Recent advances in psychedelic research have renewed interest in their therapeutic potential for psychiatric disorders characterized by cognitive and behavioral rigidity. This review examines the rationale for using serotonergic psychedelics-particularly 5-HT2A receptor agonists such as psilocybin-in the treatment of eating disorders (EDs), including anorexi...
Existential and spiritual suffering are frequently reported by individuals facing serious illnesses, particularly at the end of life, and are associated with diminished quality of life, increased psychological distress, and requests for hastened death. While Palliative Care (PC) aims to provide holistic support, existing therapeutic options often fail to ade...
The stresses of the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted the burden of psychiatric disorders within the pediatric population, revealing a pre-existing need for rapid-onset therapies that have since driven efforts to expand effective therapeutic interventions. In this narrative review, we utilized the Preferred Reporting Items for Syste...
IMPORTANCE: Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy may offer a novel approach to treating depression, anxiety, and existential distress in individuals with life threatening illnesses, where current treatments show limited efficacy. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy versus active placebo and psychotherapy in adults...
Classic psychedelics and the gut microbiome interact bidirectionally through mechanisms involving 5-HT receptor signaling, neuroplasticity, and microbial metabolism. This viewpoint highlights how psychedelics may reshape microbiota and how microbes influence psychedelic efficacy, proposing microbiome-informed strategies─such as probiotics or dietary interven...
Depression prevalence is markedly elevated in oncological patients, particularly among head and neck cancer (HNC) cohorts, who face twice the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) compared to other cancer populations. MDD in this context independently predicts poorer clinical outcomes and increased morbidity. HNC management often involves acute surgi...
PurposeSpirituality is a core component of holistic cancer care, yet additional support is needed to understand and implement spirituality-focused interventions in practice. The aim of this review was to identify available interventions to address spirituality among people with cancer, to explore common components, and to examine efficacy across intervention...
Both meditation and psychedelics are widely studied for their therapeutic potential in mental health. Recent research suggests potential synergies between mindfulness practice and psychedelics, though empirical studies have primarily focused on psilocybin. This study investigates the distinct and combined effects of mindfulness practice and an ayahuasca-insp...
IntroductionPsilocybin shows encouraging outcomes for patients with cancer and major depressive disorder (MDD). However, there is insufficient evidence on the use of evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions to consistently guide and standardize psilocybin preparation, dosing, and integration. Meaning-centered psychotherapy (MCP) is a manualized, brief ...
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Psilocybin has emerged as a potential treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD), but early efficacy data are inconsistent. Depression following alcohol detoxification significantly increases the risk of relapse. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy...
Accumulating evidence suggests that psilocybin can produce rapid and sustained clinical benefits when administered in conjunction with psychological support. Though non-pharmacological procedures are considered integral, the field lacks therapeutic guidelines and little is known about current practices. This systematic review sought to provide a comprehensiv...
Perception of visual contrast depends on the surrounding spatial context. Typically, the salience of a central target is reduced by a high contrast surrounding stimulus, an effect known as surround suppression. Although this phenomenon is well-studied, the role of specific neurotransmitter systems during surround suppression in human vision remains unclear. ...
Background and HypothesisVisual hallucinations (VH) are a core symptom of both Lewy body diseases (LBDs; e.g., Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies) and serotonergic psychedelics (SPs; e.g., psilocybin and mescaline). While these classes of VH differ in etiology, shared pathways are suggested by overlapping phenomenology and neural mechanisms. T...
Background and Hypothesis Visual hallucinations (VH) are a core symptom of both Lewy body diseases (LBDs; e.g., Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies) and serotonergic psychedelics (SPs; e.g., psilocybin and mescaline). While these classes of VH differ in etiology, shared pathways are suggested by overlapping phenomenology and neural mechanisms. ...
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant global health challenge, with limited effective treatments for its acute and chronic consequences. TBI is characterized by neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, impaired neuroplasticity, imbalances in neurotransmission, and cell death - factors that contribute to the development of neurological and psychiatric dis...
BackgroundClassic serotonergic psychedelics are 5-HT2A partial agonists that induce non-ordinary states of consciousness. Many have demonstrated anti-addictive properties; however, their impact on smoking behaviors remains under-researched. This review provides a synthesis of the therapeutic potential of these compounds in promoting smoking cessation and red...
Psilocybin, also known as “magic mushrooms,” is naturally found in psychedelic compound from different types of mushrooms. The utility of psilocybin for spiritual and therapeutic purposes has already go through several centuries. Scientific research on these compounds gained traction in the mid-20th century, the increasing interest in the possible therapeuti...
Both psychotherapeutic interventions and pharmacological agents have demonstrated limited efficacy in the treatment of personality disorders (PDs). Emerging evidence suggests that psychedelic therapy, already showing promise in treating various psychiatric conditions commonly comorbid with PDs, may exert therapeutic effects by promoting adaptive changes in p...
A recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial (NCT02061293) found that psilocybin-assisted therapy significantly improved drinking outcomes compared to an active placebo in adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD). In this secondary analysis, we assessed whether psilocybin-assisted therapy improved self-compassion and whether thes...
A recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial (NCT02061293) found that psilocybin-assisted therapy significantly improved drinking outcomes compared to an active placebo in adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD). In this secondary analysis, we assessed whether psilocybin-assisted therapy improved self-compassion and whether thes...
