United States National Institutes of Health grant funding for psychedelic-assisted therapy clinical trials from 2006–2020

Barnett, Brian S.; Parker, Sloane E.; Weleff, Jeremy

doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103473

Cited by 20 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…As of 2018, articles reporting on psychedelic clinical studies were primarily published in journals with a biological or pharmacologic focus. However, with recent results of clinical trials of psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression (R. Carhart-Harris et al 2021) and MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD (Mitchell et al 2021) (Barnett, Parker, and Weleff 2021). Scientific funding bodies in the other countries such as Australia, Canada, Israel, New Zealand and the United Kingdom have been more supportive of this research.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bibliometric Analysis of Academic Journal Articles Reporting Results of Psychedelic Clinical Studies

Weleff

Akiki

Barnett

2021

Preprint

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After a decades long period of investigational dormancy, there is renewed interest in employing psychedelics as treatments for mental illness and addiction. The academic journals, journal articles, academic institutions, and countries that have helped sustain clinical psychedelic research and the evolution of the literature on clinical studies of psychedelic compounds have only been minimally investigated. Therefore, in we conducted a bibliometric analysis of clinical studies of 5-methoxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT), ayahuasca, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), ibogaine, mescaline, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and psilocybin published from 1965-2018. Our search revealed 320 articles published across 106 journals. After a nearly quarter century lull between the 1970s and 1990s, publications in this area have resurged over the last two decades and continue on an upward trajectory, with most clinical studies now focusing on LSD, MDMA, and psilocybin. A subanalysis of the ten most cited articles in psychedelic research prior to 2010 and afterwards demonstrated a shift from research on risks of psychedelics, primarily those of MDMA, to research on therapeutic applications, predominantly those of psilocybin. We also conducted network analyses of inter-country collaborations in psychedelic research, which suggested that psychedelic researchers in the United Kingdom have more diverse international collaborations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bibliometric Analysis of Academic Journal Articles Reporting Results of Psychedelic Clinical Studies

Weleff

Akiki

Barnett

2021

Preprint

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“…The hallucinogenic properties of classic psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and its Schedule 1 designation have been a barrier to broad acceptance of its potential therapeutic effects in the US. For example, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) did not fund any grants specifically involving psychedelic clinical trials from 2006 to 2020 [ 102 ]. This period encompasses many successful government-funded clinical trials worldwide, including in Australia, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, that have supported this research field [ 103 - 105 ].…”

Section: Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unraveling the Mysteries of Mental Illness With Psilocybin

Sotille¹,

Singh²,

Weisman³

et al. 2022

Cureus

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Current medications have not been effective in reducing the prevalence of mental illness worldwide. The prevalence of illnesses such as treatment-resistant depression has increased despite the widespread use of a broad set of psychopharmaceuticals. Transcranial magnetic stimulation and ketamine therapy are making great strides in improving treatment-resistant depression outcomes but they have limitations. New psychotherapeutics are required that specifically target the underlying cellular pathologies leading to neuronal atrophy. This neuronal atrophy model is supplanting the long-held neurotransmitter deficit hypothesis to explain mental illness. Interest in psychedelics as therapeutic molecules to treat mental illness is experiencing a 21st-century reawakening that is on the cusp of a transformation. Psilocybin is a pro-drug, found in various naturally occurring mushrooms, that is dephosphorylated to produce psilocin, a classic tryptamine psychedelic functional as a 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor agonist. We have focused this review to include studies in the last two years that suggest psilocybin promotes neuronal plasticity, which may lead to changes in brain network connectivity. Recent advancements in clinical trials using pure psilocybin in therapy suggest that it may effectively relieve the symptoms of depression in patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression. Sophisticated cellular and molecular experiments at the systems level have produced evidence that demonstrates psilocybin promotes neuritogenesis in the mouse brain - a mechanism that may address the root cause of depression at the cellular level. Finally, studies with psilocybin therapy for major depressive disorder suggest that this ancient molecule can promote functionally connected intrinsic networks in the human brain, resulting in durable improvements in the severity of depressive symptoms. Although further research is necessary, the prospect of using psilocybin for the treatment of mental illness is an enticing possibility.

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“…However, outside of non-human animal work, this research largely halted in the early 1970s due to associations with countercultural movements (Nutt et al, 2013). Studies into the human potential of classic psychedelics re-emerged in 1990s (Strassman and Qualls, 1994;Spitzer et al, 1996;Vollenweider et al, 1997) (Barnett et al, 2022).…”

Section: Psychedelic-assisted Psychotherapymentioning

confidence: 99%

Classic psychedelics: past uses, present trends, future possibilities

Safron¹,

Johnson²

2022

Preprint

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Here we consider psychedelics with respect to their mechanisms of action, use, and implications for our understandings of brain and mind. This review is somewhat nontraditional in its scope, with discussions of both basic facts as well as theoretical speculations. We chose this approach given the unique historical context we find ourselves in at present. While we have decades of investigations to draw upon with respect to the clinical science and neuropsychopharmacology of psychedelics, we are also witnessing a renaissance (or perhaps a revolution) in which scientific and public interest in these compounds seems to be exploding. We have decided to split this review between the fundamental and theoretical, with hopes that we can give readers familiarity with well-established knowledge, as well as questions to hold in mind in attempting to make sense of a rapidly shifting epistemic landscape. Below we focus on serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2aR) agonists, or “classic psychedelics,” and discuss research suggesting their potential roles in clinical and non-clinical contexts. Particular emphasis is placed on studies suggesting potentially surprising degrees of efficacy for conditions such as depression and addictive disorders. We also evaluate potential mediators and moderators of therapeutic outcomes, including factors such as mystical experiences and psychological flexibility. Finally, we consider likely future directions for psychedelics in science and society.

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United States National Institutes of Health grant funding for psychedelic-assisted therapy clinical trials from 2006–2020

Cited by 20 publications

References 7 publications

Bibliometric Analysis of Academic Journal Articles Reporting Results of Psychedelic Clinical Studies

Bibliometric Analysis of Academic Journal Articles Reporting Results of Psychedelic Clinical Studies

Unraveling the Mysteries of Mental Illness With Psilocybin

Classic psychedelics: past uses, present trends, future possibilities

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