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First of its kind study pits psilocybin against a common antidepressant

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Re: First of its kind study pits psilocybin against a common antidepressant

#5
> While members of the psychedelic cohort received 25 milligrams of psilocybin during the sessions, considered a medium-to-heavy dose of the drug, those in the antidepressant group received 1 milligram. Such a low dose is typically provided in psychedelic studies in lieu of a placebo

Doesn't seem like well-designed study.

Re: First of its kind study pits psilocybin against a common antidepressant

#6
> “In hindsight I wish we’d made these other measures of well-being the primary outcome measure,” he said. “However the world — the Food and Drug Administration, the European Medicines Agency — doesn’t recognize those measures as valid.”

Am I understanding this correctly? Other academics are critical of the outcome measured, but it was specifically chosen because of recognition by national authorities.

Re: First of its kind study pits psilocybin against a common antidepressant

#7
post #5

> While members of the psychedelic cohort received 25 milligrams of psilocybin during the sessions, considered a medium-to-heavy dose of the drug, those in the antidepressant group received 1 milligram. Such a low dose is typically provided in psychedelic studies in lieu of a placebo Doesn't seem like well-designed study.

Can you explain why for those of us unfamiliar?

Re: First of its kind study pits psilocybin against a common antidepressant

#8
post #5

> While members of the psychedelic cohort received 25 milligrams of psilocybin during the sessions, considered a medium-to-heavy dose of the drug, those in the antidepressant group received 1 milligram. Such a low dose is typically provided in psychedelic studies in lieu of a placebo Doesn't seem like well-designed study.

Can you explain why for those of us unfamiliar?

Well it's not actually a placebo to start with.

Re: First of its kind study pits psilocybin against a common antidepressant

#9
post #5

> While members of the psychedelic cohort received 25 milligrams of psilocybin during the sessions, considered a medium-to-heavy dose of the drug, those in the antidepressant group received 1 milligram. Such a low dose is typically provided in psychedelic studies in lieu of a placebo Doesn't seem like well-designed study.

Can you explain why for those of us unfamiliar?

I think the concern is that you could still be getting pharmacodynamic effects at 1mg, so the control wouldn’t really be a control.

It’s entirely feasible that you could get good results and limited side effects at dose x, and poor results overwhelmed by side effects at dose 25x.

Re: First of its kind study pits psilocybin against a common antidepressant

#10
post #6

> “In hindsight I wish we’d made these other measures of well-being the primary outcome measure,” he said. “However the world — the Food and Drug Administration, the European Medicines Agency — doesn’t recognize those measures as valid.” Am I understanding this correctly? Other academics are critical of the outcome measured, but it was specifically chosen because of recognition by national authorities.

If I understood it correctly I took it to mean that the organizers of the study would have preferred to lean primarily on what government health agencies see as secondary or invalid measures of well-being.
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