Safety and Efficacy of Psilocybin for Body Dysmorphic Disorder

In this pilot study, 12 adult outpatients with body dysmorphic disorder that has not responded to at least one adequate trial of a serotonin reuptake inhibitor will be treated openly with a single oral dose of psilocybin. Follow-up visits to monitor safety and clinical outcome will be conducted over a 3 month period.

Status Completed
Results Published Yes
Start date 26 February 2021
End date 01 September 2022
Chance of happening 100%
Phase Phase II
Design Open
Type Interventional
Generation First
Participants 12
Sex All
Age 18- 55
Therapy Yes

Trial Details

In this pilot study, up to 12 adult outpatients with body dysmorphic disorder that has not responded to at least one adequate trial of a serotonin reuptake inhibitor will be treated openly with a single oral dose of psilocybin. Procedures will follow those previously established in depression studies of psilocybin. Patients will receive intensive preparation and support from two therapists, including 8-9 hours accompanying the patient on the day of medication administration in the Biological Studies Unit of New York State Psychiatric Institute. Follow-up visits to monitor safety and clinical outcome will be conducted at day 1, week1, and months 1,2, and 3 post-administration. Resting state function magnetic resonance imaging will be conducted prior to and one day after psilocybin administration to assess the effect of medication on brain circuits.

NCT Number NCT04656301

Sponsors & Collaborators

New York State Psychiatric Institute
The New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), established in 1895, was one of the first institutions in the United States to integrate teaching, research and therapeutic approaches to the care of patients with mental illnesses.

COMPASS Pathways
COMPASS Pathways is a publicly listed company (NASDAQ) that is developing psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) for which it has completed a successful Phase IIb trial. COMPASS is one of the largest psychedelic companies and has received substantial investment from atai.

New York University
The Center for Psychedelic Medicine performs health-focused research across the translational spectrum, from basic science to large-scale clinical trials.

Papers

Pilot study of single-dose psilocybin for serotonin reuptake inhibitor-resistant body dysmorphic disorder
This open-label study (n=12) of patients suffering from Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), an obsessive preoccupation with misperceptions of appearance, finds that psilocybin (25mg) plus psychological support (6 sessions) resulted in a response (>30% decrease in BDD-YBOCS) in 58% of participants. Secondary measures such as negative affect, disability, and conviction of belief also significantly decreased.

Measures Used

Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale
The Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOSC) is considered the gold-standard to assess OCD severity. The scale consists of ten items and measures the severity and type of symptoms in people with OCD over the previous seven days. The scale is used at initial diagnosis as well as during follow up sessions after treatment. The scores range from 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater symptoms of OCD severity.

Data attribution

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