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- Psychedelic Journal Watch
Psychedelic Journal Watch
Keeping health professionals abreast of the latest research in psychedelic medicine
I. Psilocybin for Cluster Headaches
Repeated doses of psilocybin can reduce cluster headache frequency, according to the Journal of Neurological Sciences.
In this extension phase of a previous randomized controlled trial, 10 participants were given 3 doses of psilocybin over the course of 5 days and were monitored for headache frequency.
Three weeks after receiving psilocybin, participants reported a statistically significant reduction in headache frequency from an average of 18 to 10 headaches per week.
The authors conclude, “to gauge the full potential of psilocybin as a viable medicine in cluster headache, future work should investigate the safety and therapeutic efficacy in larger, more representative samples over a longer time period, including repeating the treatment.”
II. At-home Ketamine Assisted Therapy for Depression
Telehealth ketamine assisted therapy is largely safe and effective as treatment for depression, according to the Journal of Affective Disorders.
In this longitudinal study, 11,441 patients with moderate to severe depression were given 4 doses of ketamine at home over 4 weeks in combination with telehealth psychological support through Mindbloom. After 4 weeks of treatment, depression data (PHQ-9 scale) was available for 4918 patients.
Among the 4918 patients who reported their depression symptoms, 56% of people responded well to ketamine (>50% improvement in depression symptoms) and 0.4% of people experienced worsening depression symptoms. Serious adverse effects, including suicidality and/or psychosis, were observed in 6 patients.
According to the authors, which included one Mindbloom employee, “at-home ketamine administration within a supportive digital health infrastructure was largely safe, well-tolerated, and associated with improvement in patients with depression.”
III. 5-MeO-DMT Is Safe, Shows Clinical Potential
Intranasal 5-MeO-DMT is safe, fast-acting and induces mystical experiences, suggesting it has clinical potential, according to the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 44 psychedelic naïve participants were given varying doses of 5-MeO-DMT or placebo and monitored for safety, pharmacokinetics, and subjective drug intensity / mystical experience.
Among those who received intranasal 5-MeO-DMT, the median time to peak blood concentrations was 8 – 10 minutes, and profound conscious altering effects lasted 45 – 90 minutes; at high doses (10 – 12 mg), 60% of participants had a complete mystical experience (measured by the Mystical Experience Questionnaire); there were no serious side effects.
According to the authors, “the results of this phase 1 clinical trial demonstrated that single intranasal doses of up to 12 mg 5-MeO-DMT were safe and well tolerated, with predictable pharmacokinetics … Doses between 8 and 12 mg might be suitable for further pharmaceutical development in neuropsychiatric conditions with high unmet medical needs.”
The earliest evidence of psychedelic use is in a cave in Algeria depicting a "mushroom shaman" with a bee-head and mushrooms sprouting from his body; the mushrooms are thought to be Psilocybe mairei, a psychedelic mushroom native to the region. The mural is 7,000-9,000 years old.
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