Elucidating the Relevance of the Psychedelic Experience to Psilocybin's Anti-Anhedonic Effects

Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phasePhase 1
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18-55
SponsorMedical University of Vienna

About this trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to systematically categorize potential prohedonic effects of psilocybin in patients with anhedonia in depression. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Primary Objectives

1. Systematically categorize prohedonic effects (antianhedonic effects in patients with anhedonia in depression, increase in well-being in all participants). 2. Test effects of psilocybin on brain network complexity measures during the hedonic experience using fMRI as a correlate for prohedonic (anti-anhedonic and well-being increasing) effects. 3. Elucidate relevance of the psychedelic experience to these effects (clinical, behavioral, and imaging) in a pharmacological challenge using the 5-HT2A/D2 antagonist risperidone and extensive characterization of the psychedelic experience. Secondary Objectives 4. Test the differential effects of the psychedelic experience on fMRI paradigms measuring symptoms shown to be altered in anhedonia, more specifically reward processing and sexual arousal. 5. Test the relevance of neuroplasticity (BDNF) and inflammatory parameters to anti-anhedonic, well-being promoting, and brain network dynamic complexity effects. 6. Test the effects of the psychedelic experience on BDNF and inflammatory parameters.

Researchers will compare the effects of psilocybin in two separate sessions (one with psilocybin alone, one with co-administration of risperidone) in both patients with depression and anhedonia and healthy control participants.

Participants will:

* Take 25 mg of psilocybin p.o. in two sessions, in one of the two sessions they will take 1 mg risperidone p.o. before ingestion of psilocybin, to block psilocybin's acute psychedelic effects. * Undergo 3 MRI sessions, one before the first psilocybin session ('baseline') and one session each on the day after each respective psilocybin session. * Perform a variety of tasks during each fMRI session to asses the treatment's effects on anhedonia.

Eligibility criteria

Qualifiers

General health based on medical history, physical examination, blood draw, and electrocardiogram

Age 18 to 55 years

Right-handedness (due to potential lateralization effects of left-handed subjects)

Willingness and competence to sign the informed consent form

Disqualifiers

Current or history of neurological disease

Current medical illness requiring treatment

Pregnancy or current breastfeeding

Current or former substance dependency

Trial design

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Psilocybin (Usona Institute)
  • Risperidone 1 MG
  • MRI

Treatment groups

85 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups

Locations

1
Medical University of Vienna, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of General Psychiatry1160, ViennaState of Vienna, Austria

Sponsors and collaborators

Medical University of Vienna

Lead sponsor

University of Vienna

Collaborator