Chronic stress exerts profound effects on mental health, contributing to disorders such as depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment. This study examines the potential of psilocybin to alleviate behavioral despair and cognitive deficits in a rodent model of chronic stress, focusing on the interplay between the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis an...
There is renewed interest in psychedelics, such as psilocybin, as therapies for multiple difficult-to-treat psychiatric disorders. Even though psychedelics can induce highly pleasant or aversive experiences, depending on multiple personal and environmental factors, there is little research into how such experiences impact post-acute mood-altering actions. He...
Known for their capacity to alter perception and consciousness, psychedelics are increasingly being explored for therapeutic applications in treating conditions such chronic pain, major depressive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.1,2 Despite historical stigmas and legal restrictions, recent changes in legislation and the United States Food and Dr...
Methamphetamine (MA) dependence leads to severe physical and psychological issues. Current treatments, including psychosocial therapies and residential rehabilitation, face limitations such as high relapse rates, cost, and accessibility issues. As a result, there is an urgent need for novel approaches to treat MA dependence that are effective, affordable, an...
Psilocybin therapy has recently emerged as a promising new treatment for depression and other mental health disorders. This chapter summarizes the most recent data on its safety and efficacy. The delivery of psilocybin therapy and its subjective effects are also presented. Furthermore, this chapter outlines our current understanding of psilocybin's pharmacol...
"Iracema comes with the pot full of the green liquor. The shaman decrees the dreams to each warrior and distributes the wine of jurema, which carries the brave Tabajara to heaven." José de Alencar, in his poetic novel “Iracema” (1865)1. IntroductionThe "wine of jurema", used in ancient Brazilian shamanic rituals, is rich in N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a na...
The fast-expanding use of psychedelic drugs for medical purposes necessitates a greater understanding of the drugs' potential adverse effects. Investigators conducted a systematic review of studies of psychedelic administration in clinical and research settings and a meta-analysis of data on adverse events. They conducted a comprehensive database search for ...
Background: Due to the unsatisfactory therapeutic effects of current antidepressants, research has been launched into alternative treatment approaches, such as the administration of psychedelics. Psilocybin, a classic hallucinogen, has been shown to exert considerable positive influence on depression symptoms through its serotonergic and glutamatergic effect...
BACKGROUND: Psychedelic drugs are increasingly visible in society once more, but their risks and adverse effects have received less attention than perhaps they should. While fatalities associated with psychedelics appear rare, a systematic approach to characterising their aetiology is required to inform harm minimisation efforts. AIMS: This study aimed to an...
Background: There is ongoing research into the potential use of psychedelics and 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) as alternatives to commonly used medications for treating major depressive and anxiety disorders. Aims: We aimed to assess the efficacy of psychedelics and MDMA in managing depressive and anxiety symptoms and evaluate their safety profil...
Background: In recent years, both meditation and psychedelics have attracted rapidly increasing scientific interest. While the current state of evidence suggests the promising potential of psychedelics, such as psilocybin, to enhance meditative training, it remains equivocal whether these effects are specifically bound to psilocybin or if other classical psy...
BACKGROUND: Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is permitted in Switzerland under its limited medical use program. Data from patients in this program represent a unique opportunity to analyze the real-world practice of PAT. AIMS: This study compared the subjective effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin between patients undergoing PAT and h...
BACKGROUND: Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks (SUNHA) are trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias that feature intense and recurrent paroxysms of pain and autonomic symptoms. Many patients are left with debilitating symptoms despite best-available treatment. Psychedelics, such as the serotonin 2A partial agonist psilocybin, have shown promise ...
Key Clinical Message: This case study describes the feasibility and safety of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) as a home-based intervention for a patient with throat cancer experiencing significant existential distress. The patient tolerated the intervention well. This case supports the feasibility and safety of PAT for patients with life-threatening condi...
BACKGROUND: Psychedelic substances reliably induce marked altered states of consciousness (ASC), which may be important for lasting effects and clinical outcomes of psychedelic intervention. Several instruments are available to measure the acute psychedelic experience, of which the Five Dimensional Altered States of Consciousness Questionnaire (5D-ASC) is co...
INTRODUCTION: This study explores how individuals self-treat psychiatric conditions with psychedelics outside medical guidance bridging the gap in understanding unregulated therapeutic use. AIMS: The primary objective was to extract specific factors underlying the effects of psychedelics, exploring their relationship with the need for medication, particularl...
Psilocybin has reemerged as a promising treatment for difficult-to-treat depression (DTD). Although there is limited evidence regarding interactions between psilocybin and other psychotropic drugs, clinical trials require that patients discontinue their antidepressants before study entry to isolate the benefits of psilocybin and to minimize the risk of adver...
Background: Following clinical trials on psilocybin for the treatment of pain, anxiety, and depression in patients with cancer, scientific interest emerged in its use for substance use disorders. Methods: In this review of the literature, we summarize available trials looking at the use of psilocybin in addiction Results: One double-blind, randomized clinica...
RATIONALE: Our study aimed to unravel the unknown mechanisms behind the exceptional efficacy of Psilocybin (PSI) in treating treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Focusing on Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats with a TRD phenotype and Wistar (WIS) rats as a normative comparison, we investigated behavioral and neuroplasticity-related responses to PSI, striving to shed l...
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a deadly illness with no proven treatments to reverse core symptoms and no medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Novel treatments are urgently needed to improve clinical outcomes. In this open-label feasibility study, 10 adult female participants (mean body mass index 19.7 kg m−2; s.d. 3.7) who met Diagnostic a...
