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.
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…
This review looked at many studies about classic psychedelics (like psilocybin and LSD), MDMA, ketamine, and plant medicines (like ayahuasca). The authors explain how these drugs can change the brain’s wiring, calm inflammatory processes, and shift key brain chemicals. Those actions may help explain why small clinical trials and animal…
A single dose of psilocybin, a psychedelic that acutely causes distortions of space-time perception and ego dissolution, produces rapid and persistent therapeutic effects in human clinical trials1-4. In animal models, psilocybin induces neuroplasticity in cortex and hippocampus5-8. It remains unclear how human brain network changes relate to subjective and lasting…
This 2018 review looked at animal and human studies of ketamine as a possible treatment for addiction. Early findings are promising: some studies found ketamine helped people stay abstinent from alcohol and heroin and reduced cocaine craving and use. However, the authors say the research is still new, many studies…
This review looks at research on psychedelic drugs, especially psilocybin. It says recent human studies show a single dose can give lasting relief from severe depression, and regulators have given two late-stage psilocybin trials special 'Breakthrough Therapy' status. The paper also pulls together lab and animal studies that suggest psychedelics…
This paper reviews what scientists know about how ketamine and classic serotonergic psychedelics (like psilocybin and LSD) can lift depression quickly. The authors compare how the drugs work in the brain, point out that ketamine has the strongest clinical evidence so far, and say psychedelics show early promise but need…
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…
This systematic review looked at research on psychedelic microdosing and mental health. It found 19 studies (published from 2018 onward) that reported people often said low doses of LSD or psilocybin improved mood, focus, and daily functioning, while some people reported physical discomfort or more anxiety. The authors say the…
This retrospective study looked at 117 outpatients with high PTSD Checklist (PCL-5) scores who received at least six intravenous ketamine sessions given in a supportive, “psychedelic” style (preparation, intention-setting, eye shades, evocative music, and integration). Average PCL-5 scores fell from 52.54 (SD = 12.01) to 28.78 (SD = 16.61), a…
This study analysed answers from 5,247 adults with diagnosed or self-reported eating disorders about their use of psychedelic drugs. About one third (32.4%) had ever used psychedelics and 19.4% had used them in the past year. Users most often took psilocybin or LSD only once or twice per year. People…
