The potential of psychedelics to persistently treat substance use disorders is known since the 1960s. However, the biological mechanisms responsible for their therapeutic effects have not yet been fully elucidated. While it is known that serotonergic hallucinogens induce changes in gene expression and neuroplasticity, particularly in prefrontal regions, theo...
Although certain psychedelic agents may soon gain federal approval for use in treating specific psychiatric conditions, the utilization of such therapies in clinical practice will depend largely on the attitudes of healthcare providers. Therefore, this study assesses the current attitudes, knowledge, exposure, and acceptance of psychedelics and psychedelic-a...
Identifying gaps and strengths in psychedelic-related knowledge is key to developing effective, evidence-based education to inform appropriate use of and harm reduction practices for psychedelics in the naturalistic use landscape. The current study piloted an assessment instrument with questions on legal status, therapeutic potential, and side effects of psy...
Background: Psilocybin has been suggested as a novel, rapid-acting treatment for depression. Two consecutive doses have been shown to markedly decrease symptom severity in an open-label setting or when compared to a waiting list group. To date, to our knowledge, no other trial compared a single, moderate dose of psilocybin to a placebo condition. Methods: In...
Research on classical psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD and DMT) and entactogen, MDMA, has produced a renaissance in the search for more effective drugs to treat psychiatric, neurological and various peripheral disorders. Psychedelics and entactogens act though interaction with 5-HT2A and other serotonergic receptors and/or monoamine reuptake transporters. 5-HT,...
Background: Psilocybin, the primary psychoactive component of psychedelic ‘magic mushrooms’, may have potential for treating depressive symptoms, and consequent applications for bipolar disorder (BD). Knowledge of the risks and benefits of psilocybin in BD is limited to case studies. Aim: To support the design of clinical trials, we surveyed experiences of p...
The interest in psilocybin as a therapeutic approach has grown exponentially in recent years. Despite increasing access, there remains a lack of practical guidance on the topic for health care professionals. This is particularly concerning given the medical complexity and vulnerable nature of patients for whom psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy may be conside...
The therapeutic use of psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” is revolutionizing mental health care for a number of conditions, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and end-of-life care. This has spotlighted the current state of knowledge of psilocybin, including the organisms that endogenously produce it.
Humans have collected and used hallucinogenic mushrooms for ethnic medicinal, recreational, and religious purposes since before recorded history. Currently, the use of these mushrooms is illegal in most countries, but where their use is legal they are applied as self medication. Psilocybin and psilocin, two psychoactive alkaloids, are naturally synthesized b...
A striking feature of psychedelics is their ability to increase attribution of truth and meaningfulness to specific contents and ideas experienced, which may persist long after psychedelic effects have subsided. We propose that processes underlying conferral of meaning and truth in psychedelic experiences may act as a double-edged sword: while these may driv...
Psychedelic substances have played important roles in diverse cultures, and ingesting various plant preparations to evoke altered states of consciousness has been described throughout recorded history. Accounts of the subjective effects of psychedelics typically focus on spiritual and mystical-type experiences, including feelings of unity, sacredness, and tr...
The hallucinogen psilocybin is a potential novel treatment for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Our goal is to review current knowledge on psilocybin and its efficacy in TRD. Literature searches were done on PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar, references reviewed in identified articles and other articles found on the website of COMPASS Pathways. ...
ABSTRACT The "people of knowledge" of traditional Mazatec medicine have preserved until today the ritual use of psilocybin mushrooms as part of their health care systems. The renewed interest in the effect of psilocybin on human consciousness for both therapeutic and recreational purposes usually obviates the historical and cultural background of indigenous ...
Purpose of the reviewWe aim to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge about the efficacy of psilocybin in the treatment of depression, as well as its mechanisms of action.Recent findingsPsilocybin has a large, rapid, and persistent clinical effect in the treatment of resistant or end-of-life depression. Tolerance is good, with mild side effect...
The use of low sub-perceptual doses of psychedelics ("microdosing") has gained popularity in recent years. Although anecdotal reports claim multiple benefits associated with this practice, the lack of placebo-controlled studies severely limits our knowledge of microdosing and its effects. Moreover, research conducted in standard laboratory settings could fai...
Over the last two decades, a number of studies have highlighted the potential of psychedelic therapy. However, questions remain to what extend these results translate to naturalistic samples, and how contextual factors and the acute psychedelic experience relate to improvements in affective symptoms following psychedelic experiences outside labs/clinics. The...
Psilocybin recently received breakthrough status by the FDA for its use in treatment of depression. We therefore investigated mental health professionals' (MHPs) opinions on Psilocybin (n = 155). Overall, attitudes were neutral but self-rated knowledge of Psilocybin was low. The term used in the survey, 'Psilocybin' or 'Magic Mushrooms', did not significantl...
Background Synapses and spines are central in major depressive disorder (MDD) pathophysiology, recently highlighted by ketamine’s and psilocybin’s rapid antidepressant effects. The Bayesian brain and interoception perspectives formalize MDD as being “stuck” in affective states constantly predicting negative energy balance. We examined how synaptic atrophy re...
Driving under the influence of drug (DUID) cases continue to challenge forensic toxicologists as both the volume and complexity of casework increases. Comprehensive DUID testing should also meet the drafted Academy Standards Board (ASB)/ American National Standard Institute (ANSI) standard and the National Safety Council's Alcohol, Drugs and Impairment Divis...
Psychedelic therapy (PT) is an emerging paradigm with great transdiagnostic potential for treating a range of psychiatric disorders, including depression, addiction, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and others. ‘Classic’ serotonergic psychedelics, such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and 5-metho...
