Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
April 11, 2016
Robin Carhart-Harris, Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, Leor Roseman et al.
887 citations
LSD produces marked changes in brain activity that correlate with its psychological effects. Increased blood flow in the visual cortex, decreased alpha power there, and an expanded functional connectivity profile of the primary visual cortex strongly correlated with visual hallucinations, suggesting that intrinsic brain activity influences visual processing more during the psychedelic state. Decreased connectivity between the parahippocampus and retrosplenial cortex correlated strongly with ego-dissolution and altered meaning, indicating this circuit's role in maintaining the self and processing meaning. Different imaging metrics showed strong relationships, allowing firmer inferences about their functional significance.
Revista brasileira de psiquiatria (Sao Paulo, Brazil : 1999)
January 1, 2021
Alvaro V Jardim, Dora V Jardim, Bruno Rasmussen Chaves et al.
54 citations
In Brazil's first clinical trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), three patients with PTSD from sexual abuse completed treatment. The protocol involved 15 weekly therapy sessions, with three sessions including orally administered MDMA combined with psychotherapy and music, spaced about a month apart. Two months after the final MDMA session, all three patients showed clinically significant improvement, with CAPS-4 scores dropping by more than 30% from baseline. Final scores were 61, 27, and 8, down from 90, 78, and 72. No serious adverse events occurred; common side effects were somatic pains and anguish. Secondary outcomes also improved. MDMA-assisted psychotherapy could become a viable PTSD treatment in Brazil.
JAMA Network Open
June 3, 2024
Amy L. Mcguire, I Glenn Cohen, Dominic Sisti et al.
41 citations
A consensus statement from a 2023 meeting of 27 experts identifies 20 points of consensus across five ethical issues for integrating psychedelic medicines into mainstream medical practice: reparations and reciprocity, equity, and respect; informed consent; professional boundaries and physical touch; personal experience; and gatekeeping. The meeting included clinicians, researchers, Indigenous groups, industry, philanthropy, veterans, retreat facilitators, training programs, and bioethicists. The statement focuses on government-approved medical use in the US and abroad, emphasizing that policymakers must address challenges ahead while acknowledging the hopeful moment.
SAGE Open Medicine
January 1, 2013
Eduardo E Schenberg
28 citations
A review of case reports and biomedical literature suggests ayahuasca, a traditional Amerindian medicine, may have antitumor effects against several cancers, including prostate, brain, ovarian, uterine, stomach, breast, and colon. Nine case reports were found; several described improvements, one case worsened, and one was difficult to evaluate. A theoretical model explains these effects at cellular, molecular, and psychosocial levels, focusing on N,N-dimethyltryptamine's activity at sigma-1 receptors and contributions from harmine, tetrahydroharmine, and harmaline. The model proposes consistent biological underpinnings for the accounts. Further research into ayahuasca's safety and efficacy as a cancer treatment is recommended.
Braz J Psychiatry
March 1, 2021
Eduardo E Schenberg
6 citations
Psychedelic drugs are emerging as novel therapeutic agents for psychiatric care, offering potential to reconfigure brain pathways and treat mental health challenges like depression and anxiety. These compounds may induce neuroplasticity, altering neural pathways to improve mood and outlook. The work discusses how psychedelics represent a new frontier in psychiatric therapeutics, moving beyond traditional treatments to directly engage brain reconfiguration for therapeutic benefit.