Abstract Background and Aims Networks of so-called underground, or illegal, psilocybin mushroom practitioners are popularly known to exist, though few systematic investigations of their practices have been conducted. We sought to uncover the experiences of a hidden community of psilocybin practitioners in order to inform scientific and policy dialogues about...
• A60-year-old man with recurrent depression and history of delusions died after psilocybin-assisted therapy. • Psilocybin-triggered delusions and emotional dysregulation may have contributed. • Weak therapeutic alliance hindered assessment of patient's internal state. • Delusional symptoms may contraindicate psychedelic interventions. • This case emphasizes...
Psychedelics, historically celebrated for their cultural and spiritual significance, have emerged as potential breakthrough therapeutic agents due to their profound effects on consciousness, emotional processing, mood, and neural plasticity. This review explores the mechanisms underlying psychedelics' effects, focusing on their ability to modulate brain conn...
= 7) in an open-label trial investigating PAT for cancer-related demoralization and chronic pain. Patients and caregivers were interviewed after their last treatment session in the trial; facilitators were interviewed at the end of the entire trial. Rapid qualitative analysis identified specific domains for improvement in the treatment protocol based on the ...
Psilocybin-assisted therapies (PAT) have been used to treat several issues including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), major depressive disorder (MDD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), smoking addiction, and anxiety (Grob et al., 2011; Johnson et al., 2014; Kisely et a., 2022; Moreno et al., 2006). If more positive benefits of psilocybin are discover...
Over a decade after the first edition of "Behavioral Neurobiology of Alcohol Addiction," this chapter revisits the field at a critical juncture, marked by both persistent challenges and emerging opportunities. We reflect on the translational gap that has stalled the development of new treatments for alcohol use disorder (AUD), despite decades of promising pr...
The revival of psilocybin in psychopharmacological research heralds a potential paradigm shift for treating mood and anxiety disorders, and other psychiatric conditions beyond the psychotic spectrum. This critical review evaluates current evidence on psilocybin's efficacy, juxtaposing potential benefits with the practical aspects of psychedelic-assisted psyc...
Psilocybin use has been increasingly popular in the United States, and its use as a novel therapeutic treatment for psychiatric conditions has led to greater public acceptance as a recreational substance. Consequently, clinicians are faced with managing complications and adverse effects associated with psilocybin use. We present three cases seen in a dual di...
BackgroundApproximately 8.5 million Americans over the age of 12 endorsed past year psychedelic use in 2022, with 1.4 million individuals initiating use during this time. Although emerging evidence indicates there may be beneficial aspects of psychedelic use, there is a need to understand how individuals might mitigate potential risks within nonclinical cont...
Psychedelics are emerging as an effective way to combat mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and substance abuse. Psychedelics such as psilocybin can decrease overactivity in regions of the brain that are associated with anxiety and depression; for instance, psilocybin acts as an agonist on brain receptors to induce consciousness-alteri...
Abstract: Psilocybin mushrooms, also known as "magic mushrooms," have garnered significant attention for their psychoactive properties and potential therapeutic applications. This review explores the comprehensive morphology, pharmacognostic properties, and pharmacological activities of psilocybin-producing fungi. The unique morphological characteristics of ...
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...
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 ...
Abstract Ketamine and psilocybin show potential as therapies for various mental illnesses, including major depressive disorder. However, further investigation into their neural mechanisms is required to understand their effects on the brain. By combining computational modelling with electroencephalography (EEG), we examine the effects of ketamine and psilocy...
Abstract Chronic pain states are challenging to control with current drug therapies. Here, we demonstrate that a single dose of psilocybin can produce a sustained anti-nociceptive effect in a mouse model of chronic neuropathic pain. Beyond this, the single dose of psilocybin caused a dramatic increase in the anti-nociceptive potential of gabapentin, a widely...
Abstract Background A diagnosis of cancer is often associated with significant psychological distress. Current approaches to cancer-related distress predominantly fall short of meeting the needs of patients. Recent investigations have shown that administering psilocybin in combination with psychotherapy might be effective at reducing distress in cancer patie...
