Twenty healthy adults (≥21 years old) will be enrolled to evaluate the efficacy of a single oral dose of psilocybin (25 mg) administered with or without pretreatment using oral pimavanserin (34 mg) or placebo. Outcome assessments will occur at 1 week and 1 month following psilocybin administration. The purpose of this study is to clarify the receptor-level mechanisms underlying psilocybin's effects on mood and well-being, along with the associated neurophysiologic signatures. These mechanisms will be examined using psychometric scales, autonomic and fMRI-based neurophysiologic markers, and integrated pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
20
Psilocybin, 25 mg, oral, single dose
Pimavanserin, 34 mg, oral, two doses
Inactive placebo, oral, two doses
Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
RECRUITINGPersisting Effects Questionnaire (PEQ) score
Persisting effects will be assessed using the single item well-being item from the Persisting Effects Questionnaire (PEQ) at 1-week (primary inferential contrast) and 1-month post-dosing. The PEQ is an instrument designed to measure participants' retrospective attributions regarding the longer-term impact of the psilocybin experience, including effects on mood, behavior, and overall well-being. The item is rated on a 7-point Likert scale (-3 = decreased very much; -2 = decreased moderately; -1 = decreased slightly; 0 = no change; 1 = increased slightly; 2 = increased moderately; 3 = increased very much). Score range -3 to 3.
Time frame: Day 7, Day 30
Amygdala Response to Stimuli in the Emotion Recognition Test
Blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) percent signal change in response to stimuli in the emotion recognition task will be measured in the left and right amygdala.
Time frame: Day -1 (baseline), Day 7, Day 30
Pharmacokinetics (PK) of Psilocybin metabolites
PK parameter (AUC 0-6h) for unconjugated psilocin in plasma.
Time frame: 0-6 hours
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