British Journal of Pharmacology
September 2, 2025
Lucas M Wittenkeller, Gary A. Gudelsky, Theresa Winhusen et al.
3 citations
Psychedelics are being studied as treatments for substance use disorders (SUDs), not just depression. A scoping review identified 34 clinical trials targeting alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, nicotine, and opioid use disorders, mostly open-label without placebo controls. Alcohol use disorder was the most common target. From animal studies, four publications measured dopamine in the nucleus accumbens after psilocybin or MDMA. High-dose psilocybin caused a sustained mild increase in dopamine, suggesting it may help restore tonic dopamine levels, which could be relevant for treating addiction.
medRxiv
April 6, 2025
Lucas M Wittenkeller, Gary A. Gudelsky, John T. Winhusen et al.
3 citations
preprint
Psychedelics are being tested as treatments for substance use disorders, building on their promise for depression. A scoping review of clinical trials and publications identifies a potential new mechanism: restoring dopamine homeostasis. This process may reduce drug-seeking behavior and support abstinence, complementing previously known effects. The neurobiological basis of psychedelics' therapeutic action remains incompletely understood, but this dopamine-related pathway offers a novel target for treating addiction.
Research Square
January 12, 2026
Lucas M Wittenkeller, Gary Gudelsky, T. John Winhusen et al.
A review of 165 ongoing clinical trials using classic psychedelics reveals that most are early-phase, U.S.-based studies for depression. Psychedelics are typically administered once, with designs either open-label single-arm or parallel-assignment quadruple-blinded active-placebo. Only six trials explicitly report blinding effectiveness, and 33 different placebos are used as controls. The review identifies a need for proper placebo selection and improved participant masking to address unanswered questions in the field.