Psilocybin 25 mg per os: Caps of psilocybin administered orally once (V3) under medical and psychologist supervision in group 1, 2, and 3 and in an open-label setting for group 4
Trazodone 5mg: Oral preparation of trazodone administered orally once (V3) with psilocybin in Group 2
Trazodone 30 mg: Oral preparation of trazodone administered orally once (V3) with psilocybin in Groups 3 \& 4
Placebo of psilocybin: Caps of psilocybin placebo will be administered at V3 in group 4
Placebo of trazodone: A placebo of trazodone will be administered orally at V3 in group 1
Study summary
Psilocybin, a serotonin receptor agonist in the brain, significantly and quickly improves depressive symptoms while inducing profound acute subjective effects.
The benefit-risk ratio of psilocybin in treatment-resistant depression seems favorable, but needs to be confirmed. Moreover, the role of 5-HT2A receptors, involved in the psychedelic experience, on the therapeutic efficacy of psilocybin is still poorly understood. For example, pre-administration of trazodone, a 5-HT2A antagonist antidepressant, could annihilate the acute subjective effects of psilocybin without altering its beneficial effects (Rosenblat et al., 2023). We intend to test this hypothesis by comparing, in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the effect of two possible doses of trazodone (total or partial occupancy of 5-HT2A receptors) on the benefit/risk ratio of psilocybin.
We hypothesize that the therapeutic effects of psilocybin are partially independent of 5-HT2A receptor activation and thus persist even after total or partial neutralization of its acute subjective effects.
Eligibility
Sex
ALL
Min age
18 Years
Max age
—
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion Criteria:
* Patient with major depressive episode without psychotic features according to DSM-5 criteria;
* Treatment-resistant depressive episode, i.e. failure to respond to at least two lines of antidepressant medication at an adequate dose and for a sufficient period of time (6 weeks according to the MGH-ATRQ);
* MADRS ≥ 20;
* Written signed informed consent;
* Patient covered by the social security system.
Exclusion Criteria:
Psychiatric comorbidities known from medical history or identified during inclusion assessment:
* Bipolar disorder;
* Schizophrenia and psychosis;
* Personal or family history of psychotic disorder;
* History of personality disorder;
* Post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders;
* Alcohol or substance use disorder in past 12 months or positive urine toxins at time of assessment;
* Significant suicide risk, as defined by: (a) suicidal ideation as indicated by items 4 or 5 on the C-SSRS within the past six months, at Screening, during the Screening Period, or at Baseline (b) demonstrating suicidal behaviors in the past six months, or; (c). clinical assessment of significant suicidal risk or risk of self-injury during participant interview;
* Patient with a psychiatric decompensation following a previous use of psychedelic substance like LSD;
Comorbidities or somatic specificities:
* Pregnancy and breastfeeding women;
* Cardiovascular history (myocardial infarction, stroke, heart rhythm disorder, uncontrolled hypertension, QT interval prolongation, tachycardia and poor cardiovascular health);
* Uncontrolled diabetes;
* Uncontrolled thyroid disorder;
* Epilepsy;
* Parkinson's disease treated by selegiline or levodopa;
* HIV treated by ritonavir and indinavir;
* Active infection treated by erythromycin;
* Fungal infection treated by ketoconazole and itraconazole;
* Contraindications to MRI;
Concomitant therapies:
* 5-HT antagonist treatment2A (including quetiapine, olanzapine, aripiprazole);
* Lithium treatment;
* Treatment with buprenorphine or opioids, clonidine, methyldopa, digoxin, Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) inhibitors and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) inhibitors, St. John's Wort, or warfarin should be discontinued completely before study drug administration;
* Use of electroconvulsive therapy and/or transcranial magnetic stimulation, during the current depressive episode; or lifetime vagus nerve stimulation, deep brain stimulation, and/or ablative neurosurgery;
* Use of psychedelics (psilocybin, lysergic acid, ayahuasca, mescaline and derivatives) during current episode;
Legal status:
* Persons deprived of their liberty by judicial or administrative decision, persons under compulsory psychiatric care;
* Persons under legal protection or unable to give consent;
Other:
\- Any clinical manifestation which, in the opinion of the investigator, may interfere with the interpretation of study results or constitute a health risk to the participant if he or she participates in the study.
Primary outcome measure(s)
Change from Baseline in the mean score of Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) at 1 month — Baseline, Month 1 Mean difference of MADRS scores between one month and Baseline, between the following groups: psilocybin + trazodone 30 mg (Group 3) and placebo + trazodone (Group 4).
This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.
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