This pre-print, placebo-controlled, within-subjects neuroimaging study (n=28) of psychedelic-naive participants finds that a single high dose of psilocybin (25mg) produces anatomical and functional brain changes from one hour to one month post-dosing. These include decreased axial diffusivity in prefrontal-subcortical tracts, reduced brain network modularity (linked to improved well-being), and increased cortical signal entropy that predicts long-term psychological benefits. These effects were not observed with a 1 mg placebo dose.
Biorxiv
October 2024
Cited by 9
This cross-species experimental study (n=21 humans; n=10 rats) finds that psilocin (18.2mg/70kg for humans; 0.3mg/kg for rats) impairs the ability to distinguish between static and moving images in both humans and rats. In humans, the impairment aligns with psilocin plasma levels and self-reported hallucination intensity. In rats, the effect is specific to motion perception, providing the first evidence of psilocin-induced visual distortions across species.
Biological Psychiatry
May 2025
Cited by 0
This Phase IV randomized controlled trial (n=378) found that esketamine nasal spray (Spravato) monotherapy at both 56mg and 84mg doses significantly reduced depression scores compared to placebo in treatment-resistant depression (TRD) patients at 28 days, with rapid onset of effect observed within 24 hours and moderate effect sizes of 0.48 and 0.63 respectively.
JAMA Psychiatry
July 2025
Cited by 0
This preclinical mouse study (n=58) provides the first experimental evidence that psilocin extends cellular lifespan and that psilocybin promotes increased longevity in aged mice. The findings suggest psilocybin may have geroprotective potential, though the molecular mechanisms remain unclear.
npj Aging
July 2025
Cited by 0
This secondary analysis of treatment-resistant depression patients (n=31) with major depressive disorder or bipolar II disorder found that greater mystical experiences during the first 25mg psilocybin dose predicted better antidepressant outcomes, though this relationship was not observed for subsequent doses.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
July 2025
Cited by 0
This observational retreat study (n=58) of military veterans attending psilocybin (n=13) or ayahuasca (n=45) retreats found significant improvements across all eight measured domains four weeks later, with the largest percentage reductions in depression (PHQ-9, 29%) and PTSD symptoms (PCL-5, 26%). Psilocybin outperformed ayahuasca on seven outcomes (ayahuasca led slightly on PTSD), men improved more than women on most scales, and greater baseline severity predicted larger post-retreat gains.
Brain and Behavior
July 2025
Cited by 0
This open-label study (n=19) found that 10mg oral psilocybin produced a significant reduction in OCD symptoms compared to 1mg, with a large effect size (Cohen's d = 0.82) one week after dosing, particularly for compulsions rather than obsessions, though effects diminished over subsequent weeks.
Comprehensive Psychiatry
July 2025
Cited by 0
This pre-print open-label trial (n=14) administered psilocybin (10-25mg) plus psychotherapy to people with bipolar II depression. It was well tolerated (only transient cardio spikes, mild anxiety/nausea/headache, and three temporary hypomania-or-suicidality events) and cut MADRS scores by 13–19 points at 21 days and 14 points at 90 days while boosting quality of life, with no excess mania or psychosis.
Psyarxiv
July 2025
Cited by 0
This systematic review (n=93 cases) found that psychedelic-induced psychosis, primarily caused by LSD and MDMA, lasted an average of 1.8 weeks and responded much better to second-generation antipsychotics (91% response rate) than first-generation antipsychotics (27% response rate), though one-third of patients later developed schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
Asian Journal of Psychiatry
June 2025
Cited by 0
This pre-print simultaneous PET-MRI study (first of its kind) demonstrates that LSD increases global cerebral blood flow and internal carotid artery flow without affecting artery diameter (opposite to psilocybin's effects), while decreasing global connectivity (particularly in visual networks) and increasing network entropy and spatial complexity, with researchers also observing an anticlockwise hysteresis loop (dynamic lag between an input and an output) between plasma levels and subjective effects that challenges existing hypotheses about psychedelic mechanisms of action.
