Posted on 04/16/2021 9:22:01 AM PDT by Red Badger
Psilocybe cyanescens mushrooms, which contain the active compound, psilocybin. Credit: Imperial College London / Thomas Angus
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Psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, may be at least as effective as a leading antidepressant medication in a therapeutic setting.
This is the finding of a study carried out by researchers at the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London.
In the most rigorous trial to date assessing the therapeutic potential of a ‘psychedelic’ compound, researchers compared two sessions of psilocybin therapy with a six-week course of a leading antidepressant (a selective serotonin uptake inhibitor called escitalopram) in 59 people with moderate-to-severe depression.
The results, published today (April 14, 2021) in the New England Journal of Medicine, show that while depression scores were reduced in both groups, the reductions occurred more quickly in the psilocybin group and were greater in magnitude.
However, the researchers caution that the main comparison between psilocybin and the antidepressant was not statistically significant. They add that larger trials with more patients over a longer period are needed to show if psilocybin can perform as well as, or more effectively than an established antidepressant.
For the psilocybin dosing sessions, volunteers received an oral dose of the drug in a specialist clinical setting, while they listened to a curated music playlist and were guided through their experiences by a psychological support team, which included registered psychiatrists. All volunteers on the study received the same level of psychological support.
People treated with psilocybin — named ‘COMP360’ by its developers, COMPASS Pathways PLC — showed marked improvements across a range of subjective measures, including in their ability to feel pleasure, and express emotions, greater reductions in anxiety and suicidal ideation, and increased feelings of wellbeing.
Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris, head of the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial, who designed and led the study, said: “These results comparing two doses of psilocybin therapy with 43 daily doses of one of the best performing SSRI antidepressants help contextualize psilocybin’s promise as a potential mental health treatment. Remission rates were twice as high in the psilocybin group than the escitalopram group.
“One of the most important aspects of this work is that people can clearly see the promise of properly delivered psilocybin therapy by viewing it compared with a more familiar, established treatment in the same study. Psilocybin performed very favorably in this head-to-head.”
Growing Evidence During the study, 59 volunteers with moderate-to-severe depression received either a high dose of psilocybin and a placebo, or a very low dose of psilocybin and escitalopram.
In the psilocybin arm of the trial, 30 people received an initial dose of psilocybin (25mg) at the start of the study, followed by a second dose (25mg) three weeks later. They were given six weeks of daily placebo capsules to take: one per day after the first dosing session, increasing to two per day after the second dosing session.
In the escitalopram arm of the study, 29 people received 1mg psilocybin at the dosing sessions — a dose so low as to be classed as a non-active and unlikely to have an effect. They were also given six weeks of daily escitalopram: one 10mg capsule per day after the first dosing session, increasing to two per day after the second dosing session (20mg per day) — the maximum dose for this SSRI.
All participants were assessed using standardized scales of depressive symptom severity. The main measure, the QIDS-SR-16, was used to gauge depressive symptoms on a continuous scale ranging from 0-27, where higher scores indicate greater depression. At the start of the trial, the mean score was 14.5 for the psilocybin group. But after six weeks, scores reduced by an average of 8.0 points.
Response, defined as a reduction in depression scores from baseline of at least 50%, was seen in 70% of people in the psilocybin group, compared with 48% in the escitalopram group. In addition, remission of symptoms — measured as a score of 0-5 at week six — was seen in 57% of the psilocybin group, compared with just 28% in the escitalopram group.
Encouraging Findings The team highlights that while the findings are generally positive, the absence of a straight placebo group and the small number of participants limits conclusions about the effect of either treatment alone. They add that the trial sample was comprised of largely white, majority male, and relatively well-educated individuals, which limits extrapolations to more diverse populations.
The psilocybin group reported fewer cases of dry mouth, anxiety, drowsiness, and sexual dysfunction than the escitalopram group, and a similar rate of adverse events overall. Headaches experienced one day after dosing sessions were the most common side effect of psilocybin.
Dr. Rosalind Watts, clinical lead of the trial and formerly based at the Centre for Psychedelic Research, said: “Context is crucial for these studies and all volunteers received therapy during and after their psilocybin sessions. Our team of therapists were on hand to offer full support through sometimes difficult emotional experiences.”
Professor David Nutt, principal investigator on the study and the Edmond J Safra Chair in Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial, said: “These findings provide further support for the growing evidence base that shows that in people with depression, psilocybin offers an alternative treatment to traditional antidepressants.
“In our study, psilocybin worked faster than escitalopram and was well tolerated, with a very different adverse effects profile. We look forward to further trials, which if positive should lead to psilocybin becoming a licensed medicine.”
Urging Caution The authors warn that while the initial findings are encouraging, patients with depression should not attempt to self-medicate with psilocybin, as the team provided a special clinical and therapeutic context for the drug experience and a regulated dose formulated in laboratory conditions. They stress that taking magic mushrooms or psilocybin in the absence of these careful safeguards might not have a positive outcome.
Dr. Carhart-Harris, added: “These latest finding build on our previous research testing psilocybin therapy for treatment resistant depression, and offer the most compelling evidence yet to support efforts towards licensing psilocybin therapy as a regulated mental health intervention. I’m deeply grateful for the philanthropic support that made this trial possible.”
“I strongly encourage both researchers and the public to delve deeply into our results, including those available as a published appendix to the main report.”
Reference: 14 April 2021, New England Journal of Medicine. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2032994
The study was funded by the Alexander Mosley Charitable Trust and the founders of the Centre for Psychedelic Research. Infrastructure support was provided by the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre and NIHR Imperial Clinical Research Facility.
*The QIDS-SR16 survey is a standardized 16-question survey used to score people on self-reported symptoms of depression.
better be Pb-Free RoHs..................
A bazillion studies on magic mushrooms but zero studies on covid vaccines.
Easier to get volunteers..................................
Significant exercise is not a viable option to many moderately or severely depressed patients. Clinical depression is not the mild mood disturbance that nearly everyone experiences from time to time. It is a different animal and precludes many normal activities.
The early Jesuits had a snail Ceremony. They have found evidence of this in their ancient frescos. To filter the roughness on the stomach they would let snails eat the Amanita Muscaria and then eat the snails.
I often wonder if this is why the medieval paintings of knights battling snails was so popular.
Those are the Blue tops? Best of the best aside from Amanita.
Had a friend who watched a motocross race while on Jimson Weed. He was in a jail cell, the cyclists were Hot Wheels size and they went up the walls, across the ceiling...
Ya'll may have seen this before but it's funny each and every time: "Catnip: Egress to Oblivion?"
A fool in paradise asks: "Did they force those on antidepressants to listen to The Flaming Lips and Phish as well?"
Phish? They may wish. Non-pharmaceutical treatment of depression requires Boston's debut album. But if you find yourself there inadvertent or vertent let me suggest Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon", Steve Miller Band's "Fly Like an Eagle" or The Alan Parson's Project "I Robot".
Mr.K posted "The medicinal qualities of some of these things were well-known but the government couldn’t figure out how to Tax it.
On Saturday at Bishop's Gate. Don't be late.
Happy and 10 ft tall. 😆
I could use some shrooms right now. No amount of exercise can help serious depression and suicidal thoughts.
True, but exercise helps some. And shrooms are turning out to be the best treatment for severe PTSD. Many ongoing clinical trials.
People who have never been diagnosed as severely clinically depressed have no idea what it is like. It’s insidious. It’s no joke. For many, suicide is the only viable option seen. Shrooms can help get rid of it.
Shrooms currently illegal to sell and own. But you can legally buy spores, “for experimental purposes.” Tons of folks out there growing their own, and many veterans group quietly grow and promote them for buddies with severe PTSD. Do a web search for “magic mushroom spores,” read up on it...
Thank you so much for your suggestions.
You are correct. People who have never suffered from clinical depression just cannot understand just how cruel and insidious this illness is.
No one “chooses” to suffer Depression.
Even psychologists and psychiatrists who specialize in depression often don’t understand it. What it’s like.
For me, Closest to understanding it is an analogy:
Everyone has a certain, “default” level of innate happinesses. Where they normally are. They can get quite happy, or very sad, but it tends to self-correct and swing back to that normal level. Up, down, back and forth, above and below that average line for them. Throughout their life.
If they are lucky, and work hard, they can slowly increase the happiness baseline.
But for chronic depressives, it doesn’t self correct. It can tend sad, and not swing back. Partially back, but then the baseline is lower. And it can slowly, very slowly, trend lower over time. The baseline. It doesn’t self correct.
Until one day it is so low, you can’t pull it back up, no matter what you do. A little higher, but it sinks lower again, soon. Lower and lower. Until it’s like you’re always walking through deep mud, mentally. The self correction is broken. By the time you realize something’s wrong, it’s too late to get out of it...so it seems.
Drugs can help, but they are very different for different people. Some work, most don’t. Trial and error, which...takes energy amd effort. That you don’t have.
You don’t eat, or over eat, and don’t care. People stop bathing, stop combing their hair, and don’t care. We know we should, but it’s just so damn hard and takes so much effort. You don’t want to be around anyone, but desperately want company too. Like you’re outside a room, looking in through a window at the happy people. Wanting to be one, but how? Exercise helps, but it’s so much effort just starting. You can sit on the couch all day in the dark, trying to get up the energy to just get up and walk outside...
It’s awful.
You summed it up perfectly. You and I are exactly alike.
I’m at the point where I don’t care about anything. If it weren’t for my elderly mother and my beloved doggies and Maine Coon Cat, I would live in bed.
I’m currently very interested in the case of Christine Chubbock, a former Reporter for a Sarasota, Florida TV station.In 1974, she made history by shooting herself in the head on the air.
Chubbock suffered from severe Clinical Depression for years and therapy and meds didn’t help. When I read and watch videos about Chubbock, I feel such an empathy with her. I understand her desperation.
My older sister also suffers from Clinical Depression. She stayed in bed for several years and still struggles mightily to keep going.
My sister and I suffered from trauma when we were growing up. I believe our Depression battles are a combination of hereditary issues and our messed up experiences.
I thank you for your thoughtful, insightful post. You perfectly described the Hell that depression sufferers endure.
I sent you mail theough here... :)
Did you compose that AFTER you took some?
PS i agree with the Alan Parsons
I would go with the “Pyramid” album, though.
Yeah, I finally noticed it, lol. :)
Not since around 1979. I was going to mention the Sgt. Pepper's album and there you were. Freegards to Mr. H and Henry the Horse dancing the waltz.
In the face of remorseless tyrants who use language as a weapon of subjugation I keep a light heart and use the one thing they can not tolerate: Ridicule. Best to you.
Ten feet tall and bullet-proof!..................
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