Malkanthi Evans

2 papers in the library · publishing 2022-2026

Papers

Editorial: Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies: from clinical trials to credibility

Frontiers in Neuroscience March 23, 2026 Malkanthi Evans, Andrew Charrette

Psychedelic therapies show promise for treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, anxiety, and substance-use disorders, but significant methodological and ethical challenges remain. Issues include inadequate masking in trials, expectancy effects, and reproducibility concerns. Early-phase studies indicate rapid symptom improvement, supported by neuroimaging insights, but large multisite trials with harmonized protocols and long-term follow-up are still needed. The role of psychotherapy in psychedelic-assisted treatment is debated; some developers include only psychological support. Subjective aesthetic experiences—perceptual richness, emotional resonance, beauty—are strongly linked to emotional breakthroughs and clinical outcomes. Neuroimaging shows DMT modulates brain connectivity in socio-emotional circuits. Psilocybin promotes emotional openness and cognitive flexibility. Future research must clarify mechanisms, optimize protocols, and ensure safety and generalizability.

DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2026.1816932 Full text Addiction DMT Psilocybin Emotional processing +2

Use of a Novel EEG-Based Objective Test, the Cognalyzer®, in Quantifying the Strength and Determining the Action Time of Cannabis Psychoactive Effects and Factors that May Influence Them Within an Observational Study Framework.

Neurology and therapy March 1, 2022 Dan Bosnyak, Alison C McDonald, Israel Gasperin Haaz et al.

An EEG-based method called the Cognalyzer® can detect and quantify the strength of THC-induced psychoactive effects on a 0–100% scale. In 75 participants who inhaled cannabis ad libitum, the Cognalyzer® showed significant increases in psychoactive effect levels from pre-cannabis for up to 3.5 hours. These levels correlated significantly with participants' self-reported drug effects on the Drug Effects Questionnaire. Subgroup analysis revealed that Cognalyzer® readings were influenced by cannabis use history, subjective ratings, oral fluid THC concentration, and the specific cannabis product. The method offers an objective way to measure cannabis psychoactive effects for consumer research and clinical pharmacodynamic studies.

DOI: 10.1007/s40120-021-00293-w Full text Cannabis effects Cognalyzer® Drug test EEG +2