CCH attack frequency reduction after psilocybin correlates with hypothalamic functional connectivity
Headache The Journal of Head and Face Pain January 1, 2024 Anja Sofie Petersen, Inger Marie Sørensen, Harald Schiønning et al. 29 citations
In a small open-label trial, ten people with chronic cluster headache received three doses of psilocybin (0.14 mg/kg) over three weeks. Attack frequency dropped by an average of 31% from the four-week baseline to the four-week follow-up, and one patient had 21 weeks of complete remission. Changes in hypothalamic–diencephalic functional connectivity correlated negatively with the reduction in attack frequency, suggesting this neural pathway may be involved in the treatment response. The treatment was well tolerated. The results indicate psilocybin may have prophylactic potential for chronic cluster headache, though larger controlled studies are needed.