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Mason NL, Szabo A, Kuypers KPC, Mallaroni PA, de la Torre Fornell R, Reckweg JT, Tse DHY, Hutten NRPW, Feilding A, Ramaekers JG. Psilocybin induces acute and persisting alterations in immune status in healthy volunteers: An experimental, placebo-controlled study. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 114:299-310. [PMID: 37689275 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients characterized by stress-related disorders such as depression display elevated circulating concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines and a hyperactive HPA axis. Psychedelics are demonstrating promising results in treatment of such disorders, however the mechanisms of their therapeutic effects are still unknown. To date the evidence of acute and persisting effects of psychedelics on immune functioning, HPA axis activity in response to stress, and associated psychological outcomes is preliminary. To address this, we conducted a placebo-controlled, parallel group design comprising of 60 healthy participants who received either placebo (n = 30) or 0.17 mg/kg psilocybin (n = 30). Blood samples were taken to assess acute and persisting (7 day) changes in immune status. Seven days' post-administration, participants in each treatment group were further subdivided: 15 underwent a stress induction protocol, and 15 underwent a control protocol. Ultra-high field (7-Tesla) magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to assess whether acute changes in glutamate or glial activity were associated with changes in immune functioning. Finally, questionnaires assessed persisting self-report changes in mood and social behavior. Psilocybin immediately reduced concentrations of the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), while other inflammatory markers (interleukin (IL)- 1β, IL-6, and C-reactive protein (CRP)) remained unchanged. Seven days later, TNF-α concentrations returned to baseline, while IL-6 and CRP concentrations were persistently reduced in the psilocybin group. Changes in the immune profile were related to acute neurometabolic activity as acute reductions in TNF-α were linked to lower concentrations of glutamate in the hippocampus. Additionally, the more of a reduction in IL-6 and CRP seven days after psilocybin, the more persisting positive mood and social effects participants reported. Regarding the stress response, after a psychosocial stressor, psilocybin did not significantly alter the stress response. Results are discussed in regards to the psychological and therapeutic effects of psilocybin demonstrated in ongoing patient trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- N L Mason
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - A Szabo
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - K P C Kuypers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - P A Mallaroni
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - R de la Torre Fornell
- Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neurosciences Research Group. Neurosciences Program. Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute. Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS), Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - J T Reckweg
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - D H Y Tse
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - N R P W Hutten
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - A Feilding
- The Beckley Foundation, Beckley Park, Oxford, OX3 9SY, United Kingdom
| | - J G Ramaekers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Mason NL, Kuypers KPC, Müller F, Reckweg J, Tse DHY, Toennes SW, Hutten NRPW, Jansen JFA, Stiers P, Feilding A, Ramaekers JG. Me, myself, bye: regional alterations in glutamate and the experience of ego dissolution with psilocybin. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:2003-2011. [PMID: 32446245 PMCID: PMC7547711 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0718-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
There is growing interest in the therapeutic utility of psychedelic substances, like psilocybin, for disorders characterized by distortions of the self-experience, like depression. Accumulating preclinical evidence emphasizes the role of the glutamate system in the acute action of the drug on brain and behavior; however this has never been tested in humans. Following a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group design, we utilized an ultra-high field multimodal brain imaging approach and demonstrated that psilocybin (0.17 mg/kg) induced region-dependent alterations in glutamate, which predicted distortions in the subjective experience of one's self (ego dissolution). Whereas higher levels of medial prefrontal cortical glutamate were associated with negatively experienced ego dissolution, lower levels in hippocampal glutamate were associated with positively experienced ego dissolution. Such findings provide further insights into the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of the psychedelic, as well as the baseline, state. Importantly, they may also provide a neurochemical basis for therapeutic effects as witnessed in ongoing clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- N L Mason
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - K P C Kuypers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - F Müller
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - J Reckweg
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - D H Y Tse
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - S W Toennes
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Frankfurt, Kennedyallee 104, D-60596, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - N R P W Hutten
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - J F A Jansen
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, the Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Center, P. Debyelaan 25, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - P Stiers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - A Feilding
