Millions worldwide suffer from chronic pain, a complex condition often accompanied by depression and anxiety, highlighting the urgent need for innovative treatments. Classic psychedelics, including psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), primarily act on serotonin 5-HT2A receptors and have emerged as potential modulato...
This study examined patient perspectives on psilocybin therapy, specifically their acceptance and views on the therapeutic benefits of both hallucinogenic and non-hallucinogenic forms. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among psychiatric patients aged 18-65 at a community mental health center, assessing their attitudes, knowledge, and acceptance of psilo...
Psychedelics have emerged as a promising treatment for mental health disease, and the therapeutic potential of psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is presently being pursued in numerous clinical trials. This has prompted a search for novel agents with more specific pharmacological activities than the rather promiscuous classical psychedelics. Her...
BackgroundRecent evidence suggests that psychedelics can induce rapid and long-lasting antidepressant effects. The generally acknowledged explanation for these traits is the phenomenon of neuroplasticity, although the exact underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear.AimsThis study investigates the effects of psilocin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and...
To design therapeutic trials and select the most appropriate substance and dose for an indication, a detailed understanding of clinical pharmacology is crucial. In recent years, several studies have explored the human pharmacology of different psychedelics and 3,4-methylendioxymethylamphetamin (MDMA). This chapter summarizes pharmacological characteristics o...
Background: Structural inequalities in healthcare access may influence how individuals experience the psychological effects of psychedelic substances, potentially limiting positive outcomes among vulnerable populations. Objectives: This study uses data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2008-2019; N = 484,732) to examine how public and private ...
RATIONALE: The head twitch response (HTR) is a spontaneously occurring behavior in mice that is increased in frequency by serotonergic psychedelics. The mouse HTR is often used as a proxy for psychedelic-like drug effects, but limited information is available about sex differences in HTRs evoked by various classes of psychedelics (i.e., phenethylamines, lyse...
The interplay between psychedelics, such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and sleep is an emerging area, but their impact on sleep remains relatively underexplored. This viewpoint provides a perspective on how psychedelics may alter sleep phases, dreaming, and their potential therapeutic applications for sleep dis...
Microdosing, the repeated use of psychedelic substances at low doses, is growing in popularity among recreational consumers. While this practice is associated with many benefits to mood, well-being and health, research in this area is in its early stages and predominantly centered on human applications. In this narrative review, we synthesize the findings fr...
This viewpoint explores the therapeutic potential of psychedelics in treating neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly through the modulation of brain entropy and the experience of ego dissolution. Psychedelics disrupt rigid neural patterns, facilitating enhanced connectivity and fostering profound emotional breakthroughs that may alleviate symptoms of disor...
OBJECTIVE: Psychedelic therapies are promising new treatment options in psychiatry. Including the use of physical touch as part of treatment is an area of debate. This study aimed to characterize the viewpoints of practitioners on the use of touch in psychedelic therapy. METHODS: An anonymous survey was distributed via e-mail to the contacts listed on Clinic...
Background Cluster headache is an excruciating condition for which standard treatments are usually insufficient. Evidence has accumulated that serotonergic psychedelic indoleamines including psilocybin and LSD can be effective in preventing attacks. Methods In this case series, nine patients with episodic and chronic cluster headache that didn’t respond to c...
Psychedelics, such as psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide, modulate neuroplasticity and brain connectivity via 5-HT2A receptors. Their efficacy has been demonstrated in depression and anxiety, where they are particularly interesting because of their rapid and long-lasting effect. They could also be beneficial for addictions, post-traumatic stress, and ...
Serotonin 5-HT2A receptors were one of the first serotonin receptors to be pharmacologically characterized. In mammals, they are expressed throughout the body in nearly every cell and tissue type, with the highest density in cortical layer V of the brain. They are involved in several aspects of normal physiological processes and behaviors and have been impli...
Abstract Background and aims Improved outcomes for substance use disorders have been described following non-clinical (“naturalistic”) psychedelic use. This exploratory study aimed to describe the naturalistic psychedelic experiences of people with substance use concerns and their reported needs and perceived utility of psychosocial support following natural...
Objective: Prior research has found an association between psychedelic use and reduced stigma attached to mental illness. However, whether psychedelics alleviate stigma-related distress remains unclear. Since stigma impacts different groups uniquely, any moderating effect of psychedelics on stigma-related distress is likely to vary across subpopulations. Thi...
Summary Microdosing, the prolonged ingestion of psychedelics at sub-hallucinogenic doses, has gained popularity for its perceived cognitive and emotional benefits. Psychedelics have high affinity for 5-HT2B receptors, which cause heart disease with strong chronic activation. We investigated the effects of microdosed psychedelics on cardiovascular health in m...
Abstract The potential of psychedelic substances to treat mental illness is of significant clinical and societal interest, leading to academic and industry-based research to test their effects. Partly, such research was conducted to fulfil requirements of government agencies such as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FD...
Psychedelic-assisted therapy is gaining recognition for its potential to enhance human functioning. While most research has focused on psychedelic' therapeutic use for mental illness, this review applies the PERMA Theory of Well-Being to systematically examine their role in enhancing well-being in healthy individuals. The final search of five academic databa...
The primary objective of this study is to determine whether equivalent moderately high doses of LSD, psilocybin, and DMT produce qualitatively similar peak effects when the effect duration is standardized with ketanserin. A DMT infusion mimicking oral LSD and psilocybin administrations will be tested, as well as intravenously administered ketanserin. Lysergi...
