What is the University of Iowa Psychedelics Research Program?

The UI Psychedelics Research Program is a multi-disciplinary team of researchers and specially-trained therapists who are investigating the potential therapeutic effects of various psychedelic and psychedelic-like substances on human participants. 

What are the UI Psychedelics Research Program's current studies?

The UI Psychedelics team is currently recruiting participants for a single study entitled "Psilocybin-Assisted vs Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder". This study is focused on investigating psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy as a potential treatment for alcohol addiction.

What are Psychedelics?

The term “psychedelics” refers to a broad category of hallucinogenic substances such as Lysergic acid (LSD) and dimethyltryptamine (DMT) that have uniquely transformative effects on the mind, perceptions, and moods of most people who use them. 

Although these drugs have been illegal in the United States since 1970, psychedelic medicine has experienced a renaissance in recent years as evidence has accumulated about the potential therapeutic benefits for certain neuropsychiatric conditions. 

Dr. Peg Nopoulos, the principal investigator of the University of Iowa Psychedelics Research Program, is eager for Iowa researchers to play a leading role in determining how these substances might be used to help people safely and effectively. 

What is Psilocybin? 

Psilocybin is a psychedelic compound found in the psilocybe genus of fungi, also known as “magic mushrooms.” A growing body of research has shown psilocybin to be a highly effective and long-lasting treatment in a clinical environment for many conditions, from anxiety and depression to substance use disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. One study found that 60-80% of cancer patients maintained a significantly reduced fear of death for nearly five years after receiving a single dose of psilocybin. 

What is Ketamine?

Ketamine is classified as a dissociative anesthetic, though it has “psychedelic-like” effects. Like psilocybin, ketamine has been shown to have a positive impact on alcohol addiction. By comparing the two drugs head-to-head, UI researchers hope to shed light on which is more effective at reducing long-term alcohol consumption and dependence.

What are the details of the study?

The study will require 12-in person visits over the course of several weeks.

Study participants will receive a single, randomized dose of either psilocybin or ketamine during a guided psychotherapeutic session.

Study participants will also undergo assessments, brain imaging, and follow-up psychotherapeutic integration of their psychedelic experience during subsequent sessions. 

Once the main portion of the study is complete, participants will have the opportunity to experience a second guided psychedelic session in which they receive a dose opposite to the one they originally received. In other words, participants who originally received ketamine will be allowed to have an experience with psilocybin, and vice versa. 

Who is eligible for the study?

The UI Psychedelics team is looking to enroll male and female participants ages 25-65 years old who have heavy alcohol consumption and who are interested in changing their drinking habits. You can learn more about the eligibility criteria by visiting the study's Clinical Research and Trials page.