Psychopharmacology (Berl)
November 8, 2017
R. L. Carhart-Harris, M. Bolstridge, C. M. J. Day et al.
978 citations
In an open-label trial, twenty patients with severe, treatment-resistant major depression received two oral doses of psilocybin (10 mg and 25 mg, one week apart) in a supportive setting. Depressive symptoms dropped markedly within the first five weeks, with large effect sizes (Cohen's d = 2.2 at week 1 and 2.3 at week 5). Nine patients responded and four achieved remission at week 5. Improvements remained significant at three and six months (Cohen's d = 1.5 and 1.4). No one sought conventional antidepressants within five weeks. The quality of the acute psychedelic experience predicted symptom reductions at five weeks. Tolerability was good, and psilocybin appears promising for unresponsive depression, though double-blind trials are needed.
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
April 13, 2019
M. V. Uthaug, R. Lancelotta, K. Van Oorsouw et al.
198 citations
A single inhalation of vapor from dried toad secretion containing 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) in a naturalistic setting is associated with sustained improvements in life satisfaction and mindfulness-related capacities, along with a reduction in psychopathological symptoms.
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
November 20, 2017
Allison A. Feduccia, Julie Holland, Michael C. Mithoefer
79 citations
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often treated with daily medication, but such pharmacotherapy does not provide definitive treatment and side effects are problematic. Trauma-focused psychotherapies are more likely to achieve remission but have high dropout rates and are ineffective for many patients. Research into drugs that might increase the effectiveness of psychotherapy is a logical next step. The most promising drug studied as a catalyst to psychotherapy for PTSD is MDMA (Ecstasy), which stimulates release of hormones and neurochemicals affecting key brain areas for emotion and memory processing. Phase 2 clinical trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD show favorable safety outcomes and large effect sizes, warranting expansion into multi-site phase 3 trials set to commence in 2018. Brain imaging and animal models are elucidating neural mechanisms, though much remains unknown.
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
January 24, 2022
Kim van Oorsouw, S. W. Toennes, J. G. Ramaekers
71 citations
In 20 clinically depressed patients, a single ayahuasca ceremony was followed by reduced depressive symptoms that persisted for up to one year. Average Beck's Depression Inventory scores dropped from 22.7 before the ceremony to 8.88 at one-year follow-up. Remission rates were 12 out of 20 after one day, 13 out of 19 after one month, and 12 out of 17 after one year. Three participants remained mildly depressed at one month and one year; two did not respond and stayed at moderate or severe levels. Improvements in depression and mental health correlated with the degree of ego dissolution experienced during the ceremony. Additional treatments or psychedelic use may have contributed to long-term gains. Ayahuasca shows therapeutic potential for clinical depression.
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
October 5, 2014
Matthew G. Kirkpatrick, Harriet de Wit
43 citations
MDMA increased heart rate, blood pressure, and positive subjective effects whether people were alone, with a research assistant, or with another participant who also took the drug. It also increased ratings of another person's attractiveness and social interaction when others were present. The drug's effects were stronger on some measures—feeling the drug, dizziness, and cardiovascular responses—when taken with another drug user, but social behavior and other effects did not differ across conditions. The social context had only a modest influence on MDMA's effects.
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
November 21, 2020
Allison A. Feduccia, Lisa Jerome, Michael C. Mithoefer et al.
39 citations
In four phase 2 trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, participants who tapered off antidepressant medications before treatment had worse outcomes than those who did not taper. The non-taper group had significantly lower PTSD symptom scores (mean 45.7 vs. 70.3) and depression scores (mean 12.7 vs. 22.6) at the primary endpoint, and 63.6% no longer met PTSD criteria compared to 25.0% in the taper group. Recent exposure to antidepressants that target reuptake transporters may reduce treatment response to MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
November 4, 2021
Joanna Kuć, Hannes Kettner, Fernando Rosas et al.
37 citations
People who use cannabis at the same time as a classic psychedelic report more intense subjective effects, with higher cannabis doses linked to stronger mystical, visual, and ego-dissolution experiences. The relationship between cannabis dose and challenging experiences followed a U-shaped pattern, while emotional breakthrough showed no connection to cannabis dose. The findings suggest an interaction between cannabis and psychedelics, but the study's design cannot establish cause or clinical implications.
