Psilocybin's brain effects in migraine under the microscope
NCT ID NCT06464367
First seen Jul 13, 2026 · Last updated Jul 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study investigates why psilocybin may reduce headache burden after just a few doses. Researchers will measure brain connectivity, synaptic density, inflammation markers, and sleep patterns in migraine patients and healthy volunteers before and after a single dose of psilocybin or an active placebo. The goal is to uncover the biological mechanisms behind psilocybin's potential long-lasting effects on migraine.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- psilocybin
- What this could lead to
- If the brain changes observed after psilocybin are linked to lasting headache relief, this could point toward new treatments for migraine.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small study focused on understanding mechanisms, not proving effectiveness. The results may not lead to a treatment.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2025
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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21 to 70 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion criteria: * Age 21 to 70 (inclusive) * Migraine disease per ICHD-3 criteria (for migraine participants) OR Healthy control patient Exclusion criterion * Unstable medical condition or serious nervous system pathology * Pregnant, breastfeeding, lack of adequate birth control * Psychotic or manic disorder * Substance abuse in the prior 3 months * Use of classic psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin, LSD, mescaline) in the past 6 months * Use of cannabis or other THC products in the prior 2 weeks * Urine toxicology positive to drugs of abuse * The use of triptans (e.g., sumatriptan) or ditans (e.g., lasmiditan) more than twice weekly on average * Use of serotonergic preventive therapies (i.e., taken chronically; amitriptyline, fluoxetine, imipramine, cyproheptadine) in the past 6 weeks * Use of preventive or transitional treatments that produce spikes and waning of symptom relief (e.g., botulinum toxin, calcitonin gene-related peptide system targeting antibodies, peripheral nerve or ganglion blocks, chiropractic manipulation) * History of a bleeding disorder or are currently taking anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin, enoxaparin, dabigatran, apixaban). * Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs; e.g., ibuprofen, naproxen) in the 7 days before PET scan and 7 days after PET scan.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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VA Connecticut Healthcare System
RECRUITINGWest Haven, Connecticut, 06516, United States
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- Can a mineral ease severe headaches faster than standard painkillers?