Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix has landed a $5 million grant from the Arizona Department of Health Services to run what its own researchers describe as the first United States clinical trial using ibogaine, a psychedelic compound, to treat traumatic brain injuries. The institute plans to enroll its first participant in 2027, following a lengthy setup process that includes brain imaging studies on every patient before and after treatment.
Dr. Susan Criswell, Barrow’s chief medical officer for clinical research, said the institute will investigate ibogaine as a potential therapy for the long-term effects of neurologic injury, according to KTAR News 92.3 FM. Criswell said many people with traumatic brain injuries experience incomplete recovery or lingering symptoms even six months after their injury, and that ibogaine research might help. Those lingering effects can include difficulties with memory, executive functioning, cognition and thinking, as well as depression, anxiety and PTSD, per the outlet’s reporting.
Ibogaine is a naturally occurring compound in the psychedelic, or psychoplastogen, category. Barrow will use a synthesized version of the drug, administered via pill, and will conduct MRI and EEG studies on participants before dosing and again after a follow-up period, with participants tracked for at least six months following administration. The trial itself is designed to run for five years.
Who’s Running the Study
The trial’s principal investigator is Dr. Anna Burke, a neuropsychiatrist and chair of dementia research at Barrow, according to a statement reported by Dignity Health Arizona. She is joined by co-investigators including Barrow CEO Dr. Michael T. Lawton and researchers from Arizona State University. The study is designed as a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating 40 participants with chronic TBI symptoms…