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.

3 papers

Safety of ibogaine administration in detoxification of opioid‐dependent individuals: a descriptive open‐label observational study

Thomas Knuijver, Arnt Schellekens, Maarten Belgers, Rogier Donders, Toon van Oosteren, Cornelis Kramers, et al.
Addiction Summary & key facts 2021 45 citations

A descriptive open-label observational study of ibogaine in people with opioid use disorder found the drug can produce clear but reversible heart and nervous-system side effects. Reported effects included QTc prolongation (a change in the heart’s electrical timing), slow heart rate (bradycardia), and severe problems with balance and coordination (ataxia).…

Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

Cardiac arrest after ibogaine intoxication

Christian Steinberg, Marc W. Deyell
Journal of Arrhythmia Summary & key facts 2018 15 citations

Ibogaine is a psychoactive herbal medication with alleged antiaddiction properties. We report a case of ibogaine intoxication mimicking Long-QT syndrome resulting in ventricular flutter and nearby cardiac arrest. A 61-year-old man experienced massive QT prolongation and ventricular flutter at a rate of 270 beats per minute requiring defibrillation after ingestion…

Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias Ion channel regulation and function Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ibogaine in opioid use disorder patients

Thomas Knuijver, Rob ter Heine, Arnt Schellekens, Paniz Heydari, Luc Lucas, Sjoerd Westra, et al.
Journal of Psychopharmacology Summary & key facts 2024 8 citations

In 14 people with opioid use disorder who each received a single 10 mg/kg dose of ibogaine, researchers measured blood levels of ibogaine and its metabolites over 24 hours and linked those levels to side effects. They found large differences between people in how fast ibogaine was cleared, and that…

Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies Treatment of Major Depression
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