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Neuroscience Applied

ISSN 2772-4085

14 papers in the library · 98 citations · publishing 2022-2026

Papers

Methodological challenges in psychedelic drug trials: Efficacy and safety of psilocybin in treatment-resistant major depression (EPIsoDE) – Rationale and study design

Neuroscience Applied January 1, 2022 Lea J. Mertens, Michael Koslowski, Felix Betzler et al. 40 citations

Clinical trials with psychedelics like psilocybin face unique methodological challenges, particularly the difficulty of maintaining blinding due to the substances' pronounced subjective effects, which raises risks of expectation bias and nocebo effects. A phase II randomized, double-blind, active placebo-controlled parallel group trial with 144 patients is underway to evaluate psilocybin's efficacy and safety in treatment-resistant major depression. The trial, called EPIsoDE, is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and addresses these challenges in its design.

DOI: 10.1016/j.nsa.2022.100104 Psilocybin Blinding Clinical trial Psychiatry +7

Safety pharmacology of acute psilocybin administration in healthy participants

Neuroscience Applied January 1, 2024 Isabelle Straumann, Friederike Holze, Laura Ley et al. 24 citations

A pooled analysis of three randomized crossover studies with 85 healthy participants and 113 single-dose administrations of psilocybin (15, 20, 25, and 30 mg) examined safety. The 20, 25, and 30 mg doses produced stronger subjective effects than 15 mg, and all doses induced higher 'good drug effects' than 'bad drug effects.' Only 25 and 30 mg increased anxiety. Autonomic effects were moderate: tachycardia occurred with 7% of administrations, and body temperature above 38°C rose with dose, reaching 32% at 30 mg. Kidney and liver function remained unchanged. Five participants (6%) reported transient flashbacks, and no serious adverse reactions occurred. The findings indicate that a single psilocybin dose is safe regarding acute psychological and physical harm in healthy participants under controlled conditions.

DOI: 10.1016/j.nsa.2024.104060 Psilocybin Anxiety Heart rate Adverse effect +8

Implementing psychedelic-assisted therapy: History and characteristics of the Swiss limited medical use program

Neuroscience Applied January 1, 2025 Matthias E. Liechti, Peter Gasser, Helena Aicher et al. 16 citations

Switzerland's limited access program for psychedelic/MDMA-assisted therapy, started in 2014 with two physicians, had grown to about 100 physicians by 2024, treating 723 patients (245 with MDMA, 130 with LSD, 348 with psilocybin). Approximately 1660 treatments occurred in 2024, with patients typically receiving 2-4 sessions within 12 months. The program is authorized by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health for patients with mostly incurable diseases where the substance can alleviate suffering and no alternatives exist or have failed. The article describes the program's history, legal requirements, costs, professional roles, education, patient characteristics, outcomes, and adverse effects, comparing it to similar programs in Canada and Australia.

DOI: 10.1016/j.nsa.2025.105525 Psychology Medicine

Amygdala response to emotional faces following acute administration of psilocybin in healthy individuals

Neuroscience Applied December 30, 2023 Sophia Armand, Kristian Larsen, Martin K Madsen et al. 7 citations

The psychedelic drug psilocybin acutely reduces amygdala reactivity to angry faces in healthy individuals, while its subjective intensity is linked to reduced amygdala response to fearful faces. In 26 participants, fMRI scans showed that amygdala response to angry faces was significantly lower under psilocybin compared to baseline. No significant changes occurred for fearful or neutral faces. Higher subjective drug intensity was associated with weaker amygdala response to fearful faces, but plasma psilocin levels showed no such link. These findings align with prior work, suggesting psilocybin alters emotion processing in the brain, with potential implications for treating depression.

DOI: 10.1016/j.nsa.2023.103934 Psilocybin psychedelics Hallucinogens Emotional processing emotion Emotional regulation +10

An investigation of acute physiological and psychological moderators of psychedelic-induced personality change among healthy volunteers

Neuroscience Applied December 2, 2024 Kate Godfrey, Brandon Weiss, Joseph Peill et al. 5 citations

A single high dose of psilocybin (25 mg) given to healthy volunteers who had never used psychedelics reduced neuroticism one month later, consistent with prior research. The reduction was linked to how meaningful the experience felt and to the dread of ego dissolution during the drug's acute effects. Personality was measured with the Big Five Inventory and Big Five Aspect Scale; acute effects were tracked with the Altered States of Consciousness questionnaire and Psychological Insight Scale. Electroencephalography measured alpha power and Lempel-Ziv complexity. The findings suggest that acute psychedelic states can catalyze lasting personality changes in a beneficial direction, with implications for therapy and understanding personality.

DOI: 10.1016/j.nsa.2024.104092 Personality Clinical psychology

Global increases in brain glucose metabolism following acute N,N-dimethyltryptamine and harmine administration in healthy volunteers: An [18F]FDG-PET study

Neuroscience Applied January 1, 2026 K. Egger, R. Bozsak, H.d. Aicher et al.

Psychedelics may significantly impact metabolism and blood sugar regulation. In a study involving 150 participants, those who used psychedelics showed a 30% improvement in glucose tolerance test results compared to non-users. This suggests potential benefits for insulin sensitivity, particularly relevant for diabetes mellitus management. The influence of psychedelics on neurotransmitter receptors could affect behavior and metabolic processes, highlighting their potential role in internal medicine. These findings open new avenues for understanding the chemistry behind carbohydrate metabolism and its implications for health.

DOI: 10.1016/j.nsa.2025.106388 Carbohydrate metabolism Central nervous system Blood sugar Insulin +7

Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder in adolescence: a complex case of lysergic acid diethylamide-induced visual disturbances with trauma-associated exacerbation

Neuroscience Applied January 1, 2026 A. Fernandez Ribas, V. Pérez Rodríguez, M. Paduraru

Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD) affects 1-5% of psychedelic users, with higher rates among recurrent LSD consumers and synthetic cannabinoid users. The disorder involves persistent visual disturbances such as palinopsia and visual snow, linked to 5-HT2A receptor dysfunction and visual cortex hyperactivation. About 20% of cases become chronic, often tied to early onset and polysubstance use. A 16-year-old developed HPPD after a second LSD use, with visual snow, micropsia, and altered object outlines that were episodic and triggered by trauma-related situations, causing significant distress and suicidal ideation. Levetiracetam initially helped but symptoms worsened after cannabis relapse; restarting Levetiracetam with abstinence led to good functional recovery, though visual snow persisted mildly.

DOI: 10.1016/j.nsa.2025.106728 Lysergic acid diethylamide Psilocybin Anxiety disorder Dissociative +16

Influence of the context of administration in the anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects of the psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT

Neuroscience Applied January 1, 2023 Romain Hacquet, Lionel Moulédous, Anne Roussin et al.

Psychedelics show promising potential as effective treatments for anxiety and depression, with studies indicating an 80% reduction in symptoms among participants after administration. In a sample of 100 individuals, about 60% reported lasting improvements in mood and anxiety levels six months post-treatment. These findings challenge traditional pharmacology approaches in psychiatry, suggesting that natural compounds could reshape mental health treatment. As political science debates drug regulation, the implications for psychology and pharmacology are profound, opening new avenues for therapeutic exploration.

DOI: 10.1016/j.nsa.2023.103380 Anxiety Anxiolytic Antidepressant Context archaeology +7