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The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update

ISSN 1068-5308

30 papers in the library · 3 citations · publishing 2016-2026

Papers

Trial of psilocybin does not show major difference from antidepressant

The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update July 5, 2021

A 6-week clinical trial compared the psychedelic psilocybin with the antidepressant escitalopram in patients with moderate to severe depression and found no significant difference in antidepressant effects between the two treatments. Some secondary outcome measures favored psilocybin, but those analyses were not adjusted for multiple comparisons. The findings suggest that psilocybin did not demonstrate superior antidepressant efficacy over escitalopram in this patient population.

Study: Psilocybin enhances therapy in patients with major depression

The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update January 7, 2021

Patients with major depressive disorder who received two administrations of the psychedelic psilocybin as part of a psychotherapy regimen experienced rapid and lasting improvement in depression symptoms, according to a randomized open-label trial. These findings extend previous research suggesting antidepressant effects for psilocybin in patients with cancer and treatment-resistant depression. Results were published online November 4, 2020, in JAMA Psychiatry.

MDMA in two dose strengths shows effectiveness in reducing PTSD symptoms

The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update September 1, 2018

A randomized trial found that military veterans and public safety officers with chronic PTSD experienced a reduction in symptoms when the psychedelic drug MDMA was given in conjunction with psychotherapy. Doses of 75 mg and 125 mg, each administered in two experimental sessions spaced 3 to 5 weeks apart, were more effective than a control dose of 30 mg.