Frontiers in Psychiatry
June 16, 2021
Dóra Révész, Genís Ona, Giordano Novak Rossi et al.
42 citations
Background: One of the main public health strategies adopted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic consisted of implementing strict lockdowns to stop the transmission of the virus. Despite being an effective measure, the confinement and the associated social isolation create a stressful, potentially lengthy situations that has been proven to have several psychological consequences. Given...
Advances in experimental medicine and biology
2021
José Carlos Bouso, Genís Ona, Rafael G. Dos Santos et al.
6 citations
The volume of research on the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs has been increasing during the last decades. Partly because of the need of innovative treatments in psychiatry, several studies have assessed the safety and efficacy of drugs like psilocybin or ayahuasca for a wide range of mental disorders, including major depression. The first section of this chapter will offer an introduction...
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
October 6, 2020
Genís Ona, Rafael G. Dos Santos, Jaime E. C. Hallak et al.
12 citations
Research with psychedelic drugs has mainly focused on isolated compounds. However, this approach is challenged by the "polypharmacology" paradigm. In this Viewpoint, we suggest that we may be missing something if we do not use the whole product in the case of ayahuasca or Psilocybe mushrooms. After describing how research on psychedelic drugs can be effectively combined with the...
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
October 5, 2020
Genís Ona, José Carlos Bouso
59 citations
Microdosing psychedelic drugs-that is, taking sub-behavioral doses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) or psilocybin-is a growing practice in Western societies. Taken mainly for creative or mood-enhancing purposes, thousands of users are increasingly being exposed to (micro)doses of psychedelic drugs. In this systematic review, we searched the available evidence from human studies, focusing our...
Qeios
April 27, 2020
Genís Ona, José Carlos Bouso
7 citations
The field of psychiatry is facing unprecedented challenges. Despite recent important innovations, several mental disorders continue to lack effective treatment. After briefly exploring some of the current challenges, we suggest that the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs in psychotherapeutic settings represents a promising and integrative treatment with enduring effects for mental health...
Scientific Reports
March 5, 2020
José Carlos Bouso, Daniel Jiménez‐garrido, María de Lourdes Gómez-sousa et al.
111 citations
Abstract Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic decoction used as a traditional medicine in several Amazonian regions. The ritualistic use of ayahuasca has spread throughout many countries, making it necessary to study its risks and benefits. Two sub-studies were designed for this investigation. In sub-study 1, a psychiatric interview and a battery of questionnaires were administered to subjects (n =...
Current Medicinal Chemistry
December 13, 2019
Genís Ona, José Carlos Bouso
15 citations
In the drug development, the formation of highly selective ligands has been unsuccessful in the treatment of central nervous system disorders. Multi-target ligands, from the polypharmacology paradigm, are being proposed as treatments for these complex disorders, since they offer enhanced efficacy and a strong safety profile. Natural products are the best examples of multi-target compounds, so...
Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
May 7, 2019
Marc Aixalà, Genís Ona, Òscar Parés et al.
16 citations
In recent years, the use of natural psychoactive drugs (NPDs) has grown rapidly. They are classified as new psychoactive substances (NPSs), despite the reality that they have been used for centuries. We are lacking information regarding patterns of use or characteristics of users, but some evidence suggests that NPDs substantially differ from NPSs in terms of both their safety profile and...
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
February 12, 2019
Genís Ona, Sebastián Troncoso
13 citations
Pain is the most prevalent symptom of a health condition, and it is inappropriately treated in many cases. Here, we present a case report in which we observe a long-lasting analgesic effect produced by changa, a psychedelic drug that contains the psychoactive N,N-dimethyltryptamine and ground seeds of Peganum harmala, which are rich in β-carbolines. We describe the case and offer a brief review...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
February 7, 2019
Genís Ona, Maja Kohek, Tomàs Massaguer et al.
76 citations
Assessing the health status of ayahuasca users has been challenging due to the limitations involved in randomized clinical trials and psychometric approaches. The main objective of this study is the implementation of an approach based on public health indicators. We developed a self-administered questionnaire that was administered to long-term ayahuasca users around Spain. The questionnaire was...
Preprints.org
January 24, 2019
Genís Ona, José Carlos Bouso
8 citations
preprint
The current crisis in psychopharmacology has a long history and needs to be addressed with innovative and effective strategies. Here we discuss some of the roots of this crisis and suggest that the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs represents a promising and integrative treatment with enduring effects for mental health problems.
Repositorio Universidad de Caldas
July 1, 2018
Genís Ona
Objetivo. Evaluar el estado de la investigación actual sobre el potencial terapéutico de las sustancias psicodélicas. Metodología. Se realiza una breve revisión temática y se desarrolla un análisis crítico de la situación. Resultados. Se identifican diversas limitaciones y sesgos tanto en estudios observacionales como en ensayos clínicos. Conclusiones. Actualmente se cometen errores remarcables...
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
March 21, 2018
Genís Ona
26 citations
This study aimed to clarify the influence of extra-pharmacological factors in the etiology of bad trips, a common adverse reaction related to the consumption of psychedelic drugs. A descriptive approach was adopted. The information was collected using a web-based survey. The survey respondents volunteered to participate based on the condition that they had suffered a bad trip in the past. This...
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
María Gómez-sousa, Daniel Jiménez‐garrido, Genís Ona et al.
24 citations
In recent decades, ritualistic use of ayahuasca has spread throughout the world. Retrospective studies have suggested a good psychological safety profile, but prospective studies involving ceremony ayahuasca-naive participants are lacking. We conducted the study using a subsample from a previous study, for which first-time ceremony ayahuasca participants were recruited. The subsample consisted...
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
Giordano Novak Rossi, Juliana Mendes Rocha, Flávia L. Osório et al.
12 citations
Serotonergic hallucinogens and cannabinoids may alter the recognition of emotions in facial expressions (REFE). Cannabidiol (CBD) attenuates the psychoactive effects of the cannabinoid-1 agonist tetrahydrocannabinol. Ayahuasca is a dimethyltryptamine-containing hallucinogenic decoction. It is unknown if CBD may moderate and attenuate the effects of ayahuasca on REFE. Seventeen healthy...