The study is based at the Kingston Health Sciences Centre Research Institute, Ontario. It will be led by Dr. Claudio Soares (professor of psychiatry at Queen\u2019s University)<\/em>. It\u2019s being billed as the first<\/em> Phase 2 clinical trial approved by Health Canada to explore the effects of daily low-dose psilocybin (i.e., so low it does not trigger classic \u201ctrip\u201d effects).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey have that mystical experience and changes in their perception of their environment \u2014 what we call a trip,\u201d<\/em> says Dr. Soares, who also directs the Centre for Psychedelics Health and Research at Kingston\u2019s Providence Care Hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat is not for everybody. Some people cannot tolerate that effect of psychedelics.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Soares explains that most previous psychedelic studies have focused on much higher (\u201cmacro\u201d)<\/em> doses of psilocybin. These doses that produce hallucinatory or profoundly altered states of consciousness, and so require participants to be monitored in a clinical setting for hours. This new study asks: what if you can<\/strong> reduce the dose so much that you get none of the hallucinatory \u201ctrip\u201d effect, yet still get the therapeutic benefit?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n So whats the plan?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Soares says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s not that uncommon to come across someone that says, \u2018Oh, I\u2019ve been microdosing with psilocybin and I\u2019m feeling much better.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n He emphasises, though, that anecdote is n\u00e3o<\/em> the same as a controlled trial \u2014 which is why this study is so important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the researchers, rates of generalized anxiety disorder among people aged 15 and older have more than doubled in Canada \u2014 from 2.6 % to 5.5 % between 2012 and 2022. Globally, the stats have increased by 52% between 1990 and 2021<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With traditional treatments (antidepressants, psychotherapy) <\/em>working for many but not all<\/em>, there\u2019s increasing interest in new approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Tyler Kaster, psychiatrist and medical head of the Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention at Centre for Addiction and Mental Health<\/em> in Toronto, calls the psilocybin proposal \u201ca really interesting idea.\u201d <\/em>However, he also notes, \u201cThe whole field of psychedelics has a lot of promise. There\u2019s also a lot of enthusiasm, and we need to figure out what, if any, role these treatments have.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re new to this, microdosagem<\/a><\/strong> is the practice of taking very low, sub-hallucinogenic<\/em> doses of a psychedelic substance. So low<\/em> that you don\u2019t experience a \u201ctrip\u201d, but do experience subtle shifts in mood, cognition or perception. For instance, many users of psilocybin report less anxiety, improved mood, increased enfoque <\/a>ou criatividade<\/a>, without dramatic visual or sensory changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hand-holding-psilocybin-mushroom-19.jpg\")
Study Design: How the Kingston Trial Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Why Now? Anxiety is On the Rise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Beyond the Study: What is Microdosing and Why is it Appealing?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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