Nolan R. Williams, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Stanford University Medical Center

‍

In an exploratory and preliminary clinical test, a team of researchers at Stanford University has obtained “initial evidence” suggesting that a psychoactive compound called ibogaine, when co-administered with magnesium, “could be a powerful therapeutic” to safely treat a variety of psychiatric symptoms, including PTSD, major depression and anxiety, and suicidality, all of which may emerge following traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Ibogaine, derived from the root bark of a shrub, has been used for traditional religious and healing purposes in Africa for centuries…. The Stanford researchers entered into a collaboration with a company called Ambio Life Sciences, which had received a grant from a nonprofit called Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS), Inc. to test ibogaine in a group of 30 male volunteers who, independently of the university, had enrolled themselves in what is called an open-label trial to be conducted at a clinic in Tijuana, Mexico. In such trials, there is no “blinding”; participants know that they will be receiving a particular treatment. There is no placebo given for comparative purposes, and no control group. The Stanford team conducted pre-trial assessments and brain scans of the 30 volunteers before they traveled to Mexico for their treatments, and assessed them again within days after the treatments, once they had returned to the U.S., as well as one month following treatments. That data continues to be under review and will be the subject of subsequent papers.

All of the participants were males who had served in U.S. special forces and had suffered mild to moderate traumatic brain injury which impaired their functioning. These injuries occurred an average of 8 years prior to the trial. Many participants had related disorders: 23 met the criteria for PTSD, 14 for an anxiety disorder, and 15 for alcohol use disorder. Over their lifetimes 19 had exhibited suicidal behavior and 7 had attempted to end their life.

Prior to treatment with ibogaine the 30 participants were found to have an average rating of 30 on a WHO disability scale, which translates into “mild to moderate” disability. “These men were incredibly intelligent, high-performing individuals who experienced life-altering functional disability from TBI during their time in combat,” Dr. Williams said. “They were all willing to try most anything that they thought might help them get their lives back.”

After being administered ibogaine along with concurrent injections of magnesium to reduce the potential impact on heart arrhythmia and other known potential cardiac side effects, “participants showed a remarkable reduction in symptoms” of disability, PTSD, depression and anxiety,” the team reported. The benefits were sustained at the 1-month follow-up. In fact, disability measures “continued to improve and psychiatric symptom remission and response rates remained high” after 1 month, the team noted. “Neuropsychological testing revealed areas of improvement after treatment particularly in processing speed and executive function, without any detrimental changes observed. With regard to safety, no serious or unexpected adverse events occurred and management of adverse effects was uncomplicated.

‍

Source: https://bbrfoundation.org/content/small-preliminary-trial-psychoactive-drug-ibogaine-yields-initial-evidence-powerful

‍