Short- and Long-Acting Psychedelics: Structure-Activity Relationships, Pharmacology, and Implications for Neuropsychiatric Therapeutics.

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...

Barriers and Facilitators for Psychedelic Research and Regulation in Brazil: Insights From Diverse Stakeholders.

The interest in psychedelics for health-related purposes has grown significantly over the past decade. However, there is an insufficient representation of stakeholders (eg, Indigenous groups, activists, policymakers) in discussions about research and regulation. Many psychedelics originate from traditional practices historically developed in low- and middle-...

Magic mushroom compound shows promise against cocaine addiction.

Small study that prioritized Black and low-income participants yields "remarkable" results.

Predictors of therapeutic response to psychedelic-assisted therapy: A systematic review.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) has demonstrated substantial efficacy across a range of mental disorders. However, heterogeneity between patients confers differential responsiveness. This systematic review aims to explore factors which may predict therapeutic responses to PAT. A systematic search was performed from inception through to March 2024 and stud...

Trip killers: Addressing a critical knowledge gap in psychedelic research.

Psychedelic drugs are increasingly under investigation as potential therapeutic agents for mental health conditions and are being increasingly used recreationally. Psychedelic use may result in an episode of intense psychological distress, commonly referred to as a "bad trip." Bad trips represent a potentially volatile, erratic, and dangerous situation, whic...

Associations between psychedelic use and migraine history in Swedish twins.

While psychedelics have shown initial promise in the treatment of migraine, experimental studies have relied on small and homogenous samples, which limit the reliability and generalizability of findings. These limitations underscore the complementary value of other research designs that leverage larger and more representative samples. This cross-sectional st...

Olanzapine for young people with anorexia nervosa: a synopsis of the main results from the OPEN open-label feasibility study.

In clinical practice, olanzapine is commonly used in young people with anorexia nervosa, although the underpinning evidence-base is limited. However, its efficacy, tolerability, acceptability and adherence rate, and the patients', carers' and clinicians' views of olanzapine treatment are unclear. This synopsis article summarises the methods and results of th...

The Harmonious Dance: A Narrative Review on Psychedelics and Music in Therapeutic Settings.

The integration of psychedelics and music in therapeutic settings is gaining recognition for its potential to enhance mental health outcomes. This review synthesizes current evidence on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this synergy, focusing on receptor-level pathways (e.g., 5-HT2A receptor agonism, BDNF-TrkB signaling) and neural circuit dynamics (...

Severe Illness Associated with Eating Mushroom-Containing Chocolate Products - United States, January-October 2024.

In late spring 2024, CDC was alerted to an outbreak of poisoning potentially associated with eating Diamond Shruumz microdosing chocolate bars. Diamond Shruumz microdosing chocolate bars are edible products designed so that small doses of mushroom-derived psychoactive compounds and other psychoactive ingredients can be eaten in a presectioned serving. In res...

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: Breakthrough for Whom?

Discovery of the closest free-living relative of the domesticated 'magic mushroom' Psilocybe cubensis in Africa.

The psychedelic mushroom Psilocybe cubensis is cultivated worldwide for recreational and medicinal use. Described initially from Cuba in 1906, there has been substantial debate about its origin and diversification. The prevailing view is that P. cubensis was inadvertently introduced to the Americas when cattle were introduced to the continent from Africa and...

The combination of exercise and psychedelics for the treatment of major depressive disorder.

Upwards of 50% of people do not respond to the primary treatment modalities for major depressive disorder (MDD), which has led to increased attention and use of alternative methods, including exercise and psychedelics. While interventions using either exercise or psychedelics have demonstrated largely positive results in isolation, their synergistic potentia...

Meaning and Psychedelics in Palliative Care: A Narrative Review.

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...

Psychedelics, Eleusis, and the Invention of Religious Experience.

This article corrects an idea in psychedelic science and culture that the ancient Eleusynian Mysteries used psychedelics, as claimed by Carl Ruck and co-authors in (1978), revitalized by Brian Muraresku's (2020), and popularized by social media heavyweights such as Joe Rogan. It begins by exposing critical methodological flaws in the arguments, namely, a pat...

Ketamine, Psychedelics, and Psychotherapy: Reframing, Redefining, Renaming Treatment Models.

There has been a renewed interest in the use of various psychedelic agents as potential therapies for multiple psychiatric conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), to name a few. This follows the recent accumulation of evidence for ketamine pharmacotherapy and a rapid pr...

Placebo Effects in the Treatment of Depression-Implications for the Psychedelic Renaissance.

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...

Difficulties following naturalistic psychedelic use and associations with adverse childhood experiences.

Naturalistic psychedelic use can result in a range of difficulties that impair social, occupational, and other important areas of functioning. Yet, the prevalence, phenomenology, and etiology of these outcomes remain poorly understood. Recent qualitative research has shown that individuals with long-term difficulties after psychedelic use sometimes attribute...

We Licked the Toads so You Don't Have to: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Chemical Syntheses of the Classical Psychedelics Bufotenin(e) and 5-Methoxy-N,N-Dimethyltryptamine.

Bufotenin (also spelt as bufotenine) and its methylated derivative, 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT), are potent psychedelics that are found in many plants but also excreted by some species of toads. The compounds are regulated differently around the world, and although used in traditional medicine, 20-century prohibition culture has slowed resea...

Anxiety and Affective Symptoms Related to the Use of Classic Psychedelics: A Systematic Review.

There is a large and rapidly growing body of literature investigating the therapeutic effects of classic psychedelics in affective and anxiety disorders, but very few studies have examined the inverse of this, that is, the potential for psychedelics to inflict anxiety and affective symptoms. A systematic literature search was performed and 39 papers were inc...

Building standards of psychedelic care: Qualitative examination of expert perspectives on safety, inclusion, and accountability.

There remain significant gaps in knowledge about best practices for facilitated psychedelic care and psychedelic-assisted therapy. To inform the development of service models that support safe and beneficial experiences, this qualitative study explored expert perspectives on current and ideal standards of care, including key practices (e.g., screening, adapt...