Psychedelic Science Newsletter
Issue #24February 16, 20267 studies

Ketamine cuts suicidal thoughts by 1.23 points vs. sedative in 649 patients

Psychedelics research hit a major milestone this week with the largest analysis yet of ketamine for suicidal crises, while new studies explored everything from ayahuasca's long-term effects to why some mouse strains barely respond to ketamine at all.

🎯 Ketamine outperforms sedative for suicidal thoughts in largest analysis to date

  • 649 patients across 10 trials showed ketamine reduced suicidal thoughts by 1.23 points more than midazolam (an active sedative control) on the standard depression scale

  • 40% of patients achieved full remission from suicidal ideation, with 70% reporting preventive benefits

  • Side effects like nausea and dizziness were more common with ketamine, but the rapid action makes it appealing for psychiatric emergencies where traditional antidepressants take weeks to work

Why it matters: This provides the strongest evidence yet that ketamine can rapidly reduce suicidal thoughts compared to an active control, offering hope for emergency psychiatric care where every hour counts.

Top 20% journal 🔗 Brain and behavior 🗓️ Feb 9

Key Findings

🌿 Ayahuasca shows promise but complications in 18-study review

  • 18 prospective studies found improvements in wellbeing, depression, substance misuse, and personality traits after ayahuasca use

  • Most participants were unselected volunteers at retreat centers, not clinical patients

  • Some participants experienced persisting psychiatric complications linked to their ayahuasca use, despite overall population-level mental health improvements

💡 Ayahuasca may offer mental health benefits for many, but the risk of lasting psychiatric problems suggests careful screening could be crucial.

🧠 Ibogaine targets multiple addiction pathways but cardiac risks remain

  • Ibogaine shows unique ability to modulate glutamate hyperactivity, dopamine dysfunction, and executive control networks simultaneously—all key addiction mechanisms

  • Current addiction treatments only target isolated processes, contributing to high relapse rates

  • Clinical translation remains limited by cardiac safety concerns and lack of standardized formulations

💡 Ibogaine's multi-target approach could address addiction more comprehensively than current treatments, but safety standardization is essential.
Top 20% journal 🔗 Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) 🗓️ Feb 13

🔬 Mouse genetics dramatically influence ketamine sensitivity

  • C57BL/6J mice showed robust hyperlocomotion from ketamine, while 129S1 mice showed minimal response across all doses

  • DBA mice had transient excitation only at 25 mg/kg, and BALB/c mice showed delayed responses only at 50 mg/kg

  • These strain differences during adolescence may help explain individual variations in ketamine responses

💡 Genetic background appears to dramatically influence ketamine sensitivity, which could inform personalized dosing approaches.
🎖️ Top 10% journal 🔗 Psychiatry research 🗓️ Feb 12

🧬 Brain scans reveal no endogenous DMT pool in rats

  • Researchers could not detect endogenous DMT in rat brains even after blocking the enzyme that breaks it down

  • Injected DMT peaked at 45 minutes and was nearly gone by 210 minutes, with little evidence it accumulates in serotonin terminals

  • This challenges the hypothesis that DMT acts as a natural co-transmitter with serotonin in the brain

💡 The idea that our brains naturally produce meaningful amounts of the psychedelic DMT may need rethinking.
🎖️ Top 10% journal 🔗 Neuropharmacology 🗓️ Feb 11

📊 Media coverage of psychedelics peaks in 2020, turns more critical by 2024

  • Articles focusing on therapeutic potential jumped from 13.3% (2000-2009) to 85.3% (2020-2025)

  • Average sentiment peaked at 80.8 points in 2020 but dropped significantly to 74.3 in 2024

  • Negative or neutral coverage increased from 3.6% in 2020 to 20.9% in 2024

💡 The psychedelic hype cycle may be cooling as research moves from early promise to real-world challenges.
🎖️ Top 10% journal 🔗 BJPsych open 🗓️ Feb 12

🏳️‍⚧️ Transgender adults report high interest in psychedelic therapy

  • 77.8% of 261 autistic adults expressed willingness to try psychedelics for mental health, with 69.7% reporting past use

  • Higher doses and more meaningful experiences correlated with longer-lasting mental health improvements

  • Legal concerns, health risks, and logistical challenges were the main barriers to access

💡 Autistic individuals show strong interest in psychedelic treatments despite being typically excluded from clinical trials.

Implications

This week's research shows psychedelics moving from experimental curiosity to serious medical consideration, with ketamine leading the charge for acute psychiatric crises. But the field is also maturing—media coverage is becoming more balanced, researchers are finding significant individual differences in drug responses, and safety concerns remain paramount across all compounds.

Studies in this issue

Primary sources used for this newsletter.

  1. Comparing how well and how safely ketamine and midazolam work for reducing suicidal thoughts
    main storyBrain and behavior2026-02-09PMID 41656677
  2. Using artificial intelligence to track how media talks about psychedelic drugs in the 21st century
    key findingBJPsych open2026-02-12PMID 41674089
  3. Ibogaine's potential benefits, heart safety, and future outlook for treating substance use disorders
    key findingMolecules (Basel, Switzerland)2026-02-13PMID 41683522
  4. DMT is not made or stored in serotonin nerve endings in the rat brain
    key findingNeuropharmacology2026-02-11PMID 41672133
  5. What autistic adults know, think, and do about using psychedelics for mental health
    key findingPLOS mental health2026-02-09PMID 41662127
  6. Biological differences in ketamine sensitivity: from increased movement to psychosis-like effects in different mouse strains
    key findingPsychiatry research2026-02-12PMID 41678983
  7. Early effects of ayahuasca on mental and physical health from forward-looking studies
    key findingProgress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry2026-02-10PMID 41667049

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