The Effects of Psilocybin on Self-Focus and Self-Related Processing in Major Depressive Disorder

The Effects of Psilocybin on Self-Focus and Self-Related Processing in Major Depressive Disorder (NCT06247839) is a Phase 3 interventional studying Major Depressive Disorder, sponsored by Sharmin Ghaznavi. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

About This Trial

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 3 trials confirm efficacy and safety in large patient groups (often 300–3,000+) and form the evidence base for an FDA approval submission. For Major Depressive Disorder, Phase 3 studies typically randomize participants between the investigational treatment and either a placebo or current standard of care. A successful Phase 3 result is the threshold most treatments need to clear before regulatory approval.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

With a target enrollment of 20 participants, this is a small study — typical of early-phase research, rare-disease trials, or pilot studies designed to generate preliminary signal before a larger study is launched.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: 1. Must be able to sign the willing to sign a consent form form (ICF). Participants will demonstrate capacity to provide willing to sign a consent form by demonstrated understanding of the protocol and what their involvement in the study requires from them. 2. Be 18-55 years of age at screening. 3. At least moderate Major Depressive Disorder (MDD; single or recurrent episode as informed by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Version 5 (DSM-V); if single episode, duration of ≥ 3 months and ≤ 3 years) based on clinical assessment and a structured clinical interview, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview Version 7.02 (MINI).43 4. Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale with Atypical Depression Supplement (SIGH-ADS)44 score ≥ 18 at Screening and at Baseline. 5. Failure to respond to an adequate dose and duration of 1, 2, 3, or 4 pharmacological treatments for the current episode as determined through the Massachusetts General Hospital Antidepressant Treatment History Response Questionnaire (MGH-ATRQ)45 and using the supplementary advice on additional antidepressants not included in MGH-ATRQ. Augmentation with an add-on treatment counts as a second treatment, provided it is approved for the adjunctive treatment of MDD. 6. McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD) \< 7 at Screening. 7. Participants will also have to successfully undergo a taper off of all psychotropic medications under the supervision of a study psychiatrist and in coordination with their treatment team, which will be completed at least 2 weeks prior to Baseline Scan. Please see below regarding details about discontinuation of antidepressants. 8. A score \> 40 on the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading.46 9. Be right-handed as determined by the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory.48 ...See full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Must be able to sign the informed consent form (ICF). Participants will demonstrate capacity to provide informed consent by demonstrated understanding of the protocol and what their involvement in the study requires from them. 2. Be 18-55 years of age at screening. 3. At least moderate Major Depressive Disorder (MDD; single or recurrent episode as informed by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Version 5 (DSM-V); if single episode, duration of ≥ 3 months and ≤ 3 years) based on clinical assessment and a structured clinical interview, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview Version 7.02 (MINI).43 4. Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale with Atypical Depression Supplement (SIGH-ADS)44 score ≥ 18 at Screening and at Baseline. 5. Failure to respond to an adequate dose and duration of 1, 2, 3, or 4 pharmacological treatments for the current episode as determined through the Massachusetts General Hospital Antidepressant Treatment History Response Questionnaire (MGH-ATRQ)45 and using the supplementary advice on additional antidepressants not included in MGH-ATRQ. Augmentation with an add-on treatment counts as a second treatment, provided it is approved for the adjunctive treatment of MDD. 6. McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD) \< 7 at Screening. 7. Participants will also have to successfully undergo a taper off of all psychotropic medications under the supervision of a study psychiatrist and in coordination with their treatment team, which will be completed at least 2 weeks prior to Baseline Scan. Please see below regarding details about discontinuation of antidepressants. 8. A score \> 40 on the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading.46 9. Be right-handed as determined by the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory.48 10. Ability to complete all protocol required assessment tools without any assistance or alteration to the copyrighted assessments, and to comply with all study visits. 11. Have ongoing established mental health care. Exclusion Criteria: Patients meeting any of the following criteria are to be excluded from the study: 1. Current, past history, or family history, of schizophrenia, psychotic disorder (unless substance induced or due to a medical condition), bipolar disorder, delusional disorder, paranoid personality disorder, schizoaffective disorder, borderline personality disorder, or any serious psychiatric comorbidity as assessed by medical history and a structured clinical interview (version 7.0.2 MINI). 2. Positive Magnetic Resonance screen (e.g., metal implant, claustrophobia, etc). 3. Prior electroconvulsive therapy and/or ketamine for current episode. 4. Current cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that will not remain stable for the duration of the study. CBT cannot be initiated within 21 days of Baseline. 5. Current (within the last year) alcohol or substance abuse as informed by DSM-5 at Screening. 6. Significant suicide risk as defined by (1) suicidal ideation as endorsed on items 4 or 5 on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)49 within the past year, at Screening or at Baseline, or; (2) suicidal behaviors within the past year, or; (3) clinical assessment of significant suicidal risk during clinical interview. 7. Significant homicide risk as defined by clinical interview. 8. Depression secondary to other severe medical conditions. 9. Currently taking benzodiazepines daily. 10. Other personal circumstances and behavior judged to be incompatible with establishment of rapport or safe exposure to psilocybin, as well as exposure to psilocybin or other psychedelics within one year of screening. 11. Women who are pregnant, nursing, or planning a pregnancy. Participants who are sexually active must agree to use a highly effective contraceptive method throughout their participation in the study. Women of childbearing potential must have a negative urine pregnancy test at Screening and Day Before Psilocybin. 12. Cardiovascular conditions: recent stroke (\< 1 year from signing of consent), recent myocardial infarction (\< 1 year from signing of ICF), hypertension (blood pressure \> 140/90 mmHg) or corrected QT interval \> 450 msec) or clinically significant arrhythmia within 1 year of signing the ICF, current anticoagulant therapy, aneurysmal disease. 13. Uncontrolled insulin dependent diabetes. 14. Seizure disorder. 15. Positive urine drug screen for illicit drugs or drugs of abuse (to include but not limited to opiates, phenylcyclohexyl piperidine(PCP), cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and cannabis) at Screening and Day Before Psilocybin. Any positive urine drug test will be reviewed with participants to determine the pattern of use and eligibility will be determined at the investigator's discretion. 16. Lifetime history of surgical procedures involving the brain or meninges, encephalitis, meningitis, degenerative central nervous system (CNS) disorder (e.g., Alzheimer's or Parkinson's Disease), epilepsy, mental retardation, or any other disease/procedure/accident/intervention which, according to the screening clinician, is deemed associated with significant injury to or malfunction of the CNS, or history of significant head trauma within the past 2 years. 17. Any current or past history of any physical condition which in the investigator's opinion might put the subject at risk or interfere with study results interpretation. 18. Current enrollment in any investigational drug or device study or participation in such within 6 months of Screening. 19. Current enrollment in an interventional study for depression or participation in such within 6 months of Screening Visit. 20. Non-native speakers of English.

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

Psilocybin

COMP360 (Brand name of psilocybin to be used)

Locations (1)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging

Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT06247839), the sponsor (Sharmin Ghaznavi), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT06247839 clinical trial studying?

This open-label functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) study will assess the effects of a single dose of psilocybin on rumination and the neural correlates of rumination in individuals with major depressive disorder. The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT06247839?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT06247839?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT06247839. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT06247839. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.