Addiction Medicine • October 10, 2026
Disrupting Addiction Circuits: Psilocybin for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
Randomized clinical trial data show 83% reduction in heavy drinking days among AUD patients receiving psilocybin vs placebo control over 32 weeks.
The Crisis of Alcohol Use Disorder
Alcohol Use Disorder affects millions of individuals across North America, with current pharmacotherapies exhibiting low long-term adherence and high relapse rates.
NYU Double-Blind Trial Findings
Published in JAMA Psychiatry, a double-blind trial led by Dr. Michael Bogenschutz revealed that psilocybin combined with therapy yielded an 83% reduction in heavy drinking days compared to 51% in the diphenhydramine active control group.
Rewiring Ventral Striatum Craving Pathways
Psilocybin breaks compulsion by modulating dopamine transmission in the nucleus accumbens and resetting aberrant fronto-striatal addiction circuits.