Psilocybin as a tool for enhanced divergent thinking and positive learning mechanisms

Completed

Conditions: no health condition is being address in the research, and healthy volunteers who have previous experience with psychedelics will be recruited
n.a.

Registration Number: NL-OMON49008

Lead Sponsor: niversiteit Maastricht

Brief Summary: Not available

Detailed Description: Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Completed

Sex: Not specified

Target Recruitment: 120

Inclusion Criteria

In order to be eligible to participate in this study, a subject must meet all
of the following criteria:
* Previous experience with a psychedelic drug, but not within the past 3 months.
* Age between 18 and 40 years
* Free from psychotropic medication
* Good physical health as determined by medical examination and laboratory
analysis
* Absence of any major medical, endocrine and neurological condition
* Normal weight, body mass index (weight/height2) between 18 and 28 kg/m2
* Proficient knowledge of the English language, defined as having at least 5
years of English language education (in high school or other education)
* Written Informed Consent

Exclusion Criteria

A potential subject who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded
from participation in this study:
* History of drug addiction (determined by the medical questionnaire, drug
questionnaire and medical examination)
* Previous experience of serious side effects to psychedelic drugs (anxiety or
panic attacks)
* Pregnancy or lactation
* Hypertension (diastolic> 90; systolic> 140)
* Current or history of psychiatric disorder (determined by the medical
questionnaire and medical examination)
* Liver dysfunction
* History of cardiac dysfunctions (arrhythmia, ischemic heart disease,*)
* For women: no use of a reliable contraceptive

Study & Design

Study Type: Interventional

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>Divergent thinking will be measured using the picture concept test and the<br /><br>alternate uses test Outcome measures of these tests include fluency,<br /><br>originality, quantity, quality, and flexibility of answers. Behavior switching<br /><br>will be measured via the three-stage instrumental learning task. Outcome<br /><br>measures of this test include accuracy and reaction time.</p><br>

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>Underlying receptor mechanisms will be assessed via ketanserin. Functional<br /><br>connectivity will be measures via functional magnetic resonance imaging.<br /><br>Neurotransmission and metabolic activity will be measured via proton magnetic<br /><br>resonance imaging. Drug kinetics will be assessed via blood samples.<br /><br>Subjective experience will be assessed via questionnaires (Visual analogue<br /><br>scale, five-dimensional altered states of consciousness, profile of mood<br /><br>states, ego-dissolution inventory, and the persisting effects questionnaire).<br /><br>Neuroendocrine stress markers will be assessed via cortisol concentrations in<br /><br>saliva. Additionally, cognitive and affective empathy will be assessed using<br /><br>the multifacted empathy test.</p><br>