A trip toward new mental health treatment
Imperial’s Psychedelic Research Centre explores the use of psychedelics for several mental health conditions
LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, DMT. These are all compounds that Imperial’s Centre for Psychedelic Research has been investigating as forms of treatment for mental health issues.
“When delivered safely and professionally, psychedelic therapy holds a great deal of promise for treating some very serious mental health conditions,” said Dr David Erritzoe, one of the two heads of the centre.
Led by Erritzoe and Professor David Nutt, the centre investigates the use of psychedelics “to probe the brain’s basis of consciousness,” as well as in mental health care. The centre, working with the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, aims to explore the therapeutic potential of psychedelics.
“By using cutting-edge imaging methods such as PET, MRI, and EEG, the researchers hope to uncover the compounds’ therapeutic potential and mechanisms, including brain plasticity and psychological flexibility,” reads the website.
In 2022, the centre published promising findings from a clinical study exploring the use of psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms, as a treatment for depression. The study analyzed brain scans from nearly 60 participants and found that psilocybin-assisted therapy increased brain connectivity. Their research laid the basis for larger trials around the world.
“It may take a few years for psychedelic therapy to be available for patients, but research so far has been very encouraging,” Erritzoe told the Imperial News team. “Early stage clinical research has shown that when delivered safely and professionally, psychedelic therapy holds a great deal of promise for treating some very serious mental health conditions and may one day offer new hope to vulnerable people with limited treatment options.”
The group is also now interested in exploring psilocybin therapy for patients with anorexia, OCD and fibromyalgia.
“One exciting implication of our findings is that we have discovered a fundamental mechanism via which psychedelic therapy works not just for depression – but other mental illnesses, such as anorexia or addiction,” Professor Robin Carhart-Harris, former Head of the centre and the paper’s senior author, told the Imperial News Team. “We now need to test if this is the case, and if it is, then we have found something important.”
