Recruiting
Phase 1

Psilocybin

Sponsor:

NYU Langone Health

Code:

NCT07607938

Conditions

Anhedonia

Emotional Blunting

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 65

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Psilocybin

Placebo

Study Details

Brief summary:

This study is for adults with major depressive disorder (depression) who are currently taking an SSRI or SNRI antidepressant but continue to experience anhedonia (reduced interest or pleasure) and emotional blunting.

The study will test whether a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin, compared with placebo, can improve these symptoms and improve the function of brain circuits involved in reward and motivation. Researchers will measure changes using brain imaging (fMRI) and clinical questionnaires, including the Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS).

Conditions

Anhedonia

Emotional Blunting

Study ID

NCT07607938

Start date

Sep, 2026

Status verified date

Sep, 2026

Completion date

Sep 30, 2030

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Aug 1, 2030

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 65

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age between 18 and 65 years
  • Able to provide voluntary signed and dated informed consent.
  • Females of childbearing potential (FOCBP) must agree to practice an effective means of birth control throughout the duration of the trial
  • Males who have FOCBPs as partners must agree to practice an effective means of birth control throughout the duration of the trial
  • State willingness to comply and be available for all study requirements, including psychological, cognitive, imaging and procedural evaluations for the duration of the study
  • Meet DSM-5 criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD)
  • Screening Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS) total score of < 28.5 points
  • Have an identified support person
  • Agree to refrain from taking all non-prescription medications and supplements (nutritional and herbal) for at least 1 week prior to the IP administration session unless approved by the Investigator.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Inability to speak and understand English sufficiently to complete informed consent and study procedures.
  • Inability to provide informed consent.
  • Women who are pregnant or who intend to become pregnant or nurse during the study duration.
  • Prior exposure to classic psychedelics (i.e., psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, and/or mescaline) within the past 1 year.
  • Current or previous psychiatric conditions that meet DSM-5 criteria for psychotic disorders (i.e., schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, MDD with psychosis), bipolar 1 or 2 disorder, or current diagnosis of active substance use disorder.
  • Have active suicidal ideation with intent, based on Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS assessment (severity score > 3) at the Screening visit, confirmed by the Investigator.
  • Have made a medically significant suicide attempt (i.e., one that had a significant possibility of causing death or permanent harm in the absence of intervention) within the past 12 months, based on Screening C-SSRS assessment and confirmation by the Investigator.
  • Immediate family history (i.e., parents, full siblings, or half siblings) with known or suspected psychotic disorder.
  • Presence of medical conditions that may confound results of imaging study or that are contraindications to or psilocybin exposure (i.e., neurological, renal, hypertension, metabolic or cardiovascular disease or pregnancy);
  • Presence of contraindications to MRI scanning (implantable devices, bone hardware, various IUD).
  • Participants who received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), trans magnetic cranial stimulation (TMS), and/or ketamine in the past 90 days.
  • Has any other physical or psychological symptom, medication, or other relevant finding prior to randomization that, based on the clinical judgment of trial personnel, would make a participant unsuitable for the trial.
  • Are unable or unwilling to discontinue taking any protocol-prohibited medications and supplements.

Study Design

Enrollment

90 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Psilocybin

Participants will complete a total of six MRI sessions; two sessions prior to psilocybin administration day and four sessions after.

On administration day, the psilocybin arm will receive psilocybin (25 mg single dose, under supervision).

placebo comparator: Control

Participants will complete a total of six MRI sessions; two sessions prior to placebo administration day and four sessions after.

The control arm will receive placebo on administration day.

Interventions

Psilocybin

One-time dose of psilocybin 25 mg, oral, in capsule form.

Placebo

One-time dose of placebo (25 mg of inert filler), oral, in capsule form.

Primary outcome measure

  • Change in Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS) Score [ Time Frame: Baseline (Week -3), End of Study (Week 8) ]
  • Change in Fronto-Striatal Connectivity (pgACC-NAcc FC) [ Time Frame: Baseline (Week -3), End of Study (Week 8) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Julia Diamond

646-754-4744Julia.Diamond@nyulangone.org

Locations

NYU Langone Health

Recruiting

New York, New York, United States, 10016

More Information

Sponsor

NYU Langone Health

Last update posted

Sep 15, 2026

Last verified

Sep, 2026

Keywords

  • SSRI
  • SNR
  • Depression
  • Anhedonia
  • Emotional Blunting
  • Psilocybin

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-16. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by NYU Langone Health on 2026-09-15.