeting highlighted the importance of preclinical and neuroimaging research to address these gaps.
Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews
July 1, 2022
Drummond E-Wen Mcculloch, Gitte Moos Knudsen, Frederick Streeter Barrett et al.
A large group of psychedelic imaging researchers reviewed 42 articles from 17 unique studies that used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to examine psychedelic effects. They found that nearly all studies varied in data processing and analysis methods, two datasets underpin over half of the published literature, and key outcome terms are used ambiguously. The authors recommend guidelines to improve consistency and replicability in future research, arguing that the field must balance novel methods with standardized approaches to reliably understand the neural mechanisms of psychedelics.