Disorders of consciousness (DoC), including coma, unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (also known as vegetative state), and minimally conscious state, represent profound disruptions in awareness and responsiveness due to severe brain injury, with limited therapeutic options available. Recent advancements in neuroimaging have improved our ability to detect residual brain activity in DoC patients,...
Abstract Precise control over the thermodynamics and kinetics of receptor–ligand interactions is pivotal for manipulating physiological processes and developing targeted therapies. However, conventional pharmacological approaches often lack the spatiotemporal precision required for noninvasive in vivo modulation. Terahertz (THz) technology offers a promising alternative by using nonionizing...
Central nervous system (CNS) injuries remain challenging to treat due to limited neurogenesis, inhibitory extracellular environments, and maladaptive neuroimmune responses. Psychedelic compounds, including classical serotonergic psychedelics, dissociative anesthetics, and empathogens, have re-emerged as mechanistically distinctive “psychoplastogens” capable of rapidly and persistently enhancing...
Classic psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and mescaline induce lasting changes in neuroplasticity and behavior that extend far beyond their acute pharmacological effects. Emerging evidence highlights that these enduring therapeutic benefits in neuropsychiatric conditions may be significantly mediated through complex epigenetic...
Natural hallucinogenic compounds have arisen independently across plants, fungi, and animals, evolving into a diverse chemical arsenal that includes phenethylamines, indolealkylamines, and terpenoid scaffolds. Beyond clinical and cultural frameworks, their ecological origins and evolutionary trajectories may help explain why such potent modulators of perception, emotion, and cognition persist...
Classic serotonergic psychedelics-such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT)-hold remarkable promise for treating neuropsychiatric disorders, yet their clinical translation is severely constrained by first-pass metabolism, erratic pharmacokinetics, unsuitable action profiles, and off-target peripheral serotonin effects. To overcome these barriers,...
Objective To evaluate the efficacy of MBI on depression among family caregivers of dementia patients, and to analyze the impact of intervention duration, follow-up period, and intervention methods on treatment outcomes. Methods Search Embase, The Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PubMed, SinoMed, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases for randomized controlled trials on MBI for depression in family...
Psychedelics show great promise for treating Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders but are limited by side effects like hallucinations. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations offer atomic-level insights into receptor interactions, helping to overcome these challenges and guide the development of safer, more effective psychedelic-based therapies. This perspective reviews how MD simulations provide...
The integration of psychedelics and music in therapeutic settings is gaining recognition for its potential to enhance mental health outcomes. This review synthesizes current evidence on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this synergy, focusing on receptor-level pathways (e.g., 5-HT2A receptor agonism, BDNF-TrkB signaling) and neural circuit dynamics (e.g., default mode network...
Classic psychedelics, such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), have emerged as potent modulators of neuroplasticity and metaplasticity in the adult brain, offering novel therapeutic strategies for neuropsychiatric disorders. Recent findings reveal that beyond their transient psychotropic effects, these compounds activate serotonin 5-HT2A receptors...
Psychedelics are undergoing a renaissance as potential therapy for psychiatric disorders, with more than 200 clinical trials being studied across several countries1-3. However, the precise mechanisms by which these drugs bring about benefits and the potential clinical risks are not yet fully understood. The serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) was reported to be a Gq-coupled receptor and the primary...
Psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, have garnered significant attention as potential therapeutic tools for treating substance use disorders (SUDs), such as those related to alcohol, nicotine, heroin (an opioid), or cocaine. Traditional treatments often fall short, leading to high relapse rates and an urgent need for innovative approaches. This article explores the emerging role of...
Ketamine and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) achieve rapid remission in treatment-resistant depression. However, their mechanisms of action—the understanding of which is essential for refining therapeutic precision—remain unclear1, 2–3. Here, using mouse models, we identify adenosine signalling as a central pathway that underlies the antidepressant effects of these interventions. Results from...
Psychedelics including psilocybin, dimethyltryptamine, and lysergic acid diethylamide are known to disrupt the normal flow of time perception, for example, producing time dilation, compression, and loss of time. These temporal anomalies provide interesting clues about how the brain processes time, what consciousness is, and what produces the sense of self. This opinion article discusses the...
Psychiatric illness, particularly stress-related disorders including depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder, presents a considerable health burden worldwide with high prevalence, disabling symptoms, and scant efficacy of available treatments. Chronic stress is a major contributor to the origin and development of these conditions, to the detriment of both individual and, by...
Psychedelics, such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), ketamine, and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), have captured the attention of scientists, artists, and seekers alike for their profound ability to alter consciousness and inspire creativity. The concept of "creation" encompasses multiple interpretations-ranging from generating novel ideas to fostering personal transformation. This...
Hypoxia and psychedelics, despite their distinct origins, both induce altered states of consciousness and promote neuroplasticity, suggesting a shared underlying mechanism relevant to neuropsychiatric treatment and neurological recovery. Terminal lucidity, the transient resurgence of cognitive function in late-stage dementia, highlights the brain's latent capacity for rapid reorganization, a...
This viewpoint reconceptualizes mysticism and fundamentalism as brain network disorders, with psychedelics like psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, and N,N-dimethyltryptamine offering potential to modulate these states. By disrupting rigid neural patterns, psychedelics may foster cognitive flexibility, challenge inflexible belief systems, and offer therapeutic value for extremism and mental...
Neuropsychiatric disorders reflect disruptions in brain network dynamics along an "order-complexity-chaos" continuum. Psychedelics may therapeutically increase neural entropy, disrupt maladaptive patterns, and promote network reorganization. This system-level framework emphasizes dynamic connectome remodeling over static molecular correction, offering a novel strategy for treating psychiatric...
Classic psychedelics and the gut microbiome interact bidirectionally through mechanisms involving 5-HT2A receptor signaling, neuroplasticity, and microbial metabolism. This viewpoint highlights how psychedelics may reshape microbiota and how microbes influence psychedelic efficacy, proposing microbiome-informed strategies─such as probiotics or dietary interventions─to personalize and enhance...
Recent advancements in the study of psilocybin and its active metabolite psilocin have highlighted their unique psychedelic properties and potential therapeutic applications, particularly in the rapid and sustained treatment of depression. However, the potent acute psychedelic effects of psilocybin necessitate a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying its action. In this study,...
The interplay between psychedelics, such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and sleep is an emerging area, but their impact on sleep remains relatively underexplored. This viewpoint provides a perspective on how psychedelics may alter sleep phases, dreaming, and their potential therapeutic applications for sleep disorders.
This viewpoint explores the therapeutic potential of psychedelics in treating neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly through the modulation of brain entropy and the experience of ego dissolution. Psychedelics disrupt rigid neural patterns, facilitating enhanced connectivity and fostering profound emotional breakthroughs that may alleviate symptoms of disorders like depression, anxiety, PTSD,...
The surge of new psychoactive substances (NPS) poses significant public health challenges due to their unregulated status and diverse effects. However, existing in vivo models for evaluating their activities are limited. To address this gap, this study utilizes the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) to evaluate the activity of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) and their analogs....
Yibo Wang, Xiaohui Wang; Entheogen: An Evolutionary Medicine for Neuropsychiatric Disorders, National Science Review, , nwaf168, https://doi.org/10.1093/ns