Brain Matters
Blog

In-depth discussion summarizing some of the most important findings to date about the possibility of using psychedelic compounds to treat individuals with psychiatric illness. We feature comments from experts in the field (several of them members of BBRF’s Scientific Council), who have been generally supportive, but careful, stressing what is known and what remains unknown about psychedelic-assisted psychiatric treatments. They have raised important questions about who should and should not be considered a candidate for such therapy and about the optimal conditions in which psychedelics should be administered.

A Q&A with Dr. Kimberly Carpenter of Duke University, who has conducted important research on preschoolers with overly sensitive senses—children who are intensely bothered by stimuli such as loud or high-pitched sounds, or the sensation of clothing rubbing on the skin. Her research has shown that these children are at greater risk for developing an anxiety disorder by school age. She also discusses sensory oversensitivity and autism spectrum disorder.

Research on COVID’s impacts indicates how the pandemic is affecting families and child mental health, as well as how racial and socioeconomic factors can exacerbate risk and pose obstacles to care for those who are underserved by the healthcare system.

Lynnette Averill, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist affiliated with the Baylor College of Medicine, Yale University, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, studies the causes and consequences of trauma-related psychopathology and suicidality, and is investigating novel rapid-acting interventions. She explains her special interest in the role that ketamine and psychedelics (including psilocybin and MDMA) could play treating veterans and others with severe PTSD who are at high risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

In an in-depth Q&A, Dr. David Miklowtiz, one of the world’s leading clinical authorities on treating bipolar disorder, offers a wealth information about this complexdisorder, including its range of manifestations. He also addresses the signs parents should pay attention to if they are concerned that their adolescent may have bipolar disorder; how to distinguish unipolar depression from depression that occurs in bipolar disorder; and how family-focused therapy can help patients and families reach better outcomes.