Frontiers in Psychiatry
November 23, 2023
Anya Ragnhildstveit, Ryan Khan, Paul Seli et al.
17 citations
A single dose of vaporized bufotoxin from the Sonoran Desert Toad, containing an estimated 10-15 mg of 5-MeO-DMT, produced clinically significant improvements in chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD in a 23-year-old female. Next-day effects included marked reductions in hopelessness and suicide risk, with improvements sustained at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. The subject reported a complete mystical experience, which may underlie the therapeutic activity. No serious adverse events occurred, but acute nausea, overwhelming subjective effects, and late-onset night terrors were reported. Results suggest 5-MeO-DMT is generally tolerable and effective for PTSD, though the findings are non-generalizable and rely on methods not clinically accepted.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
February 5, 2024
Rotem Petranker, Thomas Anderson, Youval Aberman et al.
14 citations
Microdosing, the practice of taking small, sub-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelics, has become popular, with users reporting benefits like improved mood and creativity. A review of 15 papers published before March 2022 critically analyzed the research practices in this field. The review concludes that it is premature to draw any conclusions about the efficacy or safety of microdosing because the quality of the research is not confirmatory. The authors propose potential causes for this state of the literature and offer suggestions for improvement.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
January 16, 2023
M. Brendle, Anya Ragnhildstveit, M. Slayton et al.
7 citations
A review of 56 registered clinical trials on ketamine and esketamine for treatment-resistant depression found that research activity increased since 2008, with peaks in 2015 and 2021. Most trials were Phase 2 or 3, examining these drugs as individual or combination treatments. The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale was the most common outcome measure. While large-scale, late-phase trials of esketamine are growing, many trials fail to assess patient characteristics like age, sex, and race that may affect treatment response. Understanding these design gaps can help scientists and funding bodies prioritize high-quality research.