May 29, 2026

Top News
Psilocybin Shows Promise in Recurrent Depression Beyond Refractory Cases
Diagnosis & Treatment
Is atypical depression a clinically and genetically distinct subtype?

A large Australian study indicates that atypical depression is a distinct subtype with poorer response to SSRIs and SNRIs, suggesting potential implications for prescribing strategies in this population.

Drug Development
Otsuka Presents New Phase 3 Post Hoc Analyses of Centanafadine Highlighting Improvement in Executive Function and Emotional Dysregulation in Adults with ADHD at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology (ASCP) Annual Meeting - BioSpace

Post hoc analyses of the Phase 3 centanafadine trial for adult ADHD demonstrate improvements in executive function and emotional dysregulation, providing additional efficacy data for this non-stimulant treatment option.

Drug Development
Phase 3 Program Investigating COMP360 Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression: Breaking Poster Data From the 2026 ASCP Annual Meeting - Psychiatric Times

Poster data from the 2026 ASCP Annual Meeting presents Phase 3 trial results for COMP360 psilocybin in treatment-resistant depression, offering early evidence on the efficacy of this novel psychedelic therapy.

Diagnosis & Treatment
Psilocybin research is no longer just for hard-to-treat cases — a new trial targeted recurrent depression in people who had not failed standard treatment, and the results are promising - Space Daily

A new clinical trial demonstrates promising results for psilocybin in treating recurrent depression in patients who have not failed standard treatments, expanding the potential use case beyond refractory cases.

Clinical Pearl
Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation Weaning in a Patient With Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Complicated by Anxiety, Treated Successfully With Valproic Acid

This case report describes the successful use of valproic acid to treat anxiety-related prolonged mechanical ventilation weaning in a patient with Guillain-Barre syndrome, suggesting a potential off-label utility for valproate in acute anxiety management.

Clinical Pearls

Bite-sized clinical takeaways from today's literature (sources from Apr 23 – May 29)

  • Monitor for reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) in patients initiating sertraline, as this rare but serious neurological adverse event requires prompt recognition.
  • Consider deprescribing stimulants in adult ADHD using the new clinical guidance to manage long-term pharmacotherapy and facilitate discontinuation strategies.
  • Anticipate that patients with atypical depression may exhibit poorer response to SSRIs and SNRIs, potentially warranting alternative first-line pharmacological strategies.
  • Leverage post hoc data from the centanafadine trial to support its use for improving executive function and emotional dysregulation in adult ADHD beyond core symptom reduction.
  • Exercise caution when interpreting psilocybin trial results, as recent evidence like the EPISODE trial shows only modest effects and raises methodological concerns for treatment-resistant depression.
  • Explore the synergistic potential of combining intermittent ketamine with neuromodulation to enhance antidepressant treatment response in difficult-to-treat depression.
  • Avoid relying on FAAH inhibitors for PTSD treatment at this time, as current Phase II trials have demonstrated no clinical benefit for this indication despite modest efficacy in cannabis use disorder.
  • Reassess the risk-benefit profile of stimulant prescribing in ADHD by reviewing updated clinical context to ensure informed decision-making for long-term management.
  • Consider valproic acid as a potential off-label option for acute anxiety management, particularly in complex cases involving prolonged mechanical ventilation weaning.
  • Expand the potential use case for psilocybin in recurrent depression to include patients who have not yet failed standard treatments, rather than limiting it strictly to refractory cases.

Diagnosis & Treatment 3

New depression treatment targets the immune system instead of the brain

An anti-inflammatory drug for rheumatoid arthritis showed early promise in easing symptoms of hard-to-treat depression in a small clinical trial, highlighting a potential immune-targeted treatment avenue.

EEG Prediction and Clinical Efficacy of tDCS in Major Depression

A clinical trial investigating the clinical efficacy and EEG-based prediction of high-dose versus conventional home-transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for major depressive disorder.

First Guidance on Deprescribing Stimulants in Adult ADHD - Medscape

First guidance on deprescribing stimulants in adult ADHD provides clinical direction for managing long-term pharmacotherapy and potential discontinuation strategies.

Drug Development 2

The Efficacy of Psilocybin Therapy for Depression in Parkinson's Disease

A clinical trial is recruiting to evaluate the efficacy of psilocybin therapy for treating depression in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Enhancing anandamide signalling through fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibition: An update on the pharmacological strategy for treating psychiatric disorders

This review evaluates the pharmacological strategy of inhibiting fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) to enhance anandamide signaling for treating psychiatric disorders, noting that current Phase II trials for FAAH inhibitors have shown modest efficacy in cannabis use disorder but no benefit in PTSD.

Clinical Pearl 2

Psilocybin-assisted therapy for difficult-to-treat depression: underwhelming, but still vital?

The EPISODE trial for psilocybin-assisted therapy in treatment-resistant depression shows only modest effects and raises methodological concerns, challenging the current evidence base for this psychedelic intervention.

Psychotropic-Induced Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome in a Young Man Taking Sertraline - Psychiatrist.com

This case report describes reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) in a patient taking sertraline, highlighting a rare but serious neurological adverse event associated with this SSRI that clinicians should monitor for.

Digital Health 1

Efficacy and Safety of Transcranial Temporal Interference Stimulation for Depression

A clinical trial investigating the efficacy and safety of Transcranial Temporal Interference Stimulation for Major Depressive Disorder.

Journal Article 1

Buproprion vs SSRIs: Antidepressant-Naive, Obese Patients With Major Depressive Disorder - Psychiatric Times

This article title suggests a comparative analysis of bupropion versus SSRIs in antidepressant-naive, obese patients with major depressive disorder, though the provided text lacks specific clinical findings or outcomes.