Benjamin Kelmendi, MD
Assistant Professor of PsychiatryCards
About
Research
Publications
2024
Novel Pharmacologic and Other Somatic Treatment Approaches for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Adults: State of the Evidence
Sippel L, Hamblen J, Kelmendi B, Alpert J, Carpenter L, Grzenda A, Kraguljac N, McDonald W, Rodriguez C, Widge A, Nemeroff C, Schnurr P, Holtzheimer P, Biomarkers and Treatments T. Novel Pharmacologic and Other Somatic Treatment Approaches for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Adults: State of the Evidence. American Journal Of Psychiatry 2024, 181: 1045-1058. PMID: 39616450, DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20230950.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPosttraumatic stress disorderStress disorderPathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorderNon-trauma-focused psychotherapyTrauma-focused psychotherapySomatic treatment approachesEvidence-based treatmentsAntidepressant medicationSomatic treatmentsPsychiatric disordersSomatic interventionsTranscranial magnetic stimulationPsychotherapyMagnetic stimulationTreatment approachesDisordersRecommended first-line treatmentAdultsFirst-line treatmentMedicationMechanism of actionMonotherapy strategySalienceSpecific treatmentEvidencePsychedelic medicine in psychiatry residency training: a survey of psychiatric residency program directors
Yaden M, Ching T, Goldway N, Roberts D, Hokanson J, Gukasyan N, Pittenger C, Kelmendi B, Ross S, Glick G, O’Donnell K. Psychedelic medicine in psychiatry residency training: a survey of psychiatric residency program directors. International Review Of Psychiatry 2024, ahead-of-print: 1-6. DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2024.2397039.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchResidency trainingTraining psychiatry residentsAvailability of facultyTraining directorsRespondents answered questionsPsychedelic medicineEndorsed concernsResidency training directorsResidency program directorsPsychiatry residency training directorsEducational materialsPsychiatry residency trainingPsychiatry residentsProgram directorsPsychiatric educationOnline surveyStandard curriculumEducation providersCurricular materialsEducational opportunitiesTrainingPsychedelic interventionsEducationSurveyMedicineMechanisms of therapeutic change after psychedelic treatment in OCD
Maloney G, Ching T, Kichuk S, Pittenger C, Kelmendi B. Mechanisms of therapeutic change after psychedelic treatment in OCD. Psychiatry Research 2024, 336: 115907. PMID: 38615521, PMCID: PMC11190873, DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115907.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsObsessive-compulsive disorderMechanisms of therapeutic changeAversive eventsImagery rescriptingPsychedelic treatmentPsychotherapeutic treatmentPsychotherapeutic frameworkSymptom reductionTherapeutic changePsychotherapyNegative emotionsPsychological mechanismsCore beliefsPilot dataNovel treatmentRescriptingEmotionsDisordersSymptomsReprocessingTreatmentBeliefsResistance to first-lineIndividualsInterventionCorrigendum: Safety, feasibility, tolerability, and clinical effects of repeated psilocybin dosing combined with non-directive support in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: protocol for a randomized, waitlist-controlled trial with blinded ratings
Ching T, Amoroso L, Bohner C, D'Amico E, Eilbott J, Entezar T, Fitzpatrick M, Fram G, Grazioplene R, Hokanson J, Jankovsky A, Kichuk S, Martins B, Patel P, Schaer H, Shnayder S, Witherow C, Pittenger C, Kelmendi B. Corrigendum: Safety, feasibility, tolerability, and clinical effects of repeated psilocybin dosing combined with non-directive support in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: protocol for a randomized, waitlist-controlled trial with blinded ratings. Frontiers In Psychiatry 2024, 15: 1372373. PMID: 38435972, PMCID: PMC10905264, DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1372373.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMethylone is a rapid-acting neuroplastogen with less off-target activity than MDMA
Warner-Schmidt J, Stogniew M, Mandell B, Rowland R, Schmidt E, Kelmendi B. Methylone is a rapid-acting neuroplastogen with less off-target activity than MDMA. Frontiers In Neuroscience 2024, 18: 1353131. PMID: 38389788, PMCID: PMC10882719, DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1353131.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPost-traumatic stress disorderTreatment of post-traumatic stress disorderFrontal cortexBrain areasMDMA-assisted psychotherapyEffects of methyloneMonoamine uptake inhibitorsNeuroplasticity-related genesMyelin-related genesAntidepressant-likeAnxiolytic effectsBrain substratesStress disorderPsychiatric disordersNeuropsychiatric disordersUptake inhibitorsBrain effectsAvailable pharmacotherapiesMDMAMDDEmotional learningMethyloneAmygdalaGene expression changesDisordersSafety, feasibility, tolerability, and clinical effects of repeated psilocybin dosing combined with non-directive support in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: protocol for a randomized, waitlist-controlled trial with blinded ratings
