This Phase 2a clinical trial is an open-label, single-group, within-subjects pilot study designed to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of psilocybin as a therapeutic intervention for adults with developmental stuttering. This pilot study will assess whether further research to explore the potential benefits of psilocybin-assisted therapy for improving clinical outcomes in individuals who stutter, is warranted. The aims of this study include: * Aim 1: Assess the safety and feasibility of psilocybin as a therapeutic agent for stuttering. * Aim 2: Evaluate the effects of psilocybin on objective and subjective measures of stuttering severity, struggle, and well-being. * Aim 3: Explore the therapeutic neural mechanisms of psilocybin in stuttering.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
25
Participants will receive a single oral high-dose of psilocybin, 25 mg.
Speech therapy will consist of standard stuttering modification therapy, which includes four phases: Identification, Desensitization, Modification, Stabilization.
NYU Langone Health
New York, New York, United States
Change in Stuttering Severity Instrument - 4th Edition (SSI-4) total score
The Stuttering Severity Instrument-4th Edition (SSI-4) provides a total score that is compared to age-specific norms to determine severity, with ranges for "Very Mild" to "Very Severe". The SSI-4 calculates individual scores for frequency (2-18), duration (2-18), and physical concomitants (0-20). These individual scores are combined to create a total score, which is then ranked against norms to provide a verbal severity descriptor, such as mild, moderate, severe, or very severe.
Time frame: Week 4, Week 12
Change in frequency subcomponent score of the SSI-4
The Stuttering Severity Instrument-4th Edition (SSI-4) provides a total score that is compared to age-specific norms to determine severity, with ranges for "Very Mild" to "Very Severe". The SSI-4 calculates individual scores for frequency (2-18), duration (2-18), and physical concomitants (0-20). These individual scores are combined to create a total score, which is then ranked against norms to provide a verbal severity descriptor, such as mild, moderate, severe, or very severe.
Time frame: Week 4, Week 12
Change in duration subcomponent score of the SSI-4
The Stuttering Severity Instrument-4th Edition (SSI-4) provides a total score that is compared to age-specific norms to determine severity, with ranges for "Very Mild" to "Very Severe". The SSI-4 calculates individual scores for frequency (2-18), duration (2-18), and physical concomitants (0-20). These individual scores are combined to create a total score, which is then ranked against norms to provide a verbal severity descriptor, such as mild, moderate, severe, or very severe.
Time frame: Week 4, Week 12
Change in physical concomitants subcomponent score of the SSI-4
The Stuttering Severity Instrument-4th Edition (SSI-4) provides a total score that is compared to age-specific norms to determine severity, with ranges for "Very Mild" to "Very Severe". The SSI-4 calculates individual scores for frequency (2-18), duration (2-18), and physical concomitants (0-20). These individual scores are combined to create a total score, which is then ranked against norms to provide a verbal severity descriptor, such as mild, moderate, severe, or very severe.
Time frame: Week 4, Week 12
Change in Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering - Adults (OASES-A) score
The OASES-A is a tool used by speech-language pathologists to measure the adverse impact of stuttering on an adult's life. It consists of 100 questions rated on a 5-point scale (1-5). The scores from individual questions are added together to create an overall score. The total score is then used to determine the "Impact Rating" on a scale from mild to severe. Higher scores indicate higher levels of negative impact.
Time frame: Week 4, Week 12
Change in self-reported stuttering severity Wright and Ayre Stuttering Self-Rating Profile (WASSP) score
The WASSP produces a profile of scores across five subscales. There is a total of 26 items each scored on a seven-point Likert-type scale. A score of '1' represents the least severe/negative perception, while a '7' represents the most severe/negative perception on each scale. Total scores range from 26-182, with higher scores indicating a greater negative impact of stuttering on their life.
Time frame: Week 4, Week 12
Change in the Brief Version of the Unhelpful Thoughts and Beliefs About Stuttering Scales (UTBAS-6) total score
The UTBAS-6 is a six-item screening questionnaire for adults who stutter to measure unhelpful thoughts and beliefs associated with speech anxiety. The UTBAS-6 has a subscale score range of 6 to 30 and a total score range of 18 to 90. A higher score indicates more frequent unhelpful thoughts and greater anxiety related to stuttering.
Time frame: Week 4, Week 12
Change in Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (BFNE-S) total score
The BFNE-S consists of 8 items that are rated on a five-point likert scale from 1 (not at all characteristic) to 4 (extremely characteristic). Scores range from 0 to 32. A score of 25 or higher may indicate clinically significant social anxiety.
Time frame: Week 4, Week 12
Change in the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) score
The SIAS is a 20-item self-report questionnaire that measures the severity of social anxiety. Each item is rated from 0 (not at all characteristic or true of me) to 4 (extremely characteristic or ture of me). Scores can range from 0 (no social anxiety) to 80 (maximum social anxiety). A score of 36 or higher is often considered clinically significant, suggesting the presence of social anxiety.
Time frame: Week 4, Week 12
Change in Stuttering Anticipation Scale (SAS) score
The SAS is a 25-item self-report tool measuring specific action responses (avoidance, physical changes, approach) on a 7-point scale from 1 (Never) to 7 (always). Scores range from 25-175, with higher scores indicating more frequent anticipatory behaviors.
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Time frame: Week 4, Week 12