Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42380668›Full record

ReviewPsychopharmacology2026

Investigating the impact of serotonergic psychedelic drugs, MDMA and ketamine on social cognition in psychiatric disorders: A scoping review.

Sarah Ann Smith, Haseeb Mohammad, Lik Hang N Lee, Liz Dennett, Shaina Smith, Lisa Burback, Olga Winkler, Andrew Greenshaw, Rakesh Jetly, Sidney H Kennedy and 6 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Psychopharmacology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Sarah Ann SmithInstitute for Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Haseeb MohammadDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Lik Hang N LeeDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Liz DennettGeoffrey and Robyn Sperber Health Sciences Library, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Shaina SmithDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Lisa BurbackDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Olga WinklerDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Andrew GreenshawDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Rakesh JetlyRoyal Institute for Mental Health Research (IMHR), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Sidney H KennedyInstitute for Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Venkat BhatInstitute for Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Jennifer SwainsonDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Eric VermettenDepartment of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands.
Bo CaoDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Xin-Min LiDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Yanbo ZhangDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. yanbo9@ualberta.ca.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

rationaleInterest in psychedelic drugs has increased rapidly because of their potential therapeutic role in psychiatric disorders. Impairments in the sociocognitive skills needed to build and maintain social relationships are prominent features of many psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Emerging evidence suggests that compounds such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and psilocybin may influence these impairments.

objectivesThis review aimed to determine whether psychedelic drugs may modulate social cognition in individuals with psychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorders associated with cognitive impairment.

methodsA search of the MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Scopus databases was conducted. Twenty studies were identified that evaluated the effects of ketamine, MDMA, psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca in depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

resultsFindings included neural activation patterns suggesting that ketamine and psilocybin may modulate processes relevant to social perception, particularly facial emotion processing, in depressive disorders. Positive findings were also reported for MDMA in participants with PTSD, including improvements in self-reported psychosocial functioning, self-awareness, and self-compassion.

conclusionsCurrent evidence suggests that psychedelic drugs may modulate processes relevant to social cognition in psychiatric disorders, although direct evidence of improved social-cognitive functioning remains limited. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

Indexed as

Psychedelic drugsPsychiatryScoping reviewSocial cognition

Identifiers

PMID42380668

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.