Ching T, Amoroso L, Bohner C, D’Amico E, Eilbott J, Entezar T, Fitzpatrick M, Fram G, Grazioplene R, Hokanson J, Jankovsky A, Kichuk S, Martins B, Patel P, Schaer H, Shnayder S, Witherow C, Pittenger C, Kelmendi B. Safety, feasibility, tolerability, and clinical effects of repeated psilocybin dosing combined with non-directive support in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: protocol for a randomized, waitlist-controlled trial with blinded ratings. Frontiers In Psychiatry 2024, 14: 1278823. PMID: 38264632, PMCID: PMC10803438, DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1278823.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchObsessive-compulsive disorderPrimary outcomeNon-directive supportClinical effectsTreatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorderRefractory obsessive-compulsive disorderSingle-dose trialBlinded ratingsWaitlist-controlled trialDose selection strategiesOCD symptom reductionTreatment of OCDEffects of psilocybinSingle-site trialOCD symptomsInstitutional review boardBlinded independent ratersTrials of psilocybinYale-Brown ObsessiveWaitlist control designPrimary endpointMore dosesFuture trialsSingle dosePsilocybin treatmentPsilocybin and other Psychedelics
Kaye A, Kelmendi B, Rivera M, Pittenger C. Psilocybin and other Psychedelics. 2024 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-95702-1.00178-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPsychedelic drugsSerotonin 5-HT2A receptorsHuman neuroimaging studiesAlcohol use disorderPatterns of activityTransdiagnostic efficacyDepressive disorderPsychedelic agentsClassic psychedelicsNeuroimaging studiesMode networkUse disorderPsychedelic propertiesPsychotherapeutic supportAssociation cortexPsilocybinPsychological effectsPsychedelicsDifferential effectsHealing contextControlled Substances ActDisordersPotential therapeutic useControlled studiesSerotonin
2023
What Is in a Name? The Many Meanings of “Psychedelic”
O'Donnell K, Roberts D, Ching T, Glick G, Goldway N, Gukasyan N, Hokansen J, Kelmendi B, Ross S, Yaden M, Pittenger C. What Is in a Name? The Many Meanings of “Psychedelic”. Psychedelic Medicine 2023, 1: 187-189. DOI: 10.1089/psymed.2023.0011.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchFrontopolar multifocal transcranial direct current stimulation reduces conditioned fear reactivity during extinction training: A pilot randomized controlled trial
Adams T, Kelmendi B, George J, Forte J, Hubert T, Wild H, Rippey C, Pittenger C. Frontopolar multifocal transcranial direct current stimulation reduces conditioned fear reactivity during extinction training: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Neurobiology Of Learning And Memory 2023, 205: 107825. PMID: 37699439, PMCID: PMC10872945, DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107825.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsTranscranial direct current stimulationSkin conductance responsesExtinction trainingDirect current stimulationExtinction learningCurrent stimulationReturn of fearFear extinction paradigmInhibition of fearFear extinction learningExposure-based therapyTreatment of anxietyFear inhibitionThreat cuesSafety learningExtinction paradigmFear reactivityFear processingConductance responsesExtinction trialsFunctional connectivityElectrodermal activityMixed ANOVARelated disordersAnxietySafety, tolerability, and clinical and neural effects of single-dose psilocybin in obsessive–compulsive disorder: protocol for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, non-crossover trial
Ching T, Grazioplene R, Bohner C, Kichuk S, DePalmer G, D’Amico E, Eilbott J, Jankovsky A, Burke M, Hokanson J, Martins B, Witherow C, Patel P, Amoroso L, Schaer H, Pittenger C, Kelmendi B. Safety, tolerability, and clinical and neural effects of single-dose psilocybin in obsessive–compulsive disorder: protocol for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, non-crossover trial. Frontiers In Psychiatry 2023, 14: 1178529. PMID: 37181888, PMCID: PMC10166878, DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1178529.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchObsessive-compulsive disorderPrimary endpointPsilocybin effectsNeural effectsRefractory obsessive-compulsive disorderNon-crossover designOpen-label doseStandard care treatmentOpen-label studyVisual analog scale ratingsTreatment of OCDEffects of psilocybinOCD symptomsInstitutional review boardYale-Brown ObsessivePrimary outcomeSingle doseCare treatmentOral psilocybinInformed consentReview boardNeurobiological mechanismsCompulsive ScalePsychological supportTrials
Clinical Trials
Current Trials
Effects of Repeated Psilocybin Dosing in OCD
HIC ID2000032623RolePrincipal InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date04/30/2026Recruiting ParticipantsGenderBothAge18 years - 65 yearsObsessions or ideations: First Person Suicide Images study in OCD
HIC ID2000033121RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date08/31/2024Recruiting ParticipantsUsing Neuroimaging to track symptom change in PTSD treatment
HIC ID2000025892RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date07/31/2029Recruiting ParticipantsImaging Synaptic Density in Cocaine and Opiate Addiction In Vivo using 11C-UCB-J PET
HIC ID2000021843RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date01/01/2024Recruiting ParticipantsImaging smoking-induced dopamine release utilizing PET imaging and nicotine patches
HIC ID2000023239RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date05/31/2023Recruiting ParticipantsGenderBothAge18 years - 55 years
News
News
- May 23, 2024Source: Psychology Today
Psychedelics: Subjectivity in the Therapeutic Response
- January 02, 2024
Duek, Harpaz-Rotem Paper Named '2023 Leading Research Achievement' by BBRF
- June 21, 2023Source: Neuropsychopharmacology
Long term Structural and Functional Neural Changes Following a Single Infusion of Ketamine in PTSD
- June 28, 2022
Revived interest in psychedelic therapies