Purpose of reviewThis review presents the existing literature of and a framework for how psychedelic drugs might be applied as therapeutic agents in episodic migraine.Recent findingsThe therapeutic effects of psychedelics in headache disorders have been reported for decades and controlled investigations are now beginning. In the first and only clinical trial...
ObjectivesPeople with terminal illnesses often experience psychological distress and associated disability. Recent clinical trial evidence has stimulated interest in the therapeutic use of psychedelics at end of life. Much uncertainty remains, however, mainly due to methodological difficulties that beset existing trials. We conducted a scoping review of pipe...
This review aims at RCT's of psychedelics used in the treatment of depression and PTSD. Psilocybin has shown an antidepressant effect in cancer patients that was sustained at 6- and 12-months follow-up. The effect of psilocybin was comparable to escitalopram in one study. Ketamine has shown effect for the treatment of resistant depression. Phase 2 and 3 tria...
Despite the recent and sharp rise in psychedelic research, few studies have investigated how classic psychedelic use relates to employees' work-related outcomes. This is surprising given that the increased use, decriminalization, and legalization of classic psychedelics in the United States (U.S.) has the potential to impact both employees and their organiza...
Background: Psychedelic-assisted therapy has gained significant attention in recent years. However, there is a lack of empirical clarity on the role of psychosocial interventions (PI) in clinical trials of psychedelic treatment due in part to deficiencies in reporting practices found in the existing literature. These PI include non-drug support or interventi...
Background: Psychedelic-assisted therapy has gained significant attention in recent years. However, there is a lack of empirical clarity on the role of psychosocial interventions (PI) in clinical trials of psychedelic treatment due in part to deficiencies in reporting practices found in the existing literature. These PI include non-drug support or interventi...
Psilocybin is being investigated as a treatment in adults with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Withdrawal from serotonergic antidepressant drugs is a common prerequisite for taking part in trials of psilocybin due to the possibility of ongoing antidepressant drugs altering the psychedelic effect. This phase II, exploratory, international, fixed-dose, o...
Serotonergic psychedelics such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, and DOI exert a hallucinatory effect through serotonin 5-HT2A receptor (5-HT2A) activation. Recent studies have revealed that serotonergic psychedelics have therapeutic potential for neuropsychiatric disorders, including major depressive and anxiety-related disorders. However, the invo...
BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that serotonergic psychedelics (e.g. psilocybin), have rapid-acting and long-lasting antidepressant effects after a single dose. However, the mechanism underlying these effects remain unclear. One proposed mechanism is that these drugs promote neuroplasticity. However, this has not been conclusively demonstrated in humans. AIMS:...
This paper addresses the possible effects of psychedelic drugs, notably psilocybin, on moral bio-enhancement (MBE). It will be argued that non-psychedelic substances, such as oxytocin, serotonin/serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or vasopressin, have indirect effects on M(B)E, whereas psilocybin has direct effects. Additionally, morality and happiness have been ...
Introduction Psilocybin is one of the most extensively studied psychedelic drugs with a broad therapeutic potential. Despite the fact that its psychoactivity is mainly attributed to the agonism at 5-HT2A receptors, it has high binding affinity also to 5-HT2C and 5-HT1A receptors and indirectly modulates the dopaminergic system. Psilocybin and its active meta...
There has been growth in the use of psychedelics by the global population in recent years. In addition to recreational and ritualistic use, recent research into psychedelics has brought advances for treating mental disorders. Understanding the specific circumstances in which psilocybin leads to positive outcomes may have important implications for the future...
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a surge in depression cases, a pervasive and debilitating mental illness1. This trend is evident in the increased prescriptions for antidepressants. Depression is a chronic condition that affects a significant proportion of the global population, with ~280 million people, or about 3.8%, suffering from it. As a result, it...
With the Food and Drug Administration designation in 2017 of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) as a breakthrough therapy in post-traumatic stress disorder and psilocybin in treatment-resistant depression, psychedelic drugs have continued to garner the attention of researchers and clinicians for their promise of unmatched, rapid improvement in a multit...
Blinding of treatment allocation in clinical trials in psychiatry is regarded as an ideal. The potential impact of unblinding chimes with a general concern for psychological research: so-called demand characteristics can undermine confidence in findings from experimental and clinical studies. Scepticism can result in nihilism. The reliance on subjective repo...
In 1970, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration passed the Controlled Substances Act. This statute classified and banned a variety of drugs including psilocybin, the psychoactive component found in Psilocybe Cubensis (also known as "Magic Mushrooms"). Though psilocybin was known to possess many medical benefits and cause no serious side effects, t...
Serotonergic psychedelics are emerging therapeutics for psychiatric disorders, yet their underlying mechanisms of action in the brain remain largely elusive. Zebrafish have evolutionarily conserved serotonergic circuits and subcortical targets such as the brainstem regions and the cerebellum, providing a promising model for studying the subcortical effects o...
Background Psilocybin use, along with other psychedelics, has seen an increased interest among professionals in the medical community due to its potential therapeutic benefits for psychiatric disorders, substance use disorders (SUD), and palliative care. While it is certain that more research is necessary as psychedelic-assisted therapy becomes more prevalen...
Microdosing psychedelic drugs is a growing phenomenon, but little is known about the experiences surrounding this. Research broadly suggests that people may use psychedelics in an attempt to self-medicate for mental health and wellbeing. However, the precise details, rationale and meaning of such attempts remains unclear, and would benefit from clarification...
Psychedelic compounds have shown extraordinary potential in treating a wide range of neuropsychiatric disorders. Psilocybin, for example, has now been shown in several clinical trials to induce a rapid (within days) and persistent (3-12 months) improvement in human treatment-resistant depression and other neuropsychiatric conditions. Here we review the precl...
