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Psilocybin Efficacy and Mechanisms of Action in Major Depressive Disorder: a Review

  • Mood Disorders (E Baca-Garcia, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Purpose of the Review

We aim to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge about the efficacy of psilocybin in the treatment of depression, as well as its mechanisms of action.

Recent Findings

Psilocybin has a large, rapid, and persistent clinical effect in the treatment of resistant or end-of-life depression. Tolerance is good, with mild side effects limited to a few hours after dosing. The studies conducted to date have had small sample sizes. One clinical trial has been conducted against a reference treatment (escitalopram) without showing a significant superiority of psilocybin in the main outcome. The neurobiological mechanisms, mostly unknown, differ from those of SSRI antidepressants.

Summary

Psilocybin represents a promising alternative in the treatment of depression. Further research with larger sample sizes, particularly against reference treatments, is needed to better understand the neurobiological factors of its effects and to investigate its potential for use in everyday practice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Adult Psychiatry Department of Nîmes University Hospital, 585 chemin du Mas de Lauze, 30900, Nîmes, France

    Damien Prouzeau, Ismaël Conejero, Mocrane Abbar & Jorge Lopez-Castroman

  2. Centre de Biochimie Structurale (CBS), UMR 5048, University of Montpellier, INSERM U1054, CNRS, Montpellier, France

    Peter L. Voyvodic

  3. Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, UMR 5203, University of Montpellier, INSERM U1191, CNRS, Montpellier, France

    Carine Becamel

  4. CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain

    Jorge Lopez-Castroman

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  1. Damien Prouzeau
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Correspondence to Damien Prouzeau.

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Prouzeau, D., Conejero, I., Voyvodic, P.L. et al. Psilocybin Efficacy and Mechanisms of Action in Major Depressive Disorder: a Review. Curr Psychiatry Rep 24, 573–581 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-022-01361-0

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