No difference seen in change in depression scores at six weeks for psilocybin plus placebo versus psilocybin plus escitalopram<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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THURSDAY, April 15, 2021 (HealthDay News) — For patients with major depressive disorder, the change in scores for depression at six weeks does not differ significantly with psilocybin or psilocybin plus escitalopram, according to a study published in the April 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine<\/em>.<\/p>\n Robin Carhart-Harris, Ph.D., from Imperial College London, and colleagues randomly assigned patients with long-standing, moderate-to-severe major depressive disorder to receive two separate doses of 25 mg of psilocybin three weeks apart plus daily placebo for six weeks or two separate doses of 1 mg psilocybin three weeks apart plus six weeks of daily oral escitalopram (30 and 29 patients, respectively) in a phase 2 trial. Psychological support was also provided for all patients.<\/p>\n The researchers found that the mean changes in scores on the 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report (QIDS-SR-16) from baseline to week 6 were \u00e2\u0088\u00928.0 \u00c2\u00b1 1.0 points and \u00e2\u0088\u00926.0 \u00c2\u00b1 1.0 points in the psilocybin and escitalopram groups, respectively (between-group difference, 2.0 points; 95 percent confidence interval, \u00e2\u0088\u00925.0 to 0.9; P = 0.17). A QIDS-SR-16 response occurred in 70 and 48 percent of patients in the psilocybin and escitalopram groups, respectively, for a between-group difference of 22 percentage points (95 percent confidence interval, \u00e2\u0088\u00923 to 48); QIDS-SR-16 remission occurred in 57 and 28 percent, respectively (between-group difference, 28 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 2 to 54). In general, psilocybin was favored over escitalopram in other secondary outcomes, but the analyses were not corrected for multiple comparisons.<\/p>\n “Larger and longer trials are needed to compare psilocybin with established treatments for depression,” the authors write.<\/p>\n Several authors disclosed financial ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/i><\/p>\n