Psilocybin Efficacy and Mechanisms of Action in Major Depressive Disorder: a Review.
Current psychiatry reports October 1, 2022 Damien Prouzeau, Ismaël Conejero, Peter L Voyvodic et al. 32 citations
Psilocybin shows large, rapid, and persistent clinical effects in treating resistant or end-of-life depression, with good tolerance and mild side effects limited to a few hours after dosing. However, studies to date have had small sample sizes, and one clinical trial against escitalopram did not show significant superiority of psilocybin on the main outcome. The neurobiological mechanisms, which differ from those of SSRI antidepressants, remain mostly unknown. Psilocybin is a promising alternative, but further research with larger samples and comparisons to standard treatments is needed.