Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics
January 1, 2021
Emmanuelle A D Schindler, R Andrew Sewell, Christopher H Gottschalk et al.
138 citations
In a small exploratory double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study, ten adults with migraine received a single oral dose of psilocybin (0.143 mg/kg) or placebo, with sessions two weeks apart. Over the two weeks following administration, psilocybin reduced weekly migraine days by an average of 1.65 days (95% CI: -2.53 to -0.77), significantly more than placebo, which reduced them by 0.15 days (95% CI: -1.13 to 0.83). The reduction in migraine frequency was not linked to the intensity of acute psychedelic effects. Psilocybin was well-tolerated with no serious adverse events. The findings suggest a lasting therapeutic benefit from a single dose, independent of acute psychological effects.
Biological psychiatry
November 15, 2012
Mohini Ranganathan, Ashley Schnakenberg, Patrick D Skosnik et al.
125 citations
Inhaled salvinorin A, the active ingredient in Salvia divinorum, produces transient psychotomimetic and perceptual alterations including dissociative and somaesthetic effects, increases plasma cortisol and prolactin, and reduces resting electroencephalogram spectral power. It does not cause euphoria, cognitive deficits, or changes in vital signs, and the effects are not dose-related. The substance is very well-tolerated without acute or delayed adverse effects, and its lack of euphoric effects suggests a low addictive potential similar to other hallucinogens.
Drug and alcohol dependence
June 1, 2012
Matthew W Johnson, R Andrew Sewell, Roland R Griffiths
121 citations
Psilocybin frequently causes headache in a dose-dependent manner, with incidence, duration, and severity increasing at higher doses. In a double-blind study with 18 healthy participants given 0, 5, 10, 20, or 30 mg/70 kg of psilocybin, all headaches had delayed onset, were transient, and lasted no more than a day. Headaches were neither severe nor disabling. Possible mechanisms include nitric oxide release. These findings indicate headache is an expected adverse event in both nonmedical use and human research, but should not hinder future psilocybin research.
Journal of the neurological sciences
May 15, 2024
Emmanuelle A D Schindler, R Andrew Sewell, Christopher H Gottschalk et al.
37 citations
In a blinded extension of a prior randomized trial, ten people with cluster headache received a second round of three doses of psilocybin (10 mg/70 kg, five days apart) at least six months after their first round. Attack frequency dropped significantly from a baseline of 18.4 attacks per week to 9.8 attacks per week in the three weeks after the first dose, a reduction of about 50%. This benefit occurred regardless of whether the participant had responded to psilocybin in the first round. No serious or unexpected adverse events occurred. The findings suggest that repeating a pulse of psilocybin can substantially reduce cluster headache attacks and that prior response does not predict the effect of retreatment.