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Multidimensional Personality Changes Following Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy in Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder: Results From a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

The American journal of psychiatry
January 1, 2025
Broc A Pagni et al. (9 authors)
Clinical Trial, Phase IIJournal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to determine whether psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) could attenuate personality abnormalities in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and whether reductions in trait impulsiveness were associated with lower alcohol consumption.

Results Summary

The psilocybin group showed significant reductions in neuroticism and increases in extraversion and openness compared to placebo, with decreases in impulsiveness linked to lower posttreatment alcohol consumption, particularly among those with prior moderate- or high-risk drinking.

Population

Adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD) (N=84).

Effective Dosage

Two medication sessions (psilocybin or diphenhydramine), exact dosage not specified.

Duration

12 weeks of psychotherapy plus 24 weeks of follow-up (total 36 weeks).

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (9)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT)
decrease
neuroticism
patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD)
-
significant reductions
#1
psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT)
increase
extraversion
patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD)
-
increases
#2
psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT)
increase
openness
patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD)
-
increases
#3
psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT)
decrease
depression
patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD)
-
decreases
#4
psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT)
decrease
impulsiveness
patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD)
-
decreases
#5
psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT)
decrease
vulnerability
patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD)
-
decreases
#6
psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT)
increase
openness toward feelings
patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD)
-
increases
#7
psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT)
increase
fantasy
patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD)
-
increases
#8
-
decrease
posttreatment alcohol consumption
all participants
-
associated with lower
#9
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Evidence suggests that psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) leads to durable shifts in personality structure. However, such changes have yet to be characterized in disorders of addiction. In this secondary analysis from a randomized controlled trial, the authors examined the effect of PAT on personality dimensions in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD), hypothesizing that PAT would attenuate personality abnormalities in AUD and that reductions in trait impulsiveness would be associated with lower drinking. METHODS: Eighty-four adults with AUD were randomized to two medication sessions of either psilocybin (N=44) or active placebo (diphenhydramine; N=40), received 12 weekly psychotherapy sessions, and completed follow-up for an additional 24 weeks. Changes in personality traits (week 36 vs. baseline) were assessed with the revised NEO Personality Inventory; daily alcohol consumption was quantified using the timeline followback. RESULTS: Relative to the placebo group, the psilocybin group showed significant reductions in neuroticism and increases in extraversion and openness. Secondary analyses showed that reductions in neuroticism were driven by decreases in the facets depression, impulsiveness, and vulnerability; increases in openness were driven by increases in the facets openness toward feelings and fantasy. Across all participants, decreases in impulsiveness were associated with lower posttreatment alcohol consumption, and an exploratory analysis revealed that these associations were strongest among psilocybin-treated participants who continued moderate- or high-risk drinking prior to the first medication session. CONCLUSIONS: PAT elicited durable shifts in personality, suggesting normalization of abnormal personality trait expression in AUD. Further study is needed to clarify whether PAT exerts its beneficial effects by reducing impulsiveness or whether impulsive individuals inherently respond better to PAT.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedAlcoholismCombined Modality TherapyDouble-Blind MethodHallucinogensImpulsive BehaviorPersonalityPersonality InventoryPsilocybinTreatment Outcome
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy85/10
Quality90/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations3
Citations/Year3.0
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.50
Weight Score3.19
Normalized Score0.72
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