Barrow Neurological Institute has received a $5-million grant from the Arizona Department of Health Services to conduct a Phase 1/2 clinical trial investigating ibogaine for treating people with neurological disorders such as traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The groundbreaking study, led by a multidisciplinary team at Barrow and in collaboration with the Barrow Neuro Analytics Center and researchers from Arizona State University, will explore ibogaine's potential as a therapeutic agent. Ibogaine is garnering attention for its reported effects on brain chemistry. Recent open-label studies have shown promise for ibogaine in improving post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, cognitive function, and quality of life in veterans. 

Roughly one-half of individuals with traumatic brain injuries experience incomplete recovery or lingering symptoms after six months. Therefore, we are excited to begin investigating ibogaine as a potential new therapy for individuals in our community and across Arizona who are suffering from the long-term effects of neurologic injury."

Susan Criswell, MD, MSCI, Chief Medical Officer for Clinical Research at Barrow and co-investigator on the study

Anna Burke, MD, a neuropsychiatrist and chair of dementia research at Barrow, is the principal investigator. Barrow physician-scientists Michael T. Lawton, MD; Susan Herman, MD; and Chia-Ling Phuah, MD, MMSc, are co-investigators along with Dr. Criswell.

Collaborators from Arizona State University include Holly Lisanby, MD, DLFAPA, founding dean of the John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Mechanical Engineering, and Candace Lewis, PhD, and Sarah Mennenga, PhD from the School of Life Sciences.

The double-blind, placebo-controlled trial at Barrow, considered the gold standard for medical research, aims to enroll 40 participants with chronic TBI symptoms. Half will receive ibogaine; half will receive a placebo. Researchers will use standardized assessments to determine how effectively ibogaine addresses the participants' TBI symptoms as well as their quality of life. Participants will undergo tests to measure any physical changes associated with reported symptom improvements. 

Researchers hope to enroll the first participant in 2027.

Dr. Lawton, who also serves as President and CEO of Barrow, said that in addition to exploring novel treatments for patients with PTSD and TBI, this clinical trial represents the next chapter of neuroscience research: understanding how the brain functions as the mind. 

"Our vision for Barrow is to move beyond traditional neurology and neurosurgery to explore the mysteries of the mind, harnessing our clinical access to patients and the brain during interventions to better understand the brain's circuitry and functionality," Dr. Lawton said. "Psychedelic medicine is yet another area that enables us to understand the mind, how it perceives the world, and how pharmacology can influence it."