Frontier mental health research: psychedelics & drug studies

Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.

2 papers

MDMA-assisted therapy for moderate to severe PTSD: a randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial

Mitchell, Jennifer M., Ot’alora G., Marcela, van der Kolk, Bessel, et al.
Nature Summary & key facts 2023 347 citations

This multi-site, randomized, double-blind phase 3 trial tested MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) versus placebo with the same therapy in 104 people with moderate to severe PTSD. Blinded assessors found larger average reductions in PTSD symptoms and in functional impairment for the MDMA-AT group than for the placebo group. The MDMA group…

Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Psychedelics and Drug Studies Tryptophan and brain disorders

Current Understanding on Psilocybin for Major Depressive Disorder: A Review Focusing on Clinical Trials

Sheng‐Min Wang, Sunghwan Kim, Won-Seok Choi, Hyun Kook Lim, Young Sup Woo, Chi‐Un Pae, et al.

This review looked at published clinical trials of psilocybin for depression. It found 11 trials (six open‑label and five double‑blind randomized trials) that report rapid antidepressant and anti‑anxiety effects in some patients. The paper describes how psilocybin acts on serotonin 5‑HT2A receptors, may boost brain plasticity, and may lower brain…

Mental Health Research Topics Psychedelics and Drug Studies Tryptophan and brain disorders
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