Abstract Background Self-transcendent and mystical experiences may be key mechanisms underlying psychedelics’ therapeutic effects, yet how these experiences differ across substances remains unclear. This study compared mystical and self-transcendent experiences across psilocybin, 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and cannabis in a diverse, community-...
Classic psychedelics are increasingly studied as potential treatments for different psychiatric disorders. Current research protocols often require patients to discontinue antidepressants (ADs) for at least 2 weeks before psychedelic administration to decrease the risk of serotonin syndrome and limit their effect on efficacy and the acute subjective effects ...
Czechia has recently approved the medical use of psilocybin, marking a pivotal shift in the country’s drug policy landscape. This development paves the way for regulated therapeutic applications of psilocybin within clinical settings, while simultaneously prompting a timely discussion on the potential uses of psychedelics beyond strictly medical contexts. Th...
About one in three people with major depression respond poorly to standard antidepressant treatments. This kind of depression is called treatment-resistant depression, and it can lead to long-term disability, financial challenges, and a higher risk of suicide. Psilocybin-a compound found in certain mushrooms-has shown early promise as a new treatment for thi...
BackgroundMajor depressive disorder (MDD) is a significant public health concern, and current treatments often have limitations in effectiveness and adherence. Psilocybin, a psychedelic compound found in certain mushrooms, is being explored as a potential treatment for depression. It primarily acts through the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor but interacts with 5-H...
Introduction: Recently, there has been a significant increase in interest in the use of psychedelics for various psychiatric conditions. Psilocybin is receiving particular attention as a psychoactive substance with significant therapeutic potential. Recent research focuses on its possible benefits in the treatment of major depressive disorders (MDD) and anor...
Psilocybe species, commonly known as “magic mushrooms”, are a group of hallucinogenic fungi known for their psychoactive compounds such as psilocybin, psilocin, baeocystin, and norbaeocystin. These species have been the focus of scientific study due to their potential therapeutic applications, despite their classification as controlled substances in many jur...
OBJECTIVE: Due to the boom in the use of certain psychedelics in different neuropsychiatric conditions, the objective was to synthesize the available information on the use of psilocybin (a psychedelic) in the population with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; a developmental neuropsychiatric condition). METHODS: Scoping review. Question framework: Population: p...
BackgroundPsilocybin is a natural alkaloid with therapeutic potential in the treatment of different mental disorders. Bibliometric information on its use is still scattered in the literature.ObjectiveTo investigate the temporal and bibliometric patterns of publications and the specificity of psilocybin in the treatment of mental disorders.MethodPerformed a b...
Psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, have garnered significant attention as potential therapeutic tools for treating substance use disorders (SUDs), such as those related to alcohol, nicotine, heroin (an opioid), or cocaine. Traditional treatments often fall short, leading to high relapse rates and an urgent need for innovative approaches. This article exp...
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...
Psychedelics, derived from the Greek words "psyche" (soul) and "deloun" (revealing), are substances historically and currently considered "soul-revealing". Also termed hallucinogens due to their impact on sensory perception, they are further categorized into hallucinogens, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, and mescaline; entactogens or em...
Psychedelics are often queried as a potential therapeutic option in a multitude of conditions, including pain and mental health disorders, with a growing body of patient reports and scientific publications describing potential benefit. This article reviews recent research on psychedelic compounds for treatment of headache disorders. Observational data, case ...
Tau protein is essential for the structural stability of neurons, particularly through its role in microtubule assembly and axonal transport. However, when abnormally hyperphosphorylated or cleaved, Tau can aggregate into insoluble forms that disrupt neuronal function, contributing to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease...
Introduction: Psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic, has shown therapeutic potential in treating mental health disorders by, amongst the many effects, promoting neuroplasticity and reorganising functional connectivity across cortical and subcortical networks involved in emotion and cognition. Veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) often experience chr...
Psilocybin, a compound found in Psilocybe mushrooms, is emerging as a promising treatment for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder. Its potential therapeutic effects stem from promoting neuroprotection, neurogenesis, and neuroplasticity, key factors in brain health. Psilocybin could help combat mild neurodegenerati...
Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants has been associated with reduced intensity of emotional experience. Conversely, some research has shown that use of psilocybin in patients with depression leads to an increase in responsiveness to emotional face stimuli, suggesting that the psychedelic generates a transient elevation in moo...
In the 1950s-60s, serotonergic psychedelic drugs were studied as potential adjuvants to psychotherapy to treat addiction and alcoholism. However, starting in the 70s, preclinical and clinical studies on psychedelics stopped for decades because legislation controlled its recreational use, citing their hallucinogenic and psychotomimetic effects, as well as the...
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 ...
The serotonergic psychedelic psilocybin induces neural plasticity and profoundly alters consciousness. The benzodiazepine midazolam blunts neural plasticity and induces conscious sedation and amnesia at low doses. In our recent open label pilot study, we administered oral psilocybin (25 mg) along with intravenous midazolam at doses allowing a full psychedeli...