The psychopharmacology department at Maastricht University focuses on the cognitive, behavioral, and biological effects of various substances, ranging from pharmaceutical to recreational drugs
Remembering Jordi Riba – a pioneer in ayahuasca research
We are deeply saddened by the loss of pharmacologist dr. Jordi Riba, probably the most prominent psychedelic researcher in Catalunya and Spain, and a true pioneer in the biomedical study of ayahuasca. Jordi was a true explorer who conducted his scientific quest for discovery and information in the same way 15th-century discoverers explored territories on… Continue reading Remembering Jordi Riba – a pioneer in ayahuasca research
Prospective Examination of Synthetic 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine Inhalation
Ongoing research from our group, presented at Breaking Convention 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URSqxFocaas 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) is a psychotropic substance found in various plant as well as animal species, and can also be synthetically produced. Despite the use of 5-MeO-DMT by people in naturalistic settings, current scientific knowledge on the effects of 5-MeO-DMT in humans are relatively… Continue reading Prospective Examination of Synthetic 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine Inhalation
(Sub-)Acute Effects of Psilocybin on Creativity, Empathy and Satisfaction with Life
Ongoing research from our group, presented at Breaking Convention 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEGJWxH-jYs Creative thinking and empathy are crucial for everyday interactions and subjective well-being. This is emphasised by studies showing a reduction in these skills in populations where social interaction and subjective well-being is significantly compromised (e.g. depression). Anecdotal reports and recent studies suggest a single… Continue reading (Sub-)Acute Effects of Psilocybin on Creativity, Empathy and Satisfaction with Life
How Magic Mushrooms Might Dissolve the Ego Revealed
New research from our group, published in Neuropsychopharmacology: Following a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group design, we utilized an ultra-high field multimodal brain imaging approach and demonstrated that psilocybin (0.17 mg/kg) induced region-dependent alterations in glutamate, which predicted distortions in the subjective experience of one’s self (ego dissolution). Whereas higher levels of medial prefrontal cortical glutamate were… Continue reading How Magic Mushrooms Might Dissolve the Ego Revealed
Getting high on cannabis makes people vulnerable to ‘false memories’
New research from our group, published in PNAS: In a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study, we show that cannabis increased false memory rates using different false memory methods. The findings have significant legal implications. Read coverage of the publication from Live Science: https://www.livescience.com/cannabis-use-linked-to-false-memories.html
