Skip to main content
TTrialFinderData
TrialFinderData is for informational purposes only and does not provide medical advice. Always talk to your doctor.

Updated May 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov

RECRUITINGPhase 1 / Phase 2INTERVENTIONAL

Psilocybin to Treat Depression in Spinal Cord Injury

Safety, Tolerability, Outcomes of Psilocybin for Depression (STOP Depression) in Veterans With Spinal Cord Injury

Psilocybin to Treat Depression in Spinal Cord Injury (NCT07251491) is a Phase 1 / Phase 2 interventional studying Spinal Cord Injury and Depression - Major Depressive Disorder, sponsored by James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

Important: This information is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

About This Trial

The main goal of this study is to determine if psilocybin is safe for use in people with SCI. The study will measure how people with SCI respond to three psilocybin doses: low (5mg), medium (10mg), and high (25mg). The main question the study aims to answer is: does psilocybin increase the number and severity of adverse (bad) events reported by people with SCI? These may include pain, muscle spasms, symptoms of depression, and symptoms of low or high blood pressure. The investigators will also measure how well people with SCI tolerate the psychedelic experience, and compare responses between the low (5mg), medium (10mg), and high (25mg) doses. Participants will: * Agree to be enrolled in the study for up to 13 months. * Agree to complete the seven (7) visits that are included in the psilocybin-assisted therapy. * Agree to complete follow-up study visits, including in-person visits to the James J Peters VA Medical Center, located in the Bronx, New York and remote visits. * Agree to keep a log of how they are feeling and any change in the frequency or severity of adverse events.

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 1 trials test a new treatment for the first time in humans, focusing on safety, dosing, and how the body processes the drug. For Spinal Cord Injury, a Phase 1 study typically enrolls a small number of participants — often healthy volunteers or patients who have exhausted standard treatment options. Phase 1 results determine whether a treatment moves into larger Phase 2 efficacy studies.

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 30 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: - Able and willing to provide willing to sign a consent form - Spinal cord injury for at least 1 year - Confirmed diagnosis of depression - At least 22 years of age at time of consent - At least 50 kg (110 lbs.) body weight - Fully independent from ventilatory support (ventilator or diaphragm pacer) - Fluent in speaking and reading English - Able to swallow pills - Agree to have study visits recorded with audio and video - Agree to release outside medical and psychiatric records - Able and willing to taper off antidepressant, under clinician supervision - Agree to use adequate contraceptive methods Who Should NOT Join This Trial: - Are not able to give adequate willing to sign a consent form - Have used psilocybin or another psychedelic within 6 months - Have received Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) within 12 weeks - Have used ketamine within 12 weeks - Have a history of Bipolar I Disorder - Have a current eating disorder - Have a current severe alcohol or cannabis use disorder within the 6 months - Have an illicit drug or prescription drug substance use disorder within 12 months - Current serious suicide risk - History of heart attack, aneurysm, or stroke - Uncontrolled hypertension - Are pregnant or nursing 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: * Able and willing to provide informed consent * Spinal cord injury for at least 1 year * Confirmed diagnosis of depression * At least 22 years of age at time of consent * At least 50 kg (110 lbs.) body weight * Fully independent from ventilatory support (ventilator or diaphragm pacer) * Fluent in speaking and reading English * Able to swallow pills * Agree to have study visits recorded with audio and video * Agree to release outside medical and psychiatric records * Able and willing to taper off antidepressant, under clinician supervision * Agree to use adequate contraceptive methods Exclusion Criteria: * Are not able to give adequate informed consent * Have used psilocybin or another psychedelic within 6 months * Have received Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) within 12 weeks * Have used ketamine within 12 weeks * Have a history of Bipolar I Disorder * Have a current eating disorder * Have a current severe alcohol or cannabis use disorder within the 6 months * Have an illicit drug or prescription drug substance use disorder within 12 months * Current serious suicide risk * History of heart attack, aneurysm, or stroke * Uncontrolled hypertension * Are pregnant or nursing

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

Psilocybin (Usona Institute)

Oral capsules

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.

James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
The Bronx, New York, United States

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT07251491), the sponsor (James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center), 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 NCT07251491 clinical trial studying?

The main goal of this study is to determine if psilocybin is safe for use in people with SCI. The study will measure how people with SCI respond to three psilocybin doses: low (5mg), medium (10mg), and high (25mg). The main question the study aims to answer is: does psilocybin increase the number and severity of adverse (bad) events reported by people with SCI? These may include pain, muscle spasms, symptoms of depression, and symptoms of low or high blood pressure. The investigators will also measure how well people with SCI tolerate the psychedelic experience, and compare responses between … The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT07251491?

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 NCT07251491?

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 NCT07251491. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT07251491. 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.