Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism
March 21, 2026
Claudio Agnorelli, Joseph Peill, Gabriela Sawicka et al.
We investigated ketamine's neuroplastic effects in healthy human subjects using integrated Positron Emission Tomography (PET)/Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) measures before and 1-8 days after a single psychedelic dose of ketamine (1 mg/kg, intravenous). Eleven male participants underwent two PET/MRI scans with [11C]-UCBJ (synaptic density/plasticity), 1H-MRS (glutamate and GABA) and...
Neuropsychopharmacology
October 31, 2025
Natalie Ertl, Imran Ashraf, Lisa Azizi et al.
1 citation
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) are widely used psychoactive drugs and their potential use in psychiatric medicine is currently generating interest. The mechanism by which these drugs may assist recovery in various disorders such as addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is still not well understood. Most investigations of the effects...
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
June 5, 2025
Ekaterina Shatalina, Natalie Ertl, Kat Petrilli et al.
1 citation
preprint
Abstract Background Cannabis is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances in the world and is increasingly investigated as a treatment for neuropsychiatric conditions. Cannabis contains delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is thought to underlie its main psychoactive effects, and cannabidiol (CBD), which has been proposed to modulate the effects of THC on the brain. Both have...
American Journal of Psychiatry
May 7, 2025
Matthew B. Wall, Lysia Demetriou, Bruna Giribaldi et al.
16 citations
Despite large improvements in depressive symptoms in the psilocybin group, psilocybin therapy had only a minor effect on brain responsiveness to emotional stimuli. These results are consistent with prior findings that the antidepressant action of SSRIs is often accompanied by a reduction in emotional responsiveness, but this effect may not occur in psychedelic therapy.
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 1, 2025
Rebecca Harding, Natalie Ertl, Rayyan Zafar
Abstract Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent mental health condition characterized by symptoms including anhedonia, which is defined as diminished pleasure, and impulsivity, which has been linked to increased substance abuse, self-harm and suicidal tendencies. Both anhedonia and impulsivity have been contributed to alterations in reward system function, with the striatum being...
Neurosci Insights
October 8, 2024
Matthew B. Wall, Rebecca Harding, Natalie Ertl et al.
3 citations
Psychedelic therapies are an emerging class of treatments in psychiatry with great potential, however relatively little is known about their interactions with other commonly used psychiatric medications. As psychedelic therapies become more widespread and move closer to the clinic, they likely will need to be integrated into existing treatment models which may include one or more traditional...
Neuropsychopharmacology
May 28, 2024
Natalie Ertl, Tom P. Freeman, Claire Mokrysz et al.
19 citations
Adolescence is a time of rapid neurodevelopment and the endocannabinoid system is particularly prone to change during this time. Cannabis is a commonly used drug with a particularly high prevalence of use among adolescents. The two predominant phytocannabinoids are Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), which affect the endocannabinoid system. It is unknown whether this...
The Biochemist
March 14, 2024
Natalie Ertl, Matthew B. Wall
The use of psychoactive substances for ritual, spiritual and medicinal purposes stretches back into prehistory and has been a common feature of many diverse cultures and societies globally. Psychedelics, with their unique ability to amplify feelings of connectedness and openness, may have also served as tools for promoting tribal cohesion and trust in ancient cultures. Psychedelic is a broad...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
July 29, 2023
Natalie Ertl, Will Lawn, Claire Mokrysz et al.
17 citations
BACKGROUND/AIM: Cannabis use is highly prevalent in adolescents; however, little is known about its effects on adolescent brain function. METHOD: = 70, 35 adolescents/35 adults). Pre-registered analyses examined the connectivity of seven major cortical and sub-cortical brain networks (default mode network, executive control network (ECN), salience network, hippocampal network and three striatal...
Journal of Affective Disorders
July 15, 2023
Matthew B. Wall, Cynthia Lam, Natalie Ertl et al.
36 citations
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy with psilocybin is an emerging therapy with great promise for depression, and modern psychedelic therapy (PT) methods incorporate music as a key element. Music is an effective emotional/hedonic stimulus that could also be useful in assessing changes in emotional responsiveness following PT. Brain responses to music were assessed before and after PT using...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
May 20, 2022
Matthew B. Wall, Tom P. Freeman, Chandni Hindocha et al.
21 citations
Background: Cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are the two major constituents of cannabis with contrasting mechanisms of action. THC is the major psychoactive, addiction-promoting, and psychotomimetic compound, while CBD may have opposite effects. The brain effects of these drugs alone and in combination are poorly understood. In particular, the striatum is implicated in the...
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
November 21, 2020
Matthew B. Wall, Tom P. Freeman, Chandni Hindocha et al.
4 citations
preprint
Abstract Cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are two major constituents of cannabis with contrasting mechanisms of action. THC is the major psychoactive, addiction-promoting, and psychotomimetic compound, while CBD may have somewhat opposite effects. The brain effects of these drugs alone and in combination are poorly understood. In particular the striatum is implicated in the...