The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) awarded a $708,511 federal Project Grant under the Alcohol Research Programs (CFDA 93.273) to New York University (NYU) School of Medicine. The grant will fund a 5-year mechanistic trial investigating the effects of psilocybin on neural activity, drinking outcomes, and self-reported measures related to negative emotionality and craving in individuals with moderate to severe alcohol use disorder (AUD). The study will involve 90 participants receiving either a high or low dose of psilocybin while in residential treatment, with pre- and post-treatment fMRI scans to evaluate neural response to alcohol cues and negative affective stimuli. The goals are to: 1) evaluate the effects of high vs. low-dose psilocybin on AUD patients' neural and behavioral outcomes; 2) identify neural metrics that predict drinking and self-reported measures; and 3) use advanced analytics to identify likely responders to psilocybin treatment. This research aims to elucidate psilocybin's mechanisms of action, which could lead to new therapeutic targets and medications for AUD.
Generated 3/4/25, 7:15 AM