Research

Research at Synaptic Institute is lead by Dr. Matthew Hicks and involves partnerships with a variety of institutions. Click on the links below to learn more about current and past projects.

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Current Projects

Ketamine Microdosing and Meditation

A evening group is offered at Synaptic Institute's clinic in which participants can receive a very small dose of ketamine while participating in meditation. De-identified outcome data may be used to justify a clinical trial in the future.

To learn more about participating, click here.

Indigenous Psychedelic Shaman Interviews (IPSI)

Principal Investigator: Matthew Hicks

Co-investigators: Heather Zwickey and Ryan Bradley

By interviewing psychedelic practitioners with indigenous backgrounds, this qualitative study aims to articulate how psychedelic research could benefit indigenous communities and gain perspective on what Westernized versions of psychedelic therapy might be missing. Referrals of indigenous leaders would be much appreciated. Please contact matthew.hicks@nunm.edu.

Low-Income Group Psilocybin Assisted Therapy for Depression (LIGPATD)

Principal Investigator: Matthew Hicks

Clinicians: Matthew and Olivia Hicks

Co-investigators: Heather Zwickey and Ryan Bradley

In partnership with the National University of Natural Medicine and the Sheri Eckert Foundation, this feasibility study recruited Medicaid eligible adults with depression into four cohorts of six participants. They received two preparation, two full-dose psilocybin, and two integration sessions, all done as a group. It is the first psychedelic study to focus on a low-income population, the first trial to utilize Oregon Psilocybin Services, and among the first few in the modern era to use a group format.

Potential Projects

We are currently seeking funding for the following projects. Contributions big and small, recurring or one-time are welcome. Contact Dr. Hicks at mhicks@synaptic.care with questions. Synaptic is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Click on the link below to make a tax-deductible contribution.

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Versus Spravato

Generic ketamine itself off-patent and cheap as a medicine which, among other things, means no pharmaceutical company is incentivised to run clinical trials necessary to convince the FDA to approve it (or insurance companies to cover it) for the treatment of psychiatric conditions. Johnson & Johnson got Spravato approved by the FDA by patenting half of the ketamine molecule (called an enantiomer) so they can charge an outrageous price for the drug even though studies have shown it is no better than regular (racemic) ketamine for the treatment of depression. However, the Spravato model offers no psychological support. We would like to do a randomized clinical trial that compares Spravato to ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Even if the costs are similar due to paying psychotherapists for the additional support, we feel this is a more holistic model of care that benefits patients and practitioners over pharmaceutical companies. We believe we can run this study with as little as $50,000, but we could make it more robust with $100,000.

Low-Income Group Psilocybin Assisted Therapy for Depression (LIGPATD) 2.0

We want to do a bigger and better version of our feasibility study that includes affinity groups for people of color, Spanish speakers, LGBTQ, and both urban and rural populations with facilitators with those identities. We intend to use a step-wedge design where some participants are put on a waitlist for a few months as a comparator group, but after their waiting period, they also get to receive the treatment. This will greatly improve the validity of our outcomes, and we hope, bring policy makers one step closer to considering insurance coverage for this powerful treatment that could lead to greatly enhanced accessibility. We estimate this study will cost $500,000.

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