Stanford Ibogaine Study
Study Overview
Population: 30 male Special Operations Veterans with predominantly mild TBI and high rates of PTSD, depression, and anxiety.
Setting: Treatment occurred at Ambio Life Sciences in Mexico, where ibogaine is legal; assessments were conducted by Stanford.
Intervention: A single administration of oral ibogaine (avg. 12.1 mg/kg) combined with magnesium (to reduce cardiac risk), alongside structured coaching.
Study Name: MISTIC – Magnesium-Ibogaine: Stanford Traumatic Injury to the CNS Protocol.
Key Outcomes
Primary Outcome – Disability
WHODAS 2.0 score improved significantly:
From 30.2 (moderate disability) to 5.1 (no disability) after 1 month.
Effect size at 1 month: Cohen’s d = 2.20 (very large).
Secondary Outcomes – Psychiatric Symptoms
PTSD (CAPS-5), Depression (MADRS), and Anxiety (HAM-A) scores all decreased significantly:
CAPS-5: d = 2.54
MADRS: d = 2.80
HAM-A: d = 2.13
All outcomes were statistically significant (P<0.001).
Exploratory Findings
Suicidal ideation (SI): Reduced from 47% to 0% immediately post-treatment; 7% at 1 month.
Neurocognitive Function: Improvements in processing speed, executive function, and memory without cognitive decline.
Safety: No serious or unexpected adverse events. Minor side effects included headaches, nausea, and mild ataxia (resolved within 24 hours).
Conclusion
Significant, rapid, and sustained symptom improvements were observed in veterans with chronic TBI-related psychiatric disorders.
The MISTIC protocol appears safe with proper screening and medical supervision.
Limitations: Not a randomized controlled trial, small and homogeneous sample, and conducted outside the U.S. healthcare system.
Implications
This is the first evidence suggesting a single psychedelic therapy session (with ibogaine + magnesium) may reverse disability and improve neuropsychiatric outcomes in TBI-affected veterans. Controlled clinical trials are needed to validate these results.
