Colorado'sLatest Buzz:'Happy Mushroom'Trialsfor BeatingDepression
Aurora,Colorado-TheUniversityofColoradoAnschutzMedical Campusproudlyannouncestheinitiationofitspioneeringclinicaltrial involvingacompoundfoundin'HappyMushrooms'thisfall.
Thislandmarkstudyaimstoexplorethe therapeuticpotentialofthis'Happy Mushrooms'compoundtotreat treatment-resistantdepression,a conditionthattraditional antidepressantsoftenfailtoaddress.
Thetrial,ledbyDr.AndrewNovick,apsychiatrist,andDr.ScottThompson,a neuroscientistwiththeUniversityofColoradoSchoolofMedicineDepartmentof Psychiatry,willbeoneofthefirstofitskindinthemodernerainColorado.
Patientswillbeassessedusingatrifoldmethodologythatcombinesselfreporting,behaviormonitoringin rewardingtasks,andinnovativebrain imagingtechniques.
Dr.Thompson,agloballeaderinresearchofthis'Happy Mushroom'compound,emphasizedtheurgencyoftheir mission,noting:
"Majordepressivedisorderisoneof themostcommonandcostly neuropsychiatricsyndromes.
Traditionalmedicationsoftenfall short,andnewtreatmentsaresorely needed."
Thispivotalresearchfollowsanincreasingnationaltrendof psychedelicinvestigations,includingthosesimilartypesofplantsand indigenousmedicine.
Notably,thetrialwillemploya uniqueapproachtomeasure anhedonia,aseveresymptomof depressionmarkedbytheinabilityto feelpleasure.
Thisstrategyaimstoprovideamoreholisticandprecise understandingofhowthis'HappyMushroom'compoundmight alleviatethedebilitatingeffectsofdepression.
"Traditionalmedicationsoften fallshort,andnewtreatments aresorelyneeded."SaysDr. Thompson.
TheColoradoclinicaltrialusingthis"HappyMushroom'compoundwillinvolve40 participants,withtherecruitmentprocessprioritizingthosealreadyunderthecareofthe UniversityofColoradoSchoolofMedicine'sDepartmentofPsychiatrypriortoSpring2023.
Thoseinterestedinpotential participationcanfindmore informationonthestudyatthe UniversityofColoradoAnschutz MedicalCampus'website.