Journal of the neurological sciences
May 15, 2024
Emmanuelle A D Schindler, R Andrew Sewell, Christopher H Gottschalk et al.
37 citations
In a blinded extension of a prior randomized trial, ten people with cluster headache received a second round of three doses of psilocybin (10 mg/70 kg, five days apart) at least six months after their first round. Attack frequency dropped significantly from a baseline of 18.4 attacks per week to 9.8 attacks per week in the three weeks after the first dose, a reduction of about 50%. This benefit occurred regardless of whether the participant had responded to psilocybin in the first round. No serious or unexpected adverse events occurred. The findings suggest that repeating a pulse of psilocybin can substantially reduce cluster headache attacks and that prior response does not predict the effect of retreatment.
Journal of the neurological sciences
September 15, 2022
Sabrina Correa Da Costa, Tyler Oesterle, Teresa A Rummans et al.
21 citations
Existing psychiatric drugs often work slowly, have limited effectiveness, and cause side effects. Recent human studies with psychedelics such as psilocybin, MDMA, and LSD show rapid and lasting clinical benefits for conditions like alcohol use disorder, anxiety, and depression in terminal illness. These compounds have been used in spiritual ceremonies for millennia, and early research suggested their therapeutic potential. After a research pause following the 1970 Controlled Substance Act, interest revived in the 1990s. Although preliminary findings are encouraging, current evidence is insufficient for routine clinical use; long-term safety and efficacy remain unclear, and ongoing trials aim to clarify these questions. This article provides an overview of the evidence to date.
Journal of the neurological sciences
March 15, 2022
David E Smith
A clinical toxicology trainee living in San Francisco's Haight Ashbury in 1965 studied psychedelics such as LSD, mescaline, and ibogaine in both human and animal models. At that time, these substances were used therapeutically in clinical settings and also researched as potential antipersonnel agents by the U.S. government. Their use became a rite of passage for the countercultural movement. After adverse reactions and negative publicity, states began criminalizing these drugs in 1966, and the federal government later classified them as Schedule 1, which nearly halted all research.