MedRvix
June 2025
Cited by 0
This mixed-methods analysis (n=973 across multiple cohorts) examines how psychedelic experiences influence “meaning in life” using the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) across three contexts: a psilocybin clinical trial for depression, a single-arm healthy volunteer study, and a naturalistic retreat-based study. It finds strong increases in the “presence of meaning” subscale and modest decreases in “search for meaning,” with enhancements linked to improvements in mental health and to the intensity of mystical, ego-dissolution, and emotional breakthrough experiences.
Frontiers in Psychology
June 2025
Cited by 0
This double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study (n=40) found that two doses of psilocybin (18.2mg/70kg) administered at least 56 days apart (avg. 15 months) produced positive lasting effects in healthy individuals regardless of previous psychedelic experience, sex, or setting, with challenging experiences in controlled environments not causing adverse outcomes, supporting psilocybin's psychological safety for repeated use.
Pharmacological Reports
June 2025
Cited by 1
This data analysis of three studies (n=84) validates a three-item Peak Experience Scale (PES) for rapidly assessing 5-MeO-DMT experiences, demonstrating that the scale shows strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.896), correlates highly with established psychedelic experience measures (MEQ-30, EDI, 5D-ASC), and could effectively guide dosing regimens for rapid-acting psychedelics.
Frontiers in Psychology
June 2025
Cited by 0
This secondary analysis of a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (n=31) demonstrated that an ayahuasca-inspired DMT/harmine formulation significantly enhanced mindfulness and compassion (both self-compassion and compassion for others) one day post-treatment, with more pronounced effects in high-sensitivity participants.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
June 2025
Cited by 0
This analysis of fMRI data (n=15) examined how LSD (75μg) affects local brain activity and connectivity, finding that LSD decreased both measures in somatosensory/visual areas, with additional activity decreases in Default Mode and Fronto-Parietal networks and connectivity decreases in subcortical regions, with these changes occurring primarily in brain regions with high densities of D2 and 5HT1a receptors, suggesting complex neurobiological mechanisms underlying LSD's effects.
Authorea
June 2025
Cited by 0
This pre-print reports an observational pilot study (n=12) examining salivary oxytocin ('love/bonding hormone') dynamics during LSD-assisted psychotherapy (100-150μg) for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), finding significant time-dependent variations in both oxytocin levels and subjective drug intensity ratings, suggesting oxytocin may serve as a potential biomarker for psychedelic therapy.
Preprints
June 2025
Cited by 0
This Phase II trial long-term follow-up (n=30) found that a single dose of psilocybin (25mg) combined with psychological support provided sustained benefits for cancer patients with depression, with 54% showing significant depression reduction (50% remission) and 46% experiencing reduced anxiety at 2 years' follow-up, suggesting a potential paradigm shift in depression treatment for cancer patients compared to traditional daily antidepressants.
Cancer
June 2025
Cited by 0
This first RCT (n=25) of vaporised DMT (60mg) demonstrated that DMT significantly increased subjective experience measures while causing only transient, safe physiological changes and predominantly mild adverse events. This suggests that inhaled DMT is safe, well-tolerated, and effective at inducing profound altered states of consciousness. Significant correlations were observed between physiological responses and subjective experiences.
European Neuropsychopharmacology
June 2025
Cited by 0
This secondary analysis of an RCT comparing psilocybin therapy to escitalopram in MDD patients (n=59) found that psilocybin produced superior improvements in cognitive biases. Psilocybin significantly increased self-reported optimism (d=1.1) and optimistic beliefs about desirable life events (d=1.1), while improving all three domains of dysfunctional attitudes (achievement, dependency, and self-control). Escitalopram showed more modest effects, reducing pessimism about negative events and improving only the achievement domain of dysfunctional attitudes.
European Neuropsychopharmacology
June 2025
Cited by 0
This secondary analysis of an open-label feasibility study (n=14) of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol use disorder (AUD) found, through Bayesian analysis, a 55-63% probability of achieving a 2-level reduction in WHO drinking risk at 3 months follow-up, with preliminary evidence suggesting reductions in alcohol craving and improvements in sleep and psychosocial functioning compared to baseline.
Alcohol and Alcoholism
May 2025
Cited by 2
This economic analysis comparing esketamine nasal spray (plus oral antidepressant) versus quetiapine extended release (plus oral antidepressant) for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) found esketamine achieved higher remission rates at 32 weeks (50% vs 33%) and lower cost-per-remitter in both commercial ($3,102 lower) and Medicaid ($456 lower) settings, with even greater cost savings in scenarios where non-responders received transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research
June 2025
Cited by 0
This randomised cross-over study (n=7) used precision functional mapping with high-resolution multi-echo fMRI to characterise psilocybin (25mg) versus methylphenidate effects on brain networks, revealing decreased network modularity during psilocybin exposure and reproducible network changes. Participants showed unique brain configurations and reported stronger mystical experiences with psilocybin compared to methylphenidate.
Scientific Data
June 2025
Cited by 0
This double-blind controlled trial (n=61) found that high-dose LSD-assisted therapy (100μg + 200μg) reduced depression symptoms more than low-dose LSD (25μg + 25μg) in patients with moderate-to-severe major depressive disorder (MDD), with benefits lasting up to 12 weeks and similar side effects between groups.
Med
June 2025
Cited by 0
This pre-print pre-registered meta-analysis (s=24) comparing psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) and open-label traditional antidepressants (tAD) for major depression found no significant difference in effectiveness between the two approaches, with both producing clinically meaningful improvements, challenging previous assumptions about PAT's superiority when accounting for the unblinding effect present in psychedelic trials.
Psyarxiv
June 2025
Cited by 0
This open-label follow-up study (n=10) of Veterans with severe treatment-resistant depression (TRD) found that a single dose of psilocybin (25mg) significantly reduced depression for up to 12 months, though effects began to wane after 6 months, with 40% maintaining response and 30% maintaining remission at the 12-month follow-up.
Journal of Affective Disorders
June 2025
Cited by 0
This secondary analysis of an RCT (n=15) investigates the acute effects of MDMA (100mg) on anterior pituitary function in healthy adults. It finds that MDMA significantly activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, increasing both ACTH and cortisol levels. No significant effects were observed on other anterior pituitary hormones, though prolactin showed a mild, non-significant increase.
Endocrine Connections
June 2025
Cited by 0
This Delphi consensus study (n=89) involved psychedelic researchers, clinicians, and past trial participants across 17 countries to develop reporting standards for extra-pharmacological variables in psychedelic clinical trials. It resulted in the ReSPCT guidelines, a 30-item framework covering physical environment, session procedures, therapeutic protocol, and subjective experiences, aiming to standardise how “set and setting” are documented in future research.
Nature Medicine
June 2025
Cited by 1
This randomised, waitlist-controlled exploratory study (n=29) of psychedelic-naïve clergy delivered two supported psilocybin sessions (20mg/70kg followed a month later by 20-30mg/70kg). Six months after screening (and still evident 16 months later) the psilocybin group showed sustained improvements in religious practice, leadership effectiveness and overall well-being, with 96 % ranking at least one session among their five most spiritually significant life events and no serious adverse events despite 46 % describing the experience as among their five most challenging.
Psychedelic Medicine
May 2025
Cited by 0
This cost-utility analysis, alongside a randomized controlled trial (n=174), compared subcutaneous ketamine (twice-weekly for 4 weeks) with midazolam in treatment-resistant depression. Including midazolam costs, ketamine raised QALYs (0.435 vs 0.352) and was dominant with an 89–91 % chance of costing < $50 000/QALY, but once these comparator costs were excluded ketamine was no longer cost-effective (ICER ≈ $108 500–$251 250/QALY, ≤ 5 % probability).
Journal of Affective Disorders
May 2025
Cited by 0
This case study (n=2) of an open-label pilot study (n=10) explores psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for women with anorexia nervosa (AN or partial remission). Two participants experienced the therapeutic emergence of previously dissociated traumatic memories, leading to remission of AN symptoms and meaningful weight gain at 3-month follow-up.
Journal of Eating Disorders
May 2025
Cited by 0
Find Psychedelic Papers
Find all relevant psychedelic research papers in our ever-growing database. Here we cover and connect the latest research and seminal papers. From early open-label psychedelic studies with healthy volunteers to large-scale double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.
We have not only indexed over 2000 papers but have added additional contexts such as type of study, a compound studied, which paper it’s related to, the trial associated with a study, and over 30 more variables.
More coverage of psychedelic research can be found on our Research page.
