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Benjamin Kelmendi

Yale University, Transcend Engineering (United States)

30 papers in the library · 1,142 citations · publishing 2016-2026

Papers

Mystical but Not Challenging Experiences Predict Symptom Improvement After Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant OCD

February 11, 2026 Sarah Shnayder, Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, Troy Hubert et al. preprint

In people with treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), greater mystical-type experiences during psilocybin sessions—especially feelings of unity, sacredness, and transcendence—were linked to lower OCD symptom severity at 1-week and 12-week follow-ups, even after accounting for baseline severity and treatment condition. The Mystical subscale of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire showed the strongest and most consistent associations. The Space–Time subscale was related to lower OCD severity only at 12 weeks. Positive mood, ineffability, and challenging experiences were not significantly tied to post-treatment OCD severity. These results suggest that the quality of subjective experience during psilocybin sessions may help optimize treatment outcomes.

Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant OCD: A Randomized Controlled Trial

January 15, 2026 Benjamin Kelmendi, Thomas G. Adams, Terence H. W. Ching et al. preprint

A single dose of psilocybin (0.25 mg/kg) produced rapid and sustained reductions in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms among adults with treatment-resistant OCD. In a randomized, double-blind trial, 28 adults received either psilocybin or niacin (250 mg). At 48 hours, OCD severity scores dropped by about 10 points more in the psilocybin group than in the niacin group, a large effect. At one week, 69% of psilocybin participants achieved a clinically meaningful response, compared with none in the niacin group. Benefits lasted through 12 weeks. One serious adverse event occurred. Open-label psilocybin given later also reduced symptoms. The findings suggest psilocybin may offer a new treatment approach for treatment-resistant OCD, but larger confirmatory trials are needed.

Corrigendum: Safety, feasibility, tolerability, and clinical effects of repeated psilocybin dosing combined with non-directive support in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: protocol for a randomized, waitlist-controlled trial with blinded ratings

Frontiers in Psychiatry February 16, 2024 Terence H W Ching, Lucia Amoroso, Calvin Bohner et al. correction

A correction notice addresses an error in a previously published article on psilocybin therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder. The notice specifies that the original article's DOI is 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1278823 and provides the necessary correction. No findings, methods, or results are presented in this text.

Effects of a Dissociative Drug on Fronto-Limbic Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Individuals with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

April 13, 2023 Sarah K. Danböck, Or Duek, Ziv Ben‐Zion et al. preprint

A subanesthetic dose of ketamine did not increase resting-state functional connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and amygdala in individuals with PTSD, contrary to prior correlational findings. Instead, ketamine produced a stronger transient decrease in vmPFC-amygdala connectivity compared to the control drug midazolam. These preliminary results from a randomized controlled pilot study challenge the view that dissociation involves emotion overmodulation via increased fronto-limbic connectivity, suggesting a more nuanced neurobiological understanding of dissociative phenomena in PTSD is needed.