What happened in psychedelic research in 1997

Week of 28 April 1997

• PaperPositron emission tomography and fluorodeoxyglucose studies of metabolic hyperfrontality and psychopathology in the psilocybin model of psychosis1 May

  This early (1997) study looked at the effects of psylocybin/psilocin in the brain through a PET scan and found increases in metabolis (CMRglu) that correlated with the experienced 'psychotic' (psychedelic) effects.

  PsilocybinSchizophreniaNeuroimaging & Brain MeasuresHealthy Volunteers

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Week of 31 March 1997

• PaperKetamine psychedelic therapy (KPT): a review of the results of ten years of research1 Apr

  This review (1997) suggests that ketamine psychedelic therapy (KPT) could effectively treat alcoholism (AUD). Total abstinence at one year compared favourably (65.8% to 24%) to a group receiving conventional treatment.

  KetamineAlcohol Use Disorder (AUD)Substance Use Disorders (SUD)Neuroimaging & Brain Measures

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Week of 24 February 1997

• PaperThe peak experience variable in DPT-assisted psychotherapy with cancer patients1 Mar

  This study (1977; n = 34) found that peak experiences may be an important factor in determining the efficacy of DPT-assisted psychotherapy for cancer patients.

  Set & Setting

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Week of 30 December 1996

• StartedAntidepressant Effects of Ketamine in Depressed Patients: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Crossover Pilot (ketamine)1 Jan

  Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover pilot (Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT; investigators: Ronald M. Berman, Angelo Cappiello, Amit Anand, David A. Oren, George R. Heninger, Dennis S. Charney, John H. Krystal) of a single 40-minute IV infusion of ketamine hydrochloride 0.5 mg/kg versus normal saline in 9 adults (4 men, 5 women; mean age 37 ± 10 years, range 23–56; 2 Hispanic, 7 Caucasian) meeting DSM-IV criteria for a major depressive episode (8 with recurrent unipolar MDD, 1 with bipolar disorder depressed phase), all medically healthy and unmedicated ≥2 weeks (confirmed by toxicology). Two treatment days separated by ≥1 week; 4 of 9 participants received ketamine first. Two participants withdrew before completing the second treatment day, leaving 7 who completed both conditions. Primary outcome: Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-25) at baseline and 80 min, 230 min, 24h, 48h, and 72h post-infusion. Secondary outcomes: Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) at the same time points plus 10, 40, and 110 min; Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) at baseline and 10, 40, 80, 110, and 230 min; Visual Analogue Scale for "feeling high" (VAS-high) at baseline and 10, 40, 80, and 110 min. Analysed with repeated-measures ANOVA (Huynh–Feldt correction), condition × time interaction. IRB approved; no trial registry entry: the study pre-dates the ICMJE 2005 registration mandate by five years and the FDAAA 2007 requirement by seven years. This is the first reported randomized trial of ketamine as an antidepressant and is the foundational citation for the field.

  Ketamine

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