Effects of Psilocybin on Electrophysiology and the Dynamic Content of Thought

This double-blind, placebo-controlled, full cross-over trial (n=30) will study the effects of psilocybin (10mg/70kg) on brain activity and thought dynamics in healthy volunteers.

Conducted by Johns Hopkins University, this research aims to understand how psilocybin, a psychoactive compound in mushrooms, affects creativity, memory, and brain response to natural stimuli. Using EEG, MRI, and various cognitive tasks, the study seeks to explore the acute psychological and neural effects of psilocybin, potentially aiding in the optimisation of psychedelic medicine and deepening the understanding of consciousness.

Participants, aged 18-75, will receive both psilocybin and placebo in a counter-balanced order, with primary measures including word frequency during free association tasks, memory sensitivity, and EEG alpha band power. The study began on 3rd March 2022, and is expected to complete by 31st December 2024.

Topic Healthy Subjects
Compound Psilocybin
Country United States of America
Visit trial
Status Recruiting
Results Published No
Start date 03 March 2022
End date 31 December 2024
Phase Phase I Phase II
Design Blinded
Type Interventional
Generation First
Participants 30
Sex All
Age 18- 75
Therapy No

Trial Details

This research study will use computerized tasks, electroencephalography (EEG), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look at how the drug psilocybin, a naturally occurring compound contained in hundreds of species of psychoactive mushrooms, changes thoughts and brain activity.

NCT Number NCT05301608

Sponsors & Collaborators

Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University (Medicine) is host to the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, which is one of the leading research institutes into psychedelics. The center is led by Roland Griffiths and Matthew Johnson.

Data attribution

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