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-methyle...
Psychedelic drugs that activate 5-HT receptors have been long used for cultural, medicinal and recreational purposes. Interest in psychedelics for treating psychiatric disorders has resurged recently and is well documented; less well recognised are their anti-inflammatory properties. Growing evidence now demonstrates that psychedelics modulate immune respons...
Based on its in vitro profile and preliminary evidence, 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B) may have psychoactive properties that are similar to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and psilocybin, which are investigated for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder and depressive disorders. We compared acute effects of 2C-B (10, 20, and 30 m...
In the past decade, interest in studying psychedelic compounds as potential therapeutic agents has resurged. These studies carefully exclude individuals at risk for developing psychotic symptoms in response to psychedelic use. Given the potential for psychedelics to be established as treatments in psychiatry, it is important to more robustly understand their...
Major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) are prevalent and debilitating conditions. Over 50% of patients have inadequate response to first-line serotonergic antidepressants and are left with suboptimal treatment options. Rapid-acting and individually tailored treatments for MDD remain major unmet needs. This review discusses p...
Psychedelics have re-emerged as promising therapeutics for neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorders. While their beneficial effects are largely attributed to serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor activation, psychedelics exhibit substantial diversity in chemical structure, receptor bindin...
Background: Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms contain the tryptamines psilocybin and psilocin, which are recognized for their therapeutic potential in mental health [1]. Additionally, due to their psychedelic effects, these mushrooms are also used for religious and recreational purposes. The increasing use of these tryptamines and other psychoactive substances ha...
Prolonged obesity induces enduring structural changes within neural circuits that contribute to maintaining the body at an elevated/obese body weight. These circuits regulate various mechanisms which can inhibit extreme or persistent weight loss. Therefore, a potential therapeutic strategy to facilitate weight loss is to promote structural plasticity within ...
The psychedelic psilocybin has shown therapeutic potential, yet underlying neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. We investigated the impact of psilocin-the active metabolite of psilocybin-on basal activity and reactivity within the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) and PVT projections to central amygdala (CeA) in rats. Psilocin administrati...
N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a classical psychedelic with similar effects like LSD or psilocybin. Preliminary evidence from case series and small open-label trials suggests that psychedelics may be promising candidates for the treatment of several pain-related diseases such as chronic pain, migraine, cluster headache or phantom limb pain. However, data fr...
Apart from the psychedelic psilocybin, the metabolite spectrum of Psilocybe "magic mushrooms" comprises sesquiterpenes, a class of natural products known to exhibit receptor-modulating bioactivities. However, the composition of the sesquiterpene profile has largely remained an open question. Here, we report the characterization of five Psilocybe cubensis ses...
Serotonergic psychedelics have attracted considerable interest as promising therapeutic agents. However, the molecular mechanisms linking their acute hallucinogenic-like effects to longer-lasting neuroplastic responses remain incompletely understood, partly because of the scarcity of native neural models suitable for mechanistic studies. Here, we developed a...
Psilocybin, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) are psychedelic compounds with therapeutic potential for depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. However, their relevance to endurance athletes, who face particular psychological and physical stressors, remains underexplored. This ...
Meaning is a primary existential concern in those with advanced illnesses and functions as an important coping mechanism. Loss of meaning contributes to existential distress, and, in particular, may manifest as demoralization, a syndrome of poor coping that is associated with negative outcomes. Psychedelics are unique psychoactive compounds that, among other...
Classic psychedelics, such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), have emerged as potent modulators of neuroplasticity and metaplasticity in the adult brain, offering novel therapeutic strategies for neuropsychiatric disorders. Recent findings reveal that beyond their transient psychotropic effects, these compounds...
Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of the brain to modify synaptic connections and reorganize neural circuits, underpinning cognitive function, emotional regulation, and recovery from injury. Recent advances have redefined adult neuroplasticity as more dynamic and therapeutically accessible than previously thought, spurring investigation into pharmacologi...
The main purpose of the current studies is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of psilocybin in patients with chronic stroke. Stroke is the leading cause of death and adult disability worldwide, and every year more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke. According to the National Stroke Association, only 10 percent of people who have a st...
Psychedelic compounds, particularly psilocybin, have demonstrated remarkable therapeutic potential for mental health disorders through mechanisms involving structural neural plasticity. This comprehensive review examines recent breakthrough research revealing how psilocybin triggers activity-dependent rewiring of large-scale cortical networks. Using monosyna...
As psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy gains momentum, clinical investigation of next-generation psychedelics may lead to novel compounds tailored for specific populations. 2,5-dimethoxy-4-bromophenethylamine (2C-B) is a psychedelic phenethylamine reported to produce less dysphoria and subjective impairment than the psychedelic tryptamine psilocybin. Despite ...
The development of novel, rapid-acting treatments and the resurgence of interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelic-like compounds has stimulated excitement and enthusiasm within the pharmaceutical industry, and provided new hope for millions of individuals suffering with mental illness such as major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress dis...
