NYU Study on Psilocybin and its Capacity to Treat Alcohol Addiction
Methods: This double-blind randomized clinical trial aimed to assess the impact of psilocybin combined with psychotherapy in reducing heavy drinking among those with alcohol dependence. 93 participants were randomly assigned to receive two separate doses of psilocybin or an antihistamine placebo at 4 and 8 weeks. Neither the researchers nor the study participants knew which medication they received. During sessions, patients were required to stay in the room with the therapists for at least 8 hours, encouraged to lay on a couch wearing eyecovers and headphones playing a standardized playlist of music. Subjects were also offered 12 psychotherapy sessions, 4 before the first dosed session, 4 between the first and second dosed sessions, and 4 in the month following the second dosed session. During the 8 month study, partakers were required to report any drinking, with abstinence confirmed through hair and fingernail samples.
Demographics:
Participants: 42 individuals were female and 51 male ages 25 to 65 (average age of 46). One participant (1.1%) was American Indian/Alaska Native, 3 (3.2%) were Asian, 4 (4.2%) were Black, 14 (14.7%) were Hispanic, and 75 (78.9%) were White. *sum is greater than 100% due to multiple categories selected by 2 participants.
Alcohol Consumption: Participants length of alcohol dependence was at an average of 14 years with an average consumption of 7 drinks per drinking day.
Results:
Psilocybin Group: 43 participants were assigned to this treatment and reduced heavy drinking by 83% over the 8-month period.
Placebo Group: 45 participants were assigned here and showed a 51% reduction in heavy drinking over the 8-month period.
Abstinence Rates: Eight months after the first dose, 48% of the psilocybin group stopped drinking altogether compared to 24% in the placebo group.
Conclusion: The study highlighted the promising nature of psilocybin therapy in treating alcohol use disorder. These findings strongly suggested that two doses of psilocybin, when coupled with psychotherapy, significantly reduced heavy drinking among individuals with alcohol use disorder, a condition notoriously difficult to manage through conventional methods. The study's success warrants further exploration through larger trials to validate and expand upon the therapeutic effects of psilocybin.
