Psychedelics (e.g., 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA], lysergic acid diethylamide [LSD], psilocybin) are molecules that have the potential to produce rapid therapeutic effects when paired with psychotherapy. Randomized clinical trials of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAT) have shown promising results for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), de...
Abstract The Psilocybe cubensis SAM-dependent methyltransferase, PsiM, catalyzes the last step in the biosynthesis of psilocybin. Likely evolved from monomethylating RNA methyltransferases, PsiM acquired a key amino acid exchange in the secondary sphere of the active site, M247 N, which is responsible for its capacity to dimethylate. Two variants, PsiM N247M...
There is some evidence that the subjective effects of ketamine and other psychedelics like psilocybin are crucial for their therapeutic outcomes, such as treatment of depression or substance use disorder (SUD). We performed a meta-analysis and systematic review on the correlation of subjective symptoms and dissociation versus ketamine-induced therapeutic out...
Background: There is ongoing research into the potential use of psychedelics and 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) as alternatives to commonly used medications for treating major depressive and anxiety disorders. Aims: We aimed to assess the efficacy of psychedelics and MDMA in managing depressive and anxiety symptoms and evaluate their safety profil...
Psilocybin and psilocin do not cause addiction or dependence, as they do not interact with the dopaminergic reward system. New pharmacological treatment strategies for substance abuse disorders have targeted craving, which is characterized, in a simplified way, by an intense desire to use the substance. Psilocybin is an indole alkaloid of the hallucinogenic ...
Chronic neuropathic pain is a significant public health issue affecting an estimated 1.5 billion individuals worldwide. The mechanisms underlying chronic pain are multifaceted and not fully understood. Chronic pain amplifies specific neural pathways through peripheral and central sensitization triggered by repeated exposure to noxious stimuli, ultimately res...
Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) has shown preliminary efficacy for psychiatric and physical health conditions. Although some people report naturalistic psychedelic use with so-called "underground" practitioners, little is known about PAT that occurs outside of controlled clinical settings or perspectives of these practitioners. We conducted an anonymous o...
Title: Use of psilocybin in the treatment of mental disorders: systematic review of clinical trials. Objective: To evaluate the high-impact evidence on the neurobiology, efficacy, safety, and feasibility of using psilocybin in the treatment of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (P...
This study aims to estimate the lower, middle, and upper bounds of potential demand for psilocybin-assisted therapy (PSIL-AT) for major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) in the United States. We calculated potential PSIL-AT demand for MDD and TRD by estimating the number of U.S. patients with MDD, identifying those in treatme...
Abstract Objectives The first line for symptom management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a class of medications that act on dopamine and noradrenaline receptors, which leads to symptom reduction at the cost of significant side effects. These side effects have led to community searching for alternative methods that manage ADHD symptoms ...
Introduction:Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) has gained traction in palliative care as a treatment for existential distress in the last decade. Patients with brain cancer have been excluded from studies, yet they stand to benefit as much as other patients with cancer-related psychological distress. Case description:In this report, we discuss the case of a ...
We sought to identify patterns of psychedelic use among United States military veterans, compare demographic variables and perspectives of those who did and did not report use, and characterize benefits and adverse outcomes associated with use. Respondents (N = 426) were recruited to complete an online cross-sectional survey. Approximately one-half (51%) rep...
Introduction: Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that causes significant amounts of neuron death in the brain. It is a genetic disorder, resulting from the over-repetition of the CAG sequence in the gene that codes for the huntingtin protein. Currently, there are no viable cures or treatments to slow or stop the progression...
Despite the surge of interest in psychedelic research in the past decade, largely due to the promise of psychedelics for improving mental health outcomes, there has been comparatively little discussion about the social and environmental consequences of psychedelic drug use. While there is growing evidence to suggest psychedelics could foster a greater connec...
Psychedelics are psychoactive substances that are known to alter perception, alter mood, and affect numerous cognitive processes. Throughout history, psychedelics were utilized in ceremonies and rituals, and in the 20th century, their utilization in psychiatry began. In the 1960s they became a banned substance and are only recently being revisited for their ...
