Psychedelic Research Recap October 2024

Psychedelic Research Recap October 2024

Welcome back to our monthly update on psychedelic research!

In October, psychedelic research spans from clinical applications to fundamental neuroscience. Studies provide new insights into how MDMA and psilocybin affect personality and mental health while also examining the often-overlooked psychedelic 2C-B. Three studies examine the mechanisms behind psychedelics’ therapeutic effects, from their influence on cell membranes to their impact on brain connectivity patterns.

The research this month places special emphasis on how subjective experiences during psychedelic sessions relate to therapeutic outcomes, with studies examining psychological flexibility, empathy, and emotional breakthroughs. We also see innovative approaches emerging, including the combination of psilocybin with neurofeedback, and important findings regarding antidepressant discontinuation before psychedelic therapy.

This month’s recap is made possible by our supporting members.

Check out the research link overview for all the studies we didn’t add to the database.

Therapeutic Applications of Psychedelics

A notable study this month looked at whether stopping antidepressants before psilocybin therapy affects its success in treating hard-to-treat depression. Looking at 233 patients from the Compass Phase IIb trial, researchers found that those who stopped their antidepressants during screening had similar results to those who started the trial without medications. This shows that recently stopping antidepressants doesn’t seem to reduce how well psilocybin works or change the psychedelic experience itself.

A meta-analysis of 31 studies examined how much the subjective effects of ketamine and psilocybin matter for their therapeutic benefits in depression and substance use disorders (SUD). The analysis found these subjective experiences play a modest but important role – psilocybin’s effects explained about 24% of the therapeutic benefits, while ketamine’s effects explained 5-10%. The connection between subjective effects and outcomes was stronger for both drugs when treating addictions (SUDs) compared to depression.

Looking at MDMA, a placebo-controlled trial with 34 healthy adults tested how a single dose (100mg) affects personality and emotions. While the main results weren’t statistically significant, researchers found meaningful increases in openness to experience and positive emotions 48 hours after taking MDMA compared to placebo.

An online survey explored how psychedelics affect autistic adults, with 233 participants describing their most impactful psychedelic experience. Most reported feeling less psychological distress (82%) and social anxiety (78%), and being more socially engaged (70%) afterwards. However, 20% had some adverse effects, like increased anxiety. The improvements were most strongly linked to gaining more psychological flexibility rather than the intensity of the psychedelic experience itself.

Mental Processes Behind Psychedelic Benefits

Several studies this month looked at how psychedelics affect our thoughts, emotions, and social connections.

A survey with 457 people explored how psychedelics change unhelpful thinking patterns and improve well-being. The study found that shifts in these thought patterns after psychedelic use had a bigger impact on well-being than the intensity of mystical or challenging experiences during the trip. However, emotional breakthroughs during the experience were particularly important for positive changes.

Another survey with 629 psychedelic users examined how these substances affect psychological flexibility – our ability to adapt and respond well to life’s challenges. The results showed that having meaningful insights during psychedelic experiences was strongly linked to greater acceptance, a key part of psychological flexibility. Importantly, the quality of individual psychedelic experiences mattered more than how often someone used them.

A meta-analysis looking at how classic psychedelics affect empathy brought together data from five studies testing LSD, psilocybin, and ayahuasca. Using a standardized empathy test, the analysis found these substances significantly increased emotional empathy – both automatic emotional responses and conscious feelings toward others. However, they didn’t affect cognitive empathy (the ability to understand others’ emotions). This suggests psychedelics mainly boost the emotional side of connecting with others rather than changing how we think about others’ feelings.

Brain Science Behind Psychedelics

A lab study revealed that the psychedelic DOI affects cell membranes much more strongly than serotonin – it’s over 100 times better at changing how cell membranes work. DOI makes membranes more fluid and helps small structures merge with cells. This suggests psychedelics might work not just by binding to receptors as we thought, but also by physically changing how cell membranes function and form new connections.

Mouse research found that a specific receptor (serotonin 1B) is needed for psilocybin’s antidepressant effects, separate from the receptor that causes hallucinations. When mice lacking this receptor got psilocybin, they didn’t show the usual improvements in depression-like behaviours. This points to a new way psilocybin might help with depression, possibly without requiring the intense psychedelic experience.

An EEG study with 29 people examined how 5-MeO-DMT changes brain activity. The drug dramatically alters slow brain waves, making them more chaotic and less organized than normal. It also slows and stabilizes overall brain activity, with fewer rapid shifts between different states. These changes might explain why 5-MeO-DMT creates such profound changes in how people experience time, space, and self.

The Other Psychedelic Studies from October 2024

In addition to the studies we’ve discussed, here is a brief recap of two more novel studies. A pre-print brain imaging study comparing 2C-B and psilocybin found that both substances reduced connectivity within brain networks while increasing connections between different networks. However, 2C-B showed milder effects than psilocybin and unique patterns of connectivity in certain brain regions. The findings suggest 2C-B could be a promising therapeutic tool since it produces similar brain changes to psilocybin but with less intense subjective effects and anxiety.

A feasibility study testing psilocybin microdoses combined with neurofeedback training found that while participants didn’t show objective improvements in executive function tasks, they reported notable gains in daily cognitive abilities like working memory and mental flexibility. This study demonstrates that combining microdosing with neurofeedback is practical and well-tolerated, though more rigorous research is needed to confirm its benefits.