Scientific Reports
February 7, 2024
Broc A. Pagni, Petros Petridis, Samantha K. Podrebarac et al.
30 citations
In a small pilot study, patients with alcohol use disorder underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging before and after receiving either psilocybin or diphenhydramine. Psilocybin increased activity in the medial and lateral prefrontal cortex and left caudate, while decreasing activity in the insular, motor, temporal, parietal, and occipital cortices, and cerebellum. For negative emotional cues, psilocybin increased supramarginal gyrus activity; for positive cues, it increased right hippocampus activity and decreased left hippocampus activity. These brain changes suggest enhanced goal-directed action, improved emotional regulation, and diminished craving, but larger studies are needed to confirm the neural mechanisms of psilocybin-assisted therapy.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
January 1, 2024
Lisa Bouchet, Zachary Sager, Antoine Yrondi et al.
22 citations
Older adults (65+) account for less than 1.4% of participants in psychedelic clinical trials, despite these compounds showing potential for conditions common in this age group, such as depression, anxiety, and existential distress. A systematic review of 36 trials involving 1,400 patients found only 19 were aged 65 or older. Safety data for 10 of these older adults showed no serious adverse events; only transient mild-to-moderate effects like anxiety, gastrointestinal upset, and hypertension occurred during dosing sessions. The authors conclude that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy appears safe and well tolerated in older adults and warrants more rigorous investigation for psychiatric treatment in this population.
Nature Mental Health
October 7, 2024
Petros Petridis, Jack Grinband, Gabrielle Agin-Liebes et al.
10 citations
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) may treat a wider range of psychiatric symptoms in cancer patients than previously recognized. Pooled data from two phase II randomized placebo-controlled crossover trials involving 79 participants with cancer-related distress showed that PAP significantly improved anxiety, depression, interpersonal sensitivity, hostility, obsession-compulsion, and somatization. No lasting phobia, paranoia, or psychosis was induced. Improvements were consistent across both trials, suggesting PAP could serve as a comprehensive mental health treatment for this population.
Psychedelic Medicine
November 25, 2024
Noah D. Gold, Broc A. Pagni, Petros Petridis et al.
3 citations
Psilocybin-assisted therapy may shift personal values in people with alcohol use disorder, specifically increasing Conservation—a value domain encompassing security and tradition. In a phase II trial, 93 participants received psychotherapy plus either psilocybin or an active placebo. Those given psilocybin showed significant increases in Conservation, security, and tradition values after treatment, while the placebo group did not. Certain features of the acute psychedelic experience, such as feelings of ineffability and reduced vigilance, correlated with these value changes. However, the shifts in values were not linked to changes in drinking behavior, suggesting that value modification alone does not drive reductions in alcohol use.
June 10, 2025
Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, Petros Petridis, Richard J. Zeifman et al.
1 citation
preprint
In a trial where adults with alcohol use disorder received either psilocybin or an active placebo alongside psychotherapy, psilocybin-assisted therapy robustly increased compassionate self-responding and decreased uncompassionate self-responding, with the largest effects on reducing self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification. Across all participants, small but significant correlations linked improvements in self-compassion to reduced drinking. However, in the psilocybin group alone, no significant association emerged between self-compassion gains and drinking reductions, while the control group showed moderate associations. These between-group differences were not statistically significant. Self-compassion appears clinically relevant for alcohol use disorder treatment but may not mediate outcomes when psilocybin is part of therapy.
Journal of Clinical and Translational Science
April 1, 2024
Broc A. Pagni, Petros Petridis, Samantha K. Podrebarac et al.
1 citation
In a small pilot study, psilocybin, compared to diphenhydramine, altered brain activity in people with alcohol use disorder when they viewed alcohol and emotional images. Psilocybin increased activity in the medial and lateral prefrontal cortex and left caudate, and decreased activity in the insular, motor, temporal, parietal, and occipital cortices and cerebellum. For negative cues, psilocybin increased supramarginal gyrus activity; for positive cues, it increased right hippocampus activity and decreased left hippocampus activity. These changes suggest enhanced goal-directed action, improved emotional regulation, and diminished craving, warranting larger studies.
PsyArXiv
March 26, 2026
Broc A Pagni, Stephen Ross, Sarah Mennenga et al.
preprint
An open-label extension of a Phase II randomized controlled trial examined the safety and efficacy of psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder. Participants who had received either psilocybin or placebo in the main trial were offered two open-label psilocybin sessions. The treatment was well tolerated, with no serious adverse events attributed to psilocybin. Heavy drinking days decreased substantially from baseline, and the reduction was sustained through the 32-week follow-up. The findings suggest that psilocybin-assisted therapy may produce durable reductions in alcohol consumption among individuals with alcohol use disorder.