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WithdrawnEarly Phase 1

Exploratory Study of Low Dose Psilocybin

NCT05227742 · University of Alabama at Birmingham

Closed to entry
Status
Not accepting participants
Early Phase 1
Phase
Target enrolment
1
Study sites
1 US states

What it is testing

Summary

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the feasibility, initial signals of efficacy, and potential mechanisms of action of "microdoses" of psilocybin (i.e., low doses of psilocybin that are not believed to produce mystical-type, transcendent, hallucinogenic, or other overtly salient subjective effects that limit functionality) in the treatment of moderate to severe demoralization (feelings of hopelessness and meaningless that frequently accompany medical illness and other life hardship).

Summary as written by the trial’s own sponsor and published on ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. It is the sponsor’s description, reproduced unedited, not an assessment by this site.

What counts as success

Primary outcome measures

  • Demoralization

    Measured over Study Termination at Week 8

  • Mystical Experience

    Measured over At the conclusion of Drug Administration #1 at Week 3

  • Mystical Experience

    Measured over At the conclusion of Drug Administration #2 at Week 4

  • Mystical Experience

    Measured over At the conclusion of Drug Administration #3 at Week 5

  • Mystical Experience

    Measured over At the conclusion of Drug Administration #4 at Week 6

  • Mystical Experience

    Measured over At the conclusion of Drug Administration #5 at Week 7

  • Challenging Experience

    Measured over At the conclusion of Drug Administration #1 at Week 3

  • Challenging Experience

    Measured over At the conclusion of Drug Administration #2 at Week 4

  • Challenging Experience

    Measured over At the conclusion of Drug Administration #3 at Week 5

  • Challenging Experience

    Measured over At the conclusion of Drug Administration #4 at Week 6

  • Challenging Experience

    Measured over At the conclusion of Drug Administration #5 at Week 7

  • PASAT

    Measured over At hour 2 of Drug Administration #3 at Week 5

  • Trail Making

    Measured over At hour 2 of Drug Administration #4 at Week 6

  • CPT-3

    Measured over At hour 2 of Drug Administration #5 at Week 7

A trial succeeds or fails on its primary outcome, declared in advance. Everything else it reports is secondary by definition.

Who can take part

Eligibility, as published

25 Years to 65 Years
Ages
All
Sex
Accepted
Healthy volunteers
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Ability to read and write in English 2. Between 25 and 65 years old 3. Demoralization Scale-II (DS-II) score of \> 8 4. No prior hallucinogen use or it would have been 3 years since the last use of a hallucinogen 5. Availability of a friend, family member, or other form of transportation (e.g., Uber) to drive participants home after their drug administration sessions 6. In good general health as assessed by detailed medical history interview and physical examination Exclusion Criteria: 1. 24 years of age or younger; 66 years of age or older 2. Women who are pregnant (pregnancy status confirmed via urine pregnancy test) or breastfeeding 3. Current hypertension (exceeding 140 systolic and/or 90 diastolic at resting) 4. Use of methylphenidate or other medications for ADHD, benzodiazepines or other medications for anxiety (e.g., beta-blockers), tricyclic antidepressants, MAOIs, SSRIs, SNRIs or other medications for depression, lithium or other mood stabilizers, haloperidol or other antipsychotic medications, any medications or supplements with serotonin activity (e.g., St. John's Wort), or any other pharmacologic or biologic agent used to treat depression or anxiety (e.g., magnesium, cannabis) 5. Personal or family history (first or second degree relatives) of psychotic or bipolar I or II disorders 6. Any suicidal ideation of type 4 or type 5 on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) in the 3 months prior to screening (i.e., active suicidal thought with method and intent but without a specific plan, or active suicidal thought with method, intent and plan). 7. History of head trauma, loss of consciousness, or neurological disease 8. Receiving treatment within the past 30 days for depression, anxiety, or substance use disorder 9. Participation within the past 30 days in a clinical trial for the treatment of depression, anxiety, or substance use disorder 10. Any current substance use disorder diagnosis (substance abstinence confirmed via urine drug screen) 11. History of immoderate alcohol consumption within the past 3 months per NIAAA definitions: more than 4 drinks per day or 14 drinks per week for men; more than 3 drinks per day or 7 drinks per week for women 12. Any headache disorder (i.e., migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache) in the past year 13. Planning to move from the Birmingham area in the next 3 months

Where

1 study site

FacilityCityRegionCountry
University of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamAlabamaUnited States

On the registry

Contact the trial directly

This site does not enrol anyone and is not involved in this trial. To ask about taking part, use the sponsor’s own contact details on the official registry record, which is also where the most current version of everything above lives.

Before you do, the preparation checklist lists what a site will ask you on a first call and what is worth asking them. It is free and collects nothing.

NCT05227742 on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Last updated in the registry 2026-03-11. Registry records change; this page reflects the data build of 2026-08-25.

Related

Where this trial sits