The Bloom #189 Free Edition pen-ultimate email, from here

Hi there,

It's been two months. I owe you a quick explanation before we get into the papers.

The short version: I've been rebuilding Blossom from scratch. New database, new frontend, new everything. While I was doing that, I kept sending small signals on LinkedIn — a look at the updated Atlas of Psychedelic Research and the new events search page if you want a preview of where things are heading.

The new site is live now at moreblossom.com. It's still being polished (I'm squishing the bugs as they say in developer land ... I think) but the full launch is April 2nd. You're welcome to explore before then.

The Bloom restarts properly next Monday. Weekly, every Monday, from the new home.

Before that happens, you'll get a couple of short emails from me via the new system, just to introduce what's changed and what's coming. Nothing long. Worth a read.

It's good to be (almost) back. So for now, see the latest papers I found, now linked to the new site.

Floris

P.S. Your account is already on the new site. Go to moreblossom.com, enter this email address, and you'll get a login code.

P.P.S. See anything broken, missing, wonky? Leave some feedback on the Roadmap, or hit reply.

Latest Psychedelic Research

1 A randomized clinical trial of repeated doses of psilocybin for the treatment of obsessive–compulsive disorder​

This randomised clinical trial (n=15) found that psilocybin (up to 21mg/70kg) given over up to eight weekly sessions was well-tolerated with no serious adverse events, and significantly reduced OCD symptoms compared to placebo, with 73% of participants responding and 40% reaching remission by the end of the 8-week treatment, with meaningful effects still present at 6 months.

2 Psilocybin or Nicotine Patch for Smoking Cessation A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial​

This pilot randomised clinical trial (n=82) found that a single dose of psilocybin (30mg/70kg) combined with cognitive behavioural therapy produced significantly higher long-term smoking abstinence rates at 6 months compared to nicotine patches plus CBT (41% vs 10%), with no serious adverse events attributed to either treatment.

3 Age moderates the relationship between psychedelics use and mental health in naturalistic settings​

This cross-sectional survey (n=1,088) found that age significantly moderates the relationship between lifetime psychedelic use and mental health, with classic psychedelics such as psilocybin being associated with lower depression and anxiety in younger adults, but these benefits diminish with age and even reverse for anxiety in older participants.

4 Effectiveness and factors associated with esketamine response during the 4-week induction period for treatment-resistant depression: post-hoc analysis of the real-world ESKALE study​

This post-hoc analysis (n=128) of the French real-world ESKALE study found that intranasal esketamine produced a rapid and steadily increasing antidepressant response in patients with treatment-resistant depression over four weeks (response rate rising from 19% at week one to 47% at week four), and that experiencing dissociation during the first week of treatment may be an early indicator of a positive response.

5 Blood biomarker changes and relationships after low dose oral ketamine treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)​

This open-label trial (n=25) found that six weeks of low-dose oral ketamine treatment for PTSD was associated with small but significant decreases in both BDNF and VEGF-A blood biomarkers, which were positively correlated with each other, suggesting these two proteins may interact as part of the biological mechanism behind ketamine's effects on PTSD symptoms.

6 Therapeutic-Like Context and Relational Support During Psychedelic Use Moderate Links Among Stress, Challenging Experiences, and Psychological Outcomes​

This online survey (n=1,867) found that therapeutic-like context and support helped buffer the negative effects of life stress on challenging psychedelic experiences, and also moderated how those challenging experiences affected psychological outcomes such as well-being and coping.

New on Blossom

1 Atlas of Psychedelic Research​

Where do the psychedelic research trials take place? And did you know there are now over 1000 of them? Find all on the Atlas. Filter by year, topic, compound, etc.

2 Events Page​

Discover upcoming psychedelic conferences, scientific summits, and local gatherings. Filter by location, date, and format to find your next gathering.

(like ICPR where I will be again this year)

Molenvaart 76, Anna Paulowna, NH 1761AL
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