Long- lasting psilocybin
The effect of taking psychedelics persists for five years
Georgy Golovanov, Hi-tech+
Doctors plan to use psychedelic drug therapy as a palliative to improve the well-being of cancer patients.
About 40% of cancer patients show signs of depression or anxiety after learning about their diagnosis, and these experiences can negatively affect the results of treatment, and in some cases even lead to suicide.
The first studies of the influence of psychedelics, in particular LSD, on depression and anxiety were conducted back in the 50s and 60s of the last century, but since then this direction has been frozen for several decades due to public disapproval. When the legislation was relaxed at the beginning of the XXI century, the research was continued. The first results were promising, but until now there was no data on how long the beneficial effect of psychedelic drug therapy lasts. The longest study lasted only 12 months, reports New Atlas.
A new work by American scientists (Agin-Liebes et al., Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for psychiatric and existential distress in patients with life-threatening cancer / Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2020– VM) describes an experiment that began in 2016. Then 29 volunteers took part in a study during which one group took a single dose of psilocybin. The other group received a placebo. Both have undergone a course of psychotherapy. Six months later, 60% to 80% of patients showed clinically significant signs of depression and anxiety reduction.
After four and a half years, new studies of the same group were conducted. Of the 29 patients, 16 remained alive, one of whom refused to participate, and the other died before the data collection was completed.
However, the remaining patients had the same positive effects as in the original study.
In addition, most of the participants called participation in the experiment one of the most significant experiences in their lives.
Scientists emphasize that the impact of psychedelics would not have been so significant if it had not been accompanied by a course of psychotherapy. The researchers explain this result by the fact that psychedelics are different from other psychiatric drugs, since their effect depends very much on the context of reception. Traditional drugs, such as antidepressants, affect biological processes that lead to psychological and behavioral changes, regardless of the context of administration.
How exactly a single dose of psilocybin combined with psychotherapy had such a significant effect after five years is still a mystery. Perhaps psychedelics modify the areas of the brain responsible for processing information. For a definitive answer to this question, more extensive research should be conducted.
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