The serotonergic psychedelic psilocybin shows efficacy in treating neuropsychiatric disorders, though the mechanism(s) underlying its therapeutic effects remain unclear. We show that a similar psychedelic tryptamine, N,N-dipropyltryptamine (DPT), completely prevents audiogenic seizures (AGS) in an Fmr1 knockout mouse model of fragile X syndrome at a 10 mg/kg...
Psilocin is the active metabolite of psilocybin a natural material found in several types of fungi. The bioavailability of psilocybin, the prodrug of psilocin, has been reported to be over 60%. However, pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of psilocin mucate has not been reported. This Phase I "First in Man" study of psilocin mucate is designed to determine ...
Psilocybin, a psychoactive alkaloid with hallucinogenic properties, exists in a variety of hallucinogenic mushrooms. As a study tool to imitate psychosis, psilocybin has aroused a lot of interest in the biological community due to its various possible therapeutic benefits. It is also a very popular and widely misused natural hallucinogens with distinct metab...
Abstract Background Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms, is increasingly discussed in terms of its psychotherapeutic potential; however, little is known about community attitudes towards psilocybin assisted therapy (PAT). Aims To address the question: What are the public's attitudes towards psilocybin and psilocybin-assisted therapy? And...
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide While correlations between drug-induced cortisol elevation, self-reported anxiety, and treatment outcomes have been reported for human studies during psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy, the mechanistic relationship between psychedelic-associated alterations in plasma glucocorticoid responses and the time cour...
Background: Psychedelic drug experiences are shaped by current-moment contextual factors, commonly categorized as internal (set) and external (setting). Potential influences of past environments, however, have received little attention. Aims: To investigate how previous environmental stimuli shaped the experiences of patients receiving ketamine for treatment...
BACKGROUND: Pharmacological and nonpharmacological methods of inducing altered states of consciousness (ASCs) are becoming increasingly relevant in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. While comparisons between them are often drawn, to date no study has directly compared their neural correlates. METHODS: To address this knowledge gap, we directly compared...
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex disorder expressed as a variety of neurobiological symptoms, including anxiety, re-experiencing, hyperarousal, and avoidance symptoms, along with comorbidities such as anxiety, depression, and increased risk for self-medicating substance abuse. Currently, there are only two approved medications in the United...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Annual MeetingFull AccessExperts Offer Tips on Talking With Patients About PsychedelicsTerri D’ArrigoTerri D’ArrigoSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:28 Jun 2023https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.07.7.51AbstractPsychedelics differ from one another in their mechanism of action and po...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Annual MeetingFull AccessPsychedelic Therapy Requires Enhanced Consent DiscussionsNick ZagorskiNick ZagorskiPublished Online:28 Jun 2023https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.07.7.46AbstractThe presenters at an Annual Meeting session cautioned that patients pursuing psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy will...
Introduction Psilocybin is one of the most extensively studied psychedelic drugs with a broad therapeutic potential. Despite the fact that its psychoactivity is mainly attributed to the agonism at 5-HT2A receptors, it has high binding affinity also to 5-HT2C and 5-HT1A receptors and indirectly modulates the dopaminergic system. Psilocybin and its active meta...
In a recent article, Messell and colleagues provide a curated list, the "Copenhagen Music Program for Psilocybin". We test their music program with an experienced Indigenous therapist/psychonaut on a 3.5 gram psilocybin journey. Based on comments provided by the Indigenous therapist, we find the program contains musical choices that evoke specific colonial a...
Abstract Psychoactive substances such as psilocybin and 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) are currently being investigated for a variety of psychiatric indications including major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. It is critical that clinicians working in the mental health field understand the regulatory framework that balances ...
Abstract Psychedelics produce fast and persistent antidepressant effects and induce neuroplasticity resembling the effects of clinically approved antidepressants. We recently reported that pharmacologically diverse antidepressants, including fluoxetine and ketamine, act by binding to TrkB, the receptor for BDNF. Here we show that lysergic acid diethylamide (...
Psilocybin, a naturally occurring hallucinogenic component of magic mushrooms, has significant psychoactive effects in both humans and rodents. But the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Blood-oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a useful tool in many preclinical and clinical trials to investigate ps...
INTRODUCTION: Psilocybin-assisted therapy has shown significant promise in treating the cluster of mood and anxiety symptoms that comprise post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but has yet to be tested specifically in this condition. Furthermore, current pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments for PTSD are difficult to tolerate and limited in effica...
Nature created a mushroom-based compound known as psilocybin that can biochemically affect neural processing and alter perception. Although psilocybin usage dates to ancient times, its contemporary usefulness is expanding. Discovering the history and imagining the future of psilocybin is enlightening and fascinating. This review presents research and opinion...
