A5058082561- Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
- Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Bipolar Disorder and Treatment
- Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Child Abuse and Trauma
- Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout
- Mental Health Research Topics
- Neuroscience of respiration and sleep
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- COVID-19 and healthcare impacts
- Psychedelics and Drug Studies
- Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
- Resilience and Mental Health
- Treatment of Major Depression
- Sleep and related disorders
- Diet and metabolism studies
University College London
2016-2025
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
2019-2025
Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust
2019-2025
St Pancras Hospital
2018-2025
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
2019-2025
National Institute for Health Research
2020-2025
Institute of Mental Health
2019-2024
Mental Health Research UK
2018-2024
NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at The Royal Marsden and the ICR
2023-2024
Psychiatry Research Trust
2024
Psilocybin is a serotonin receptor agonist that occurs naturally in some mushroom species. Recent studies have assessed the therapeutic potential of psilocybin for various conditions, including end-of-life anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and smoking alcohol dependence, with promising preliminary results. Here, we aimed to investigate feasibility, safety, efficacy patients unipolar treatment-resistant depression.In this open-label feasibility trial, 12 (six men, six women)...
Recent clinical trials are reporting marked improvements in mental health outcomes with psychedelic drug-assisted psychotherapy. Here, we report on safety and efficacy for up to 6 months an open-label trial of psilocybin treatment-resistant depression. Twenty patients (six females) (mostly) severe, unipolar, major depression received two oral doses (10 25 mg, 7 days apart) a supportive setting. Depressive symptoms were assessed from 1 week post-treatment, the self-rated QIDS-SR16 as primary...
Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether microglial activity, measured using translocator-protein positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, is increased in unmedicated persons presenting with subclinical symptoms indicating that they are at ultra high risk psychosis and activity elevated schizophrenia after controlling for a translocator-specific genetic polymorphism. Method: authors used the second-generation radioligand [11C]PBR28 PET image brains participants...
What you need to know• Cannabis based products for medicinal use contain cannabinoids derived from the cannabis plant, including ∆ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), or a combination of THC and CBD.Synthetic typically mimic effects specific such as THC• is constituent that causes "high," whereas CBD not intoxicating at typical doses.THC have contrasting mechanisms action therapeutic indications; carries higher risk adverse events compared with CBD• Rescheduling on 1 November...
Resistance to antipsychotic treatment is a significant clinical problem in patients with schizophrenia approximately 1 3 showing limited or no response repeated treatments medication. The neurobiological basis for resistance unknown but recent evidence implicates glutamatergic function the anterior cingulate cortex. We examined glutamate levels of chronically ill treatment-resistant directly compared treatment-responsive patients.We acquired proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) at...
: Studies have shown that working in frontline healthcare roles during epidemics and pandemics was associated with PTSD, depression, anxiety, other mental health disorders.
Objective: Early evidence suggests that ketamine may be an effective treatment to sustain abstinence from alcohol. The authors investigated the safety and efficacy of compared with placebo in increasing patients alcohol use disorder. An additional aim was pilot combined mindfulness-based relapse prevention therapy education as a control. Methods: In double-blind placebo-controlled phase 2 clinical trial, 96 severe disorder were randomly assigned one four conditions: 1) three weekly infusions...
The compound 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a potent monoamine releaser that produces an acute euphoria in most individuals.In double-blind, placebo-controlled, balanced-order study, MDMA was orally administered to 25 physically and mentally healthy individuals. Arterial spin labeling seed-based resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) were used produce spatial maps displaying changes cerebral blood flow (CBF) RSFC after administration. Participants underwent two arterial...
Anecdotally, both acute and chronic cannabis use have been associated with apathy, amotivation, other reward processing deficits. To date, empirical support for these effects is limited, no previous studies assessed of Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) cannabidiol (CBD), as well associations dependence. The objectives this study were (1) to examine CBD (Cann + CBD) without (Cann-CBD) on effort-related decision-making (2) between dependence, learning. In 1, 17 participants each received three...
Childhood adversity increases the risk of psychosis in adulthood. Theoretical and animal models suggest that this effect may be mediated by increased striatal dopamine neurotransmission. The primary objective study was to examine relationship between childhood function early Secondary objectives were compare exposure young people at ultra high (UHR) healthy volunteers. Sixty-seven adults, comprising 47 individuals UHR for 20 volunteers recruited from same geographic area matched age, gender...
Chronic psychosocial adversity induces vulnerability to mental illnesses. Animal studies demonstrate that this may be mediated by dopaminergic dysfunction. We therefore investigated whether long-term exposure was associated with dopamine dysfunction and its relationship psychological physiological responses acute stress. Using 3,4-dihydroxy-6-[18F]-fluoro-l-phenylalanine ([18F]-DOPA) positron emission tomography (PET), we compared synthesis capacity in n = 17 human participants high...
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a significant burden on the mental health and wellbeing of frontline social care workers. need to support staff been recognised. However, there is date little research specifically how best needs workers, none their own experiences views about what might be most helpful.We set out redress this gap by qualitatively exploring UK workers' psychosocial during pandemic.Frontline workers were recruited purposively through media snowball sampling via healthcare...
Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is having a well-documented impact on the mental health of front-line and social care workers (HSCWs). However, little attention has been paid to experiences of, on, professionals who were rapidly tasked with supporting them. Aims We set out redress this gap by qualitatively exploring UK professionals’ experiences, views needs while working support well-being HSCWs during COVID-19 pandemic. Method Mental in roles recruited...
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a potent monoamine-releaser that widely used as recreational drug. Preliminary work has supported the potential of MDMA in psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The neurobiological mechanisms underlying its putative efficacy are, however, poorly understood. Psychotherapy PTSD usually requires patients revisit traumatic memories, and it been argued this easier to do under MDMA. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was...