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.
Research on ayahuasca for anxiety is small but shows some promising signs. A few clinical studies — including one trial that tested ayahuasca — reported lower anxiety after treatment, and many reviews say psychedelic treatments can help anxiety in some people. However, most studies are small, vary a lot in how they are done, and often include mostly White participants, so we cannot be sure the findings apply to everyone (15068, 15082, 15085, 15095). Scientists have ideas about how ayahuasca might work. Its active chemical, DMT, acts on serotonin-linked brain systems and lab and animal studies show it can change brain connections. But human brain markers are harder to measure, and one big review found no clear change in a common blood marker (BDNF) after psychedelic drugs, so the exact brain changes in people are still uncertain (15082, 15050, 15091, 15129). Overall, more large, careful trials and better safety data are needed before strong conclusions can be made (15068, 15085).
The authors reviewed psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy studies published from 1993 to 2017 to see how many people of color took part. They found 18 studies with about 280 people. About 82% of participants were non-Hispanic White, while only small percentages were African American, Latino, Asian, indigenous, or mixed race. Because so…
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…
Researchers collected and read 15 studies where patients described their own experiences with psychedelic treatments for mental disorders. These studies looked at about 180 patient accounts across different drugs and different illnesses. Even though the drugs and treatment settings were very different, many patients described similar helpful processes, such as…
This paper is a review of research about psychedelic drugs and whether they could help with mood and anxiety problems. It explains that these drugs were used for thousands of years in some cultures, then were banned in the 1960s which slowed scientific study. The authors describe a new wave…
This review describes a rapid rise in medical research on psychedelic drugs over the past five years. Several later-stage clinical trials have been published, and many different drugs — including psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine, LSD, ayahuasca, and ibogaine — are being tested for conditions such as depression, post‑traumatic stress, addiction, obsessive‑compulsive…
Researchers followed 62 older adults (age 60 and up) and 62 younger adults who planned to take part in guided psychedelic group sessions. People in both age groups reported better well-being in the weeks after the sessions, but older adults experienced weaker immediate drug effects during the sessions. For older…
Researchers reviewed published clinical trials testing psychedelic drugs for people diagnosed with anxiety disorders. They found nine trials that used ayahuasca, ketamine, LSD, MDMA, or psilocybin. Overall, the studies showed reduced anxiety symptoms and better self-image or social functioning for people with generalized anxiety, social anxiety, or anxiety linked to…
This paper reviews research on three naturally occurring psychedelics: psilocybin, ibogaine, and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (the active part of the brew ayahuasca). It explains that these drugs work on the brain's serotonin system and summarizes growing studies that suggest they might help with problems like post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, anxiety, and…
Researchers pooled results from 29 human studies that measured blood levels of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, after people received so-called psychoplastogen drugs such as ketamine or psychedelics. They found no clear change in blood BDNF after these drugs. The authors say this does not prove the…
