Wissenschaftliche Forschung

Zusammenfassung

Context: Researchers conducted extensive investigations of hallucinogens in the 1950s and 1960s. By the early 1970s, however, political and cultural pressures forced the cessation of all projects. This investigation reexamines a potentially promising clinical application of hallucinogens in the treatment of anxiety reactive to advanced-stage cancer. Objective: To explore the safety and efficacy of psilocybin in patients with advanced-stage cancer and reactive anxiety. Design: A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of patients with advanced-stage cancer and anxiety, with subjects acting as their own control, using a moderate dose (0.2 mg/kg) of psilocybin. Setting: A clinical research unit within a large public sector academic medical center. Participants: Twelve adults with advanced-stage cancer and anxiety. Main Outcome Measures: In addition to monitoring safety and subjective experience before, during, and after treatment with psilocybin, 5 subscales of the Profile of Mood States, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and a Quality of Life Inventory were administered the day before, day of, and 1 day, 2 weeks, and 6 months after treatment with psilocybin. Results: Safe physiological and psychological responses were documented during treatment sessions. There were no clinically significant adverse events with psilocybin. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory trait anxiety subscale demonstrated a significant reduction in anxiety at 1 and 3 months after treatment. The Beck Depression Inventory revealed an improvement of mood that reached significance at 6 months; the Profile of Mood States identified mood improvement after treatment with psilocybin that approached but did not reach significance. Conclusions: This study established the feasibility and safety of administering moderate doses of psilocybin to patients with advanced-stage cancer and anxiety. Some of the data revealed a positive trend toward improved mood and anxiety. These results support the need for more research in this long-neglected field.