- The Beckley Foundation, Beckley Park, Oxford, OX3 9SY, UK
| | - J G Ramaekers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
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Carhart-Harris RL, Bolstridge M, Day CMJ, Rucker J, Watts R, Erritzoe DE, Kaelen M, Giribaldi B, Bloomfield M, Pilling S, Rickard JA, Forbes B, Feilding A, Taylor D, Curran HV, Nutt DJ. Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:399-408. [PMID: 29119217 PMCID: PMC5813086 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4771-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 428] [Impact Index Per Article: 71.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Recent clinical trials are reporting marked improvements in mental health outcomes with psychedelic drug-assisted psychotherapy. OBJECTIVES Here, we report on safety and efficacy outcomes for up to 6 months in an open-label trial of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. METHODS Twenty patients (six females) with (mostly) severe, unipolar, treatment-resistant major depression received two oral doses of psilocybin (10 and 25 mg, 7 days apart) in a supportive setting. Depressive symptoms were assessed from 1 week to 6 months post-treatment, with the self-rated QIDS-SR16 as the primary outcome measure. RESULTS Treatment was generally well tolerated. Relative to baseline, marked reductions in depressive symptoms were observed for the first 5 weeks post-treatment (Cohen's d = 2.2 at week 1 and 2.3 at week 5, both p < 0.001); nine and four patients met the criteria for response and remission at week 5. Results remained positive at 3 and 6 months (Cohen's d = 1.5 and 1.4, respectively, both p < 0.001). No patients sought conventional antidepressant treatment within 5 weeks of psilocybin. Reductions in depressive symptoms at 5 weeks were predicted by the quality of the acute psychedelic experience. CONCLUSIONS Although limited conclusions can be drawn about treatment efficacy from open-label trials, tolerability was good, effect sizes large and symptom improvements appeared rapidly after just two psilocybin treatment sessions and remained significant 6 months post-treatment in a treatment-resistant cohort. Psilocybin represents a promising paradigm for unresponsive depression that warrants further research in double-blind randomised control trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- R L Carhart-Harris
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - M Bolstridge
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - C M J Day
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - J Rucker
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - R Watts
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - D E Erritzoe
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - M Kaelen
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - B Giribaldi
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - M Bloomfield
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London and Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - S Pilling
- Clinical Psychology and Clinical Effectiveness, University College London, London, UK
| | - J A Rickard
- Barts Health Pharmaceuticals, Barts Health NHS Trust, the Royal London Hospital, London, UK
| | - B Forbes
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, UK
| | - A Feilding
- The Beckley Foundation, Beckley Park, Oxford, UK
| | - D Taylor
- Pharmacy and Pathology, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - H V Curran
- Clinical Psychology and Clinical Effectiveness, University College London, London, UK
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - D J Nutt
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Lebedev AV, Kaelen M, Lövdén M, Nilsson J, Feilding A, Nutt DJ, Carhart-Harris RL. LSD-induced entropic brain activity predicts subsequent personality change. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 37:3203-13. [PMID: 27151536 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Personality is known to be relatively stable throughout adulthood. Nevertheless, it has been shown that major life events with high personal significance, including experiences engendered by psychedelic drugs, can have an enduring impact on some core facets of personality. In the present, balanced-order, placebo-controlled study, we investigated biological predictors of post-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) changes in personality. Nineteen healthy adults underwent resting state functional MRI scans under LSD (75µg, I.V.) and placebo (saline I.V.). The Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) was completed at screening and 2 weeks after LSD/placebo. Scanning sessions consisted of three 7.5-min eyes-closed resting-state scans, one of which involved music listening. A standardized preprocessing pipeline was used to extract measures of sample entropy, which characterizes the predictability of an fMRI time-series. Mixed-effects models were used to evaluate drug-induced shifts in brain entropy and their relationship with the observed increases in the personality trait openness at the 2-week follow-up. Overall, LSD had a pronounced global effect on brain entropy, increasing it in both sensory and hierarchically higher networks across multiple time scales. These shifts predicted enduring increases in trait openness. Moreover, the predictive power of the entropy increases was greatest for the music-listening scans and when "ego-dissolution" was reported during the acute experience. These results shed new light on how LSD-induced shifts in brain dynamics and concomitant subjective experience can be predictive of lasting changes in personality. Hum Brain Mapp 37:3203-3213, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- A V Lebedev
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet (Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society) & Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - M Kaelen
- Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - M Lövdén
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet (Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society) & Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - J Nilsson
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet (Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society) & Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - A Feilding
- The Beckley Foundation, Beckley Park, United Kingdom
| | - D J Nutt
- Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - R L Carhart-Harris
- Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
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Carhart-Harris RL, Kaelen M, Bolstridge M, Williams TM, Williams LT, Underwood R, Feilding A, Nutt DJ. The paradoxical psychological effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Psychol Med 2016; 46:1379-1390. [PMID: 26847689 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291715002901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a potent serotonergic hallucinogen or psychedelic that modulates consciousness in a marked and novel way. This study sought to examine the acute and mid-term psychological effects of LSD in a controlled study. METHOD A total of 20 healthy volunteers participated in this within-subjects study. Participants received LSD (75 µg, intravenously) on one occasion and placebo (saline, intravenously) on another, in a balanced order, with at least 2 weeks separating sessions. Acute subjective effects were measured using the Altered States of Consciousness questionnaire and the Psychotomimetic States Inventory (PSI). A measure of optimism (the Revised Life Orientation Test), the Revised NEO Personality Inventory, and the Peter's Delusions Inventory were issued at baseline and 2 weeks after each session. RESULTS LSD produced robust psychological effects; including heightened mood but also high scores on the PSI, an index of psychosis-like symptoms. Increased optimism and trait openness were observed 2 weeks after LSD (and not placebo) and there were no changes in delusional thinking. CONCLUSIONS The present findings reinforce the view that psychedelics elicit psychosis-like symptoms acutely yet improve psychological wellbeing in the mid to long term. It is proposed that acute alterations in mood are secondary to a more fundamental modulation in the quality of cognition, and that increased cognitive flexibility subsequent to serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) stimulation promotes emotional lability during intoxication and leaves a residue of 'loosened cognition' in the mid to long term that is conducive to improved psychological wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- R L Carhart-Harris
- Imperial College London,Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology,Division of Brain Sciences,Faculty of Medicine,London,UK
| | - M Kaelen
- Imperial College London,Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology,Division of Brain Sciences,Faculty of Medicine,London,UK
| | - M Bolstridge
- Imperial College London,Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology,Division of Brain Sciences,Faculty of Medicine,London,UK
| | - T M Williams
- Department of Psychiatry,The University of Bristol,Bristol,UK
| | - L T Williams
- Imperial College London,Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology,Division of Brain Sciences,Faculty of Medicine,London,UK
| | - R Underwood
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience,Department of Psychology,King's College London,London,UK
| | - A Feilding
- The Beckley Foundation,Beckley Park,Oxford,UK
| | - D J Nutt
- Imperial College London,Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology,Division of Brain Sciences,Faculty of Medicine,London,UK
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Kaelen M, Barrett FS, Roseman L, Lorenz R, Family N, Bolstridge M, Curran HV, Feilding A, Nutt DJ, Carhart-Harris RL. LSD enhances the emotional response to music. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:3607-14. [PMID: 26257162 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-4014-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE There is renewed interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). LSD was used extensively in the 1950s and 1960s as an adjunct in psychotherapy, reportedly enhancing emotionality. Music is an effective tool to evoke and study emotion and is considered an important element in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy; however, the hypothesis that psychedelics enhance the emotional response to music has yet to be investigated in a modern placebo-controlled study. OBJECTIVES The present study sought to test the hypothesis that music-evoked emotions are enhanced under LSD. METHODS Ten healthy volunteers listened to five different tracks of instrumental music during each of two study days, a placebo day followed by an LSD day, separated by 5-7 days. Subjective ratings were completed after each music track and included a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the nine-item Geneva Emotional Music Scale (GEMS-9). RESULTS Results demonstrated that the emotional response to music is enhanced by LSD, especially the emotions "wonder", "transcendence", "power" and "tenderness". CONCLUSIONS These findings reinforce the long-held assumption that psychedelics enhance music-evoked emotion, and provide tentative and indirect support for the notion that this effect can be harnessed in the context of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Further research is required to test this link directly.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Kaelen
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK,
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Carhart-Harris RL, Kaelen M, Whalley MG, Bolstridge M, Feilding A, Nutt DJ. LSD enhances suggestibility in healthy volunteers. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:785-94. [PMID: 25242255 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-014-3714-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 08/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) has a history of use as a psychotherapeutic aid in the treatment of mood disorders and addiction, and it was also explored as an enhancer of mind control. OBJECTIVES The present study sought to test the effect of LSD on suggestibility in a modern research study. METHODS Ten healthy volunteers were administered with intravenous (i.v.) LSD (40-80 μg) in a within-subject placebo-controlled design. Suggestibility and cued mental imagery were assessed using the Creative Imagination Scale (CIS) and a mental imagery test (MIT). CIS and MIT items were split into two versions (A and B), balanced for 'efficacy' (i.e. A ≈ B) and counterbalanced across conditions (i.e. 50 % completed version 'A' under LSD). The MIT and CIS were issued 110 and 140 min, respectively, post-infusion, corresponding with the peak drug effects. RESULTS Volunteers gave significantly higher ratings for the CIS (p = 0.018), but not the MIT (p = 0.11), after LSD than placebo. The magnitude of suggestibility enhancement under LSD was positively correlated with trait conscientiousness measured at baseline (p = 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS These results imply that the influence of suggestion is enhanced by LSD. Enhanced suggestibility under LSD may have implications for its use as an adjunct to psychotherapy, where suggestibility plays a major role. That cued imagery was unaffected by LSD implies that suggestions must be of a sufficient duration and level of detail to be enhanced by the drug. The results also imply that individuals with high trait conscientiousness are especially sensitive to the suggestibility-enhancing effects of LSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- R L Carhart-Harris
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK,
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Stone JM, Morrison PD, Brugger S, Nottage J, Bhattacharyya S, Sumich A, Wilson D, Tunstall N, Feilding A, Brenneisen R, McGuire P, Murray RM, Ffytche DH. Communication breakdown: delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol effects on pre-speech neural coherence. Mol Psychiatry 2012; 17:568-9. [PMID: 22042229 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2011.141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Carhart-Harris RL, Leech R, Williams TM, Erritzoe D, Abbasi N, Bargiotas T, Hobden P, Sharp DJ, Evans J, Feilding A, Wise RG, Nutt DJ. Implications for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: functional magnetic resonance imaging study with psilocybin. Br J Psychiatry 2012; 200:238-44. [PMID: 22282432 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.111.103309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psilocybin is a classic psychedelic drug that has a history of use in psychotherapy. One of the rationales for its use was that it aids emotional insight by lowering psychological defences. AIMS To test the hypothesis that psilocybin facilitates access to personal memories and emotions by comparing subjective and neural responses to positive autobiographical memories under psilocybin and placebo. METHOD Ten healthy participants received two functional magnetic resonance imaging scans (2 mg intravenous psilocybin v. intravenous saline), separated by approximately 7 days, during which they viewed two different sets of 15 positive autobiographical memory cues. Participants viewed each cue for 6 s and then closed their eyes for 16 s and imagined re-experiencing the event. Activations during this recollection period were compared with an equivalent period of eyes-closed rest. We split the recollection period into an early phase (first 8 s) and a late phase (last 8 s) for analysis. RESULTS Robust activations to the memories were seen in limbic and striatal regions in the early phase and the medial prefrontal cortex in the late phase in both conditions (P<0.001, whole brain cluster correction), but there were additional visual and other sensory cortical activations in the late phase under psilocybin that were absent under placebo. Ratings of memory vividness and visual imagery were significantly higher after psilocybin (P<0.05) and there was a significant positive correlation between vividness and subjective well-being at follow-up (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Evidence that psilocybin enhances autobiographical recollection implies that it may be useful in psychotherapy either as a tool to facilitate the recall of salient memories or to reverse negative cognitive biases.
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Affiliation(s)
- R L Carhart-Harris
- Imperial College London, Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, 5th Floor, Burlington Danes Building, 160 Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.
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Stone JM, Morrison PD, Nottage J, Bhattacharyya S, Feilding A, McGuire PK. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol disruption of time perception and of self-timed actions. Pharmacopsychiatry 2010; 43:236-7. [PMID: 20652859 DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1255030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Moskalenko YE, Weinstein GB, Halvorson P, Kravchenko TI, Ryabchikova NA, Feilding A, Semernya VN, Panov AA. Biomechanical properties of human cranium: Age-relayed aspects. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2008. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093008050101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Moskalenko IE, Vaĭnshteĭn GB, Kravchenko TI, Mozhaev SV, Semernia VN, Feilding A, Halvorson P, Medvedev SV. [The effect of craniotomy on the intracranial hemodynamics and cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in humans]. Fiziol Cheloveka 2008; 34:41-48. [PMID: 18677946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
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