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Daniel Burmester

6 papers in the library · 810 citations · publishing 2019-2020

Papers

Psychedelic effects of psilocybin correlate with serotonin 2A receptor occupancy and plasma psilocin levels

Neuropsychopharmacology January 26, 2019 M. Madsen, Patrick M. Fisher, Daniel Burmester et al. 505 citations

Psilocybin, the main psychedelic component of magic mushrooms, produces its effects by activating serotonin 2A receptors in the brain. In eight healthy volunteers who received a single oral dose of psilocybin (3–30 mg), PET scans showed dose-related occupancy of these receptors up to 72%. Plasma levels of psilocin, the active metabolite, and receptor occupancy both closely matched subjective ratings of psychedelic intensity, supporting that stimulation of serotonin 2A receptors is a key determinant of the psychedelic experience. Although psilocin levels in the blood varied over time, they were strongly linked to the intensity of the experience, which is important for designing clinical studies.

DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0324-9 Full text Psilocybin Hallucinogen Chemistry Binding potential +3

A single psilocybin dose is associated with long-term increased mindfulness, preceded by a proportional change in neocortical 5-HT2A receptor binding

European Neuropsychopharmacology March 4, 2020 M. Madsen, Patrick M. Fisher, Dea Siggaard Stenbæk et al. 189 citations

A single dose of the serotonin 2A receptor agonist psilocybin can produce lasting beneficial effects on mood and personality, and potentially on mindfulness, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. In ten healthy, psychedelic-naïve volunteers, psilocybin (0.2-0.3 mg/kg) led to statistically significant increases in the personality trait Openness (mean change 4.2) and in mindfulness (mean change 0.5) at three months. Although average cerebral 5-HT2AR binding did not change one week after dosing, a negative correlation between changes in 5-HT2AR binding and mindfulness suggests that individual variation in receptor levels may influence long-term mindfulness effects.

DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.02.001 Psilocybin Mindfulness Clinical psychology Internal medicine +1

Brain serotonin 2A receptor binding predicts subjective temporal and mystical effects of psilocybin in healthy humans

Journal of Psychopharmacology October 8, 2020 Dea Siggaard Stenbæk, M. Madsen, Brice Ozenne et al. 81 citations

People with higher levels of serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) binding in the neocortex before taking psilocybin experienced shorter peak psychedelic intensity and a longer time to return to normal consciousness. Higher pre-drug 5-HT2AR binding also predicted lower scores on a measure of mystical-type experiences. The findings reinforce that individual differences in brain 5-HT2AR levels shape the temporal and subjective features of the psilocybin experience.

DOI: 10.1177/0269881120959609 Psilocybin Serotonin Psychology Hallucinogen +2

Trait Openness and serotonin 2A receptors in healthy volunteers: A positron emission tomography study

Human Brain Mapping January 11, 2019 Dea Siggaard Stenbæk, Sara Kristiansen, Daniel Burmester et al. 11 citations

Trait Openness, a personality dimension linked to curiosity and creativity, is not related to the availability of serotonin 2A receptors in the neocortex. In 159 healthy individuals, no significant association was found between receptor binding—measured with two different PET tracers—and scores on the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised. Sex did not influence the result. Although psilocybin, a serotonin 2A receptor agonist, can increase Openness, the receptor's baseline availability does not explain natural variation in this trait.

DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24511 Serotonin Positron emission tomography Trait Psychology +4