Consciousness and Psilocybin Effects on Well-Being: The CoPEWell Study
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Psilocybin, Saline Placebo, Clonidine.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Well-Being, Psychological, Psychedelic Experiences. Basic parameters: 18 years — 45 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Overview
This study is exploring how psilocybin (a psychedelic drug) may improve mood and wellbeing. Many people report feeling better after taking psilocybin, but it is not clear why. The CoPEWell study will test whether these improvements come from the psychedelic experience itself (the "trip") or from direct effects on the brain. To study this, up to 120 participants will be enrolled to receive psilocybin either while awake or asleep and can expect to be on study for up to 4 months.
Detailed description
Primary Objectives:
1. To evaluate the effect of psilocybin on wellbeing when administered while awake vs. while asleep 2. To evaluate the effect of psilocybin on wellbeing administered while asleep vs. placebo administered while asleep
Secondary Objectives: 3. To evaluate the effect of psilocybin on psychological flexibility when administered while awake vs. while asleep 4. To evaluate the effect of psilocybin on psychological flexibility administered while asleep vs. placebo administered while asleep 5. To evaluate the effect of psilocybin on social connectedness when administered while awake vs. while asleep 6. To evaluate the effect of psilocybin on social connectedness administered while asleep vs. placebo administered while asleep 7. To evaluate the effect on wellbeing/life satisfaction/purpose/meaning explicitly ascribed to psilocybin administered while awake vs. while asleep 8. To evaluate the effect on wellbeing/life satisfaction/purpose/meaning explicitly ascribed to psilocybin administered while asleep vs. saline placebo administered while asleep
Interventions
- Drug Psilocybin
IV administration, infusion of 3.2 mg psilocybin over 10 minutes, followed by an additional 0.8 mg infused over the following 20 minutes - Other Saline Placebo
IV administration, placebo will be 20 mL of saline drawn up aseptically into the same sized (30 mL) syringe as is used for the active drug. - Drug Clonidine
0.2 mg of clonidine will be taken by mouth by all participants 60 minutes prior to the initial infusion on Dosing Night
Primary outcome measures
- Change in Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) score: Psilocybin Awake versus Asleep [Time frame: Baseline 2 (Day 0) to post-dosing Day 29]
- Change in Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) score: Psilocybin Asleep versus Placebo Asleep [Time frame: Baseline 2 (Day 0) to post-dosing Day 29]
Secondary outcome measures (6)
- Change in Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ): Psilocybin Awake versus Asleep [Time frame: Baseline 2 (Day 0) to post-dosing Day 29]
- Change in Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ): Psilocybin Asleep versus Placebo Asleep [Time frame: Baseline 2 (Day 0) to post-dosing Day 29]
- Change in Watts Social Connectedness (WCS) Scale: Psilocybin Awake versus Asleep [Time frame: Baseline 2 (Day 0) to post-dosing Day 29]
- Change in Watts Social Connectedness (WCS) Scale: Psilocybin Asleep versus Placebo Asleep [Time frame: Baseline 2 (Day 0) to post-dosing Day 29]
- Persisting Effects Questionnaire (PEQ): Psilocybin Awake versus Asleep [Time frame: post-dosing Day 29]
- Persisting Effects Questionnaire (PEQ): Psilocybin Asleep versus Placebo Asleep [Time frame: post-dosing Day 29]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Age 18 to 45 years (inclusive) at screening, of any identified gender and racial/ethnic group
- Physically healthy; does not meet criteria for an exclusionary medical condition
- No exclusionary sleep condition
- English-speaking (able to provide consent and complete questionnaires)
- Sub-optimal self-reported wellbeing
Exclusion criteria
- Exclusionary DSM-5 psychiatric diagnosis and/or active suicidal ideation
- Exclusionary medical conditions or sleep conditions
- Clinically significant safety lab abnormalities (i.e., Complete Blood Count with Differential, Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, and urinalysis)
- Clinically significant electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Use of psychotropic or CNS-altering medications within 3 months of screening
- Hypertension or tachycardia
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Double blind
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
Study locations
United States · 1 center
- University of Wisconsin — Madison
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07360301 · 2025-1861 · SMPH | Psychiatry · Protocol Version 12/18/25