Effect of Psychedelic VR-augmented Therapy on Patients With Clinical Depression

Status: Recruiting
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Other
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY

Research has demonstrated that psychedelic compounds possess significant therapeutic potential for a variety of disorders, including depression. Despite these findings, the underlying mechanisms driving the therapeutic efficacy of psychedelics remain elusive. Furthermore, there exists a debate over the contribution of the subjective psychedelic experience to their therapeutic benefits. In this study, virtual reality (VR) is utilized as a tool to replicate the subjective experiences induced by psychedelics, aiming to explore their impact on depressive symptoms within a clinical sample. The primary objective of this research is to examine the influence of psychedelic-like phenomenology, as simulated through VR, on depressive symptoms. The study is structured into two distinct arms: the experimental condition features 'Psyrreal,' a VR experience designed to emulate psychedelic effects and the control condition which includes 'Routine Realms,' an analogous VR experience devoid of psychedelic elements. A third waiting list condition may be included, dependent on the availability of sufficient participants and resources. Additionally, the study seeks to identify and analyze various potential mediators that might underpin the therapeutic outcomes observed.

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 18
Maximum Age: 65
Healthy Volunteers: f
View:

• Persistent depressive symptoms observed during the initial screening and confirmed at baseline, as determined through a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation.

• Provision of written informed consent by the participant.

• Fluent in Estonian as a native language.

Locations
Other Locations
Estonia
Confido Medical Centre
RECRUITING
Tallinn
Contact Information
Primary
Karl Kristjan Kaup, MSc
kaup.kristjan@gmail.com
+372 5342 8489
Backup
Kadi Tulver, PhD
kadi.tulver@gmail.com
+372 522 9245
Time Frame
Start Date: 2023-11-06
Estimated Completion Date: 2026-06-30
Participants
Target number of participants: 45
Treatments
Experimental: Psyrreal
Psychedelic virtual reality experience.
Sham_comparator: Routine Realms
A non-psychedelic virtual reality experience that is largely analogous to Psyrreal.
No_intervention: No intervention
A conditional waiting list condition. This condition may be included, dependent on the availability of sufficient participants and resources.
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Leads: University of Tartu
Collaborators: Confido Medical Centre

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov