Science

…do regulators and for-profit actors think about mysticism?

For a regulating body like the FDA, researchers aiming to put a psychedelic drug and treatment through the clinical research pipeline only need to prove two things: that the drug (and its associated protocols) are safe, and that they work successfully at treating the indication they’re after. While multiple psychedelic substances are currently undergoing dozens…

READ MORE
Science

Optimal dosing for psilocybin… considering weight-adjusted and fixed dosing approaches

Across a wide range of body weights (49kg [approx. 108lbs] to 113 kg [approx. 249lbs]) the present results showed no evidence that body weight affected subjective effects of psilocybin. In the 20 mg/70 kg and 30 mg/70 kg weight-adjusted groups, and in the fixed dose group, no significant associations were found between subjective effects and demographic variables including body weight…

READ MORE
Science

It’s time for psychedelic neuroscience to face its DMNs

To link DMN [Default Mode Network] disintegration to a mental state as particular as ego-dissolution is to conveniently ignore years of non-psychedelic research findings. Returning to psychedelics, to claim that the DMN is the neural seat of the ego — and that its disintegration represents ego loss — is an ambitious reverse inference. To prove…

READ MORE
Science

[National Institutes of Health 2021 grant]… Structure and function of G protein-coupled receptors [GPCR] heteromeric complexes in brain

Grant Project 5R01MH084894-12: Our published data and the preliminary data presented here support our working hypothesis that inter-family GPCR heteromerization affects structure, sub-cellular localization and function of both 5-HT2AR and mGluR2 in living mammalian cells. Our data are also consonant with the hypothesis that a single dose of hallucinogenic 5-HT2AR agonists induces fast-acting and long-lasting…

READ MORE
Science

[National Institutes of Health 2021 grant…] the neural correlates of the effects of psilocybin in OCD: randomized controlled study

Funding from the National Institute of Health [NIH], which tends to award larger grants than philanthropists, allows researchers to delve more into the details, Johnson says. Grant Project Number 1K23MH122777-01A1: We hypothesize that psilocybin will result in increased (i.e. normalized) intra-DMN functional connectivity in OCD, and that this will correlate with any clinical change (Aim 1). Baseline…

READ MORE
Science

[National Institutes of Health 2021 grant] …psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco use disorder

“The funding side of the government has been the last to the party for a long time,” says Matthew Johnson, who studies psychedelics at Johns Hopkins University. Grant Project Number 1U01DA052174-01A1: We hypothesize that psilocybin (compared to niacin) will cause increased biologically-confirmed 7-day point-prevalence abstinence at 12-month follow-up. Based on pilot data, we will test cognitive/psychological mediators…

READ MORE
Science

Stability of tryptamines in psilocybe… mushrooms

…to prevent the degradation of alkaloids, the most suitable conditions were to dry the mushrooms whole and store in the dark at room temperature. Regardless of storage, rapid degradation of all tryptamines was observed in powder form. In the first month [re: powdered mushrooms] the greatest decrease occurred and through the second month the overall…

READ MORE
Science

[National Institutes of Health 2021 Grant]; psilcoybin in the treatment of tobacco use disorder…

“The funding side of the government has been the last to the party for a long time,” says Matthew Johnson, who studies psychedelics at Johns Hopkins University. Grant Project Number 1U01DA052174-01A1: We hypothesize that psilocybin (compared to niacin) will cause increased biologically-confirmed 7-day point-prevalence abstinence at 12-month follow-up. Based on pilot data, we will test cognitive/psychological mediators…

READ MORE
Science

How an expert psilocybin tester chooses award-winning mushroom

To determine the amount of psilocybin and psilocin in each submission, the scientists… used a technology called High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). …much like what happened with cannabis and THC, there’s been laser-focus on one compound in magic mushrooms – psilocybin. While it’s certainly important to understand the compounds that produce such a strong psychoactive effect, it’s also…

READ MORE
Science

…DMT increased growth of neurons by 40% in preclinical study at sub hallucinogenic dose

Significant growth was also observed at concentrations as low as 100 picomolar. These concentrations are well below measured levels in humans required to achieve psychedelic breakthrough.  This initial data set is from… in vitro experiments designed to provide information on the dose and duration of infusion needed to achieve maximal cortical neurite outgrowth as well as…

READ MORE