Psychedelics and Spinal Cord Injury
I recently published a collaborative research project exploring psychedelic therapy for individuals with spinal cord injury, with dream team Brenden Rabinovitch, Evan Lewis, Rayyan Zafar, Aly Aziz, David McMillan Jessica Nielson, and Nicholas Cherup.
!! Attention all clinicians, providers, facilitators and enthusiasts: PLEASE SCREEN FOR SPINAL CORD INJURY. Individuals with SCI process serotonin differently which can lead to adverse events ranging from muscle spasms and tremors to loss of consciousness.
What we found in our research was really intriguing and we’ll be planning several follow up, in person studies starting next year with 3 different research sites: Toronto, Miami, and Minnesota. We have identified that spinal cord damage affects the descending supply of serotonin. As a result, the serotonin receptors undergo variant degrees of expression which can lead to a variety of adverse effects in the context of some psychedelic drugs (classical psychedelics, i.e. psilocybin, mescaline, lsd, dmt etc. as well as atypical psychedelics i.e. mdma). There are many self-report online testimonials that can be found on REDDIT describing muscle spasticity, tremors, and increased HR and body temperature. We’ve also recently been made aware of a case where a quadriplegic individual lost consciousness requiring hospitalization. Despite this, many are reporting positive effects and life altering experiences, which is why we are working to better understand how we can support these individuals for safety and appropriate dosing.
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (PAT) has shown promise in treating mental health conditions, but there is limited research on its potential to benefit people with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Anecdotal reports suggest that people with SCI who use psychedelics experience a phenomenon of neuromuscular and autonomic hypersensitivity. This phenomenon has not been described in the academic literature. However, this research paper hypothesizes that it is a peripherally dominant serotonin syndrome-like syndrome. As PAT transitions from research trials into accepted clinical and decriminalized use, it is important to understand both the benefits and the potential adverse events associated with this therapy. This information can be used to develop informed consent processes, harm reduction strategies, and therapeutic protocols for people with SCI who may be considering PAT.
Read the full paper in Neurotrauma Reports:
SCI and Psychedelics
Read more about Dr David McMillan’s work on SCI:
The Miami Project
