Data on medication interactions with psychedelics are limited. Here we present what may be the first published report of a hypertensive emergency following the combination of psilocybin mushrooms with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI). A42-year-old man with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder took 1 g of Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms, while presc...
Several fungi belonging to the genus Psilocybe, also called “magic mushrooms”, contain the hallucinogenic drugs psilocybin and psilocin. They are chemically related to serotonin (5-HT). In addition to being abused as drugs, they are now also being discussed or used as a treatment option for depression. Here, we hypothesized that psilocybin and psilocin may a...
Resistance to traditional treatment methods is still a major obstacle in modern psychiatry. As a result, several studies are currently being conducted to find effective alternatives to traditional therapies. One of these alternatives is psilocybin, a psychedelic substance that has been tested in clinical trials as an adjunct to psychotherapy. These studies f...
Introduction: Psilocybin is a naturally occurring tryptamine derivative psychedelic compound potently produced by fungi members of the genus Psilocybe. Previous literature has highlighted psilocybin as a serotonin 2A receptor agonist with striking effects on neural plasticity and cognition. Recent studies explore the usage of psilocybin in addressing addicti...
Psilocybin fungi, also more informally known as psychedelic mushrooms, have a rich, cultural history and were criminalized in the 1970s. However, recent developments, including Food and Drug Administration breakthrough status and state-level legalization, revive interest in these substances. They may be able to treat many disorders without the addictiveness ...
The Psychiatric Consultation Service at Massachusetts General Hospital sees medical and surgical inpatients with comorbid psychiatric symptoms and conditions. During their twice-weekly rounds, Dr Stern and other members of the Consultation Service discuss diagnosis and management of hospitalized patients with complex medical or surgical problems who also dem...
Psilocybin is gaining popularity as research shows potential benefits to those with anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. Individuals with risk factors for psychosis are typically excluded from such studies, limiting the empiric research of the risks and benefits in vulnerable populations. In the real-world setting, many individuals who se...
Serotonergic psychedelics hold promise as a treatment modality for various psychiatric disorders and are currently applied in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. We investigated the learning effects of the serotonin receptor agonist psilocybin in a probabilistic cue-reward task with emotional cues in the form of neutral or fearful faces, presented either con...
Introduction: Mental disorders are common and still growing problem around the globe. Significantly decreasing quality of life, they are often source of true suffering for patients and their families leading to further health issues or even dramatic outcomes resulting in death. As public awareness rises, more and more people understand risks and tend to look...
The title compound, C12 H16 N2 O, is a hydroxy-substituted monoamine alkaloid, and the primary metabolite of the naturally occurring psychedelic compound psilocybin. Crystalline forms of psilocin are known, but their characterization by single-crystal structure analysis is limited. Herein, two anhydrous polymorphic forms (I and II) of psilocin are described....
We are in the midst of a polycrisis, with any number of thoughts on how to approach the intersecting global crises of environmental, social, political, and other issues. One line of thinking for re...
The use of psilocybin to treat alcohol use disorder is very promising, but its mechanisms of action remain poorly understood. We combined behavioural, pharmacological and gene expression analyses to decipher the mechanisms of action of psilocybin, for the first time, when injected into the brain. Male Long Evans rats underwent chronic operant ethanol self-ad...
Introduction: Substance use disorder (SUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are major public health crises, affecting millions of Americans. Current treatment options include behavioral therapies and medications. In this review, we explored psilocybin’s efficacy in treating SUD and AUD. Methods: Key terms were used to search databases to identify articles that...
This article underscores the critical role of social workers in harnessing the potential therapeutic benefits of psilocybin for treating major depressive disorder (MDD) and substance use disorder (SUD). Contemporary treatments for MDD often have side effects, and the success rate for SUD treatments remains low. The pervasiveness of MDD, combined with the cha...
In vivo, psilocybin is rapidly dephosphorylated to psilocin which induces psychedelic effects by interacting with the 5-HT2A receptor. Psilocin primarily undergoes glucuronidation or conversion to 4-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (4-HIAA). Herein, we investigated psilocybin’s metabolic pathways in vitro and in vivo, conducting a thorough analysis of the enzymes...
Despite the legalization of psilocybin therapy for depression in terminal illnesses such as advanced cancer through Oregon's Measure 109 in 2020, significant challenges have impeded its implementation. This review synthesizes the empirical data supporting the utilization of psilocybin therapy for addressing cancer-related depression, including an evaluation ...