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
February 1, 2018
H. Valerie Curran, David Nutt, Harriet de Wit
17 citations
Psychedelics and related drugs show therapeutic possibilities for mental health conditions, with research exploring their mechanisms, including brain modulation and neuroplasticity. The work discusses how these compounds may alter brain pathways and states of consciousness to produce therapeutic benefits. It also addresses the regulatory landscape for these substances in medical research and mental healthcare. The authors suggest that understanding the neurobiology and therapeutic mechanisms is crucial for advancing treatment research and medical innovation.
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
March 29, 2022
Manon Van den Berg, Igor Magaraggia, Rudy Schreiber et al.
14 citations
A theoretical framework is proposed to distinguish the hallucinogenic effects of psychedelics from their antidepressant effects. The authors argue that hallucinations and mood improvement may arise through separable neural mechanisms, and they outline a translational approach—spanning cellular, circuit, and behavioral levels—to test this dissociation. The framework suggests that antidepressant benefits could be achieved without the hallucinatory side effects, potentially leading to safer treatments. The paper synthesizes evidence from preclinical and clinical studies to support the idea that the two phenomena are not inevitably linked, though it acknowledges that further research is needed to confirm this separation.
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
November 1, 2024
Lisa Jerome, Allison A. Feduccia, Julie B. Wang et al.
10 citations
This is a retraction note for a previously published article on the long-term outcomes of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. The original article reported a longitudinal pooled analysis of six phase 2 trials, but it has been retracted. The retraction does not provide any findings or data about the treatment's efficacy or long-term effects.
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
November 1, 2024
Michael C. Mithoefer, Allison A. Feduccia, Lisa Jerome et al.
9 citations
This is a retraction note for a previously published article about MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. The original article described the design and rationale for phase 3 trials, which were based on a pooled analysis of six phase 2 randomized controlled trials. The retraction indicates that the original article should not be relied upon, but the note itself does not provide any findings or data about the treatment's effectiveness.
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
November 1, 2024
Allison A. Feduccia, Lisa Jerome, Michael C. Mithoefer et al.
6 citations
Taking certain reuptake-inhibitor medications (such as SSRIs) before MDMA-assisted psychotherapy can affect how well the treatment works. Discontinuing these medications appears to alter patients' therapeutic outcomes. The original article that reported this finding has been retracted.
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
October 23, 2023
Sarah K. Danböck, Or Duek, Ziv Ben-Zion et al.
6 citations
A single dose of a dissociative drug altered resting-state functional connectivity between frontal and limbic brain regions in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder, suggesting a potential mechanism for its therapeutic effects. The randomized controlled pilot study compared drug versus placebo in a small sample, finding changes in connectivity patterns that may relate to symptom reduction. The authors indicate that these preliminary results warrant further investigation in larger trials.
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
June 13, 2026
Mitch Earleywine, Quinn Allen
The text examines how blinding and expectancy effects complicate placebo-controlled trials of MDMA, introducing the concept of an 'active placebo paradox.' It argues that the strong subjective effects of MDMA make true blinding nearly impossible, which can inflate treatment effects and undermine causal inference. The authors suggest that expectancy and unblinding may account for a substantial portion of the therapeutic outcomes reported in MDMA research, raising questions about the validity of findings from such trials.
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
May 22, 2026
Wei-Chen Lin, Li-Kai Cheng, Tung-Ping Su et al.
A single subanesthetic-dose ketamine infusion shortens the global and regional path length of brain functional connectivity in people with treatment-resistant depression and suicidal ideation, suggesting a more efficient network organization. This change in connectivity may underlie the rapid antidepressant and anti-suicidal effects of ketamine.
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
February 18, 2022
Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno, Lucas Oliveira Maia, Carolina Marcolino Massarentti et al.
Among people who reported quitting or reducing smoking after drinking ayahuasca, those who had a stronger mystical experience and took ayahuasca more frequently were more likely to quit entirely rather than just reduce or relapse. Positive mood during the experience was associated with a higher risk of relapse. The findings suggest that ayahuasca may help with smoking cessation, possibly through mystical-type experiences.
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
September 4, 2025
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