Psychiatry Research
May 1, 2024
Yuan Yao, Dan Guo, Tang-Sheng Lu et al.
126 citations
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 126 articles found that psychedelics—psilocybin, ayahuasca, LSD, and MDMA—reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Psilocybin showed the strongest therapeutic effect, followed by ayahuasca, MDMA, and LSD. Limited evidence also supports benefits for tobacco addiction, eating disorders, sleep disorders, borderline personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and body dysmorphic disorder. The most common adverse event was headache; nearly a third of articles reported no lasting adverse effects. The findings suggest psychedelics have potential efficacy in substance-use disorders and PTSD.
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
January 7, 2024
Ziran Huang, Xiaoyan Wei, Xiaobin Wang et al.
3 citations
preprint
A single dose of psilocybin, a psychedelic whose metabolite psilocin activates 5-HT2A receptors, induces long-term genetic and functional changes in neurons of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a brain region implicated in depression and other psychological disorders. Excitatory and inhibitory neurons together reduce circuit activity in the OFC. Knocking down the 5-HT2A receptor in deep-layer excitatory neurons diminishes these functional changes and the anti-depressant effect. These findings reveal cell type-specific mechanisms of psilocybin and highlight differences in how psychedelics affect distinct brain regions.
Translational neurodegeneration
July 25, 2025
Chonglei Fu, Xuehui Li, Xiaoxing Liu et al.
2 citations
Alzheimer's disease causes severe cognitive decline and lacks effective treatments to halt neurodegeneration or promote neuronal repair. Psychoactive substances, including central nervous system depressants and stimulants, cannabinoids, psychedelics, opioids, and ketamine, are being explored for their abilities to enhance learning and cognitive performance and potential neurorestorative functions. This review examines the molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential of these compounds in Alzheimer's disease, aiming to guide future research directions.
Neurotherapeutics
January 1, 2026
Ziran Huang, Xiaoyan Wei, Yihui Wang et al.
A single dose of psilocybin, whose metabolite psilocin activates 5-HT2A receptors, induces long-term genetic and functional changes in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of male mice. Layer 5 pyramidal neurons showed the most significant changes, including reduced expression of glutamate receptors and genes involved in excitatory synapse formation and maintenance, consistent with decreased excitatory synaptic transmission. Parvalbumin- and Somatostatin-positive inhibitory neurons showed minimal changes. Knocking down the 5-HT2A receptor in layer 5 pyramidal neurons, but not in Parvalbumin-positive inhibitory neurons, reduced psilocybin-induced functional changes and its antidepressant effect. These results reveal cell type-specific mechanisms of psilocybin and highlight brain region differences in psychedelic effects.
Journal of Affective Disorders
February 1, 2022
Jianyu Que, Le Shi, Wei Yan et al.
Among 16,220 hospital workers in Wuhan, China, surveyed during the COVID-19 pandemic, 13.3% reported suicidal ideation in the past month. Exposure to COVID-19-related traumatic events was significantly associated with insomnia severity, nