International Review of Psychiatry
June 5, 2020
Ben Carter, Rebecca Strawbridge, Muhammad Ishrat Husain et al.
45 citations
A network meta-analysis of 27 randomized trials found that NMDA-targeting medications (e.g., ketamine) are markedly more effective than placebo for augmenting treatment-resistant depression (effect size 0.91). Antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and other pharmacological augmenters were also compared, but NMDA therapies had the highest probability of being effective. No psychological augmentation trials could be included due to the lack of a common comparator. The evidence is limited by few trials, heterogeneity, and inconsistent safety reporting.
BMJ Open
December 1, 2021
James Rucker, Hassan Jafari, Tim Mantingh et al.
23 citations
A randomized, placebo-controlled trial is testing the feasibility of psilocybin-assisted therapy for people with major depressive disorder who have not responded to at least two prior treatments. Up to 60 participants in London, UK receive either 25 mg psilocybin or a placebo in a single dosing session, along with psychological therapy. The primary outcomes are recruitment rates, dropout rates, and variance in depression scores measured by the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale at 3 and 6 weeks. The trial also collects neuroimaging and omics data and offers an open-label extension dose of psilocybin.
Pharmacology & Therapeutics
April 6, 2024
Zarah R. Haniff, Mariia Bocharova, Tim Mantingh et al.
16 citations
Major depression increases the risk of later dementia, and late-life depression may be an early sign of dementia. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN), the lifelong birth of new neurons in the dentate gyrus, supports learning, memory, and mood. Microglia, the brain's immune cells, regulate AHN, and disruptions in AHN and microgliosis are linked to both depression and neurodegenerative diseases. Psychedelics like psilocybin, a serotonergic agonist with rapid antidepressant effects, may promote neuroplasticity and modulate microglial function. This narrative review examines evidence that psilocybin could affect AHN and microglia, potentially altering the progression from major depression to dementia in at-risk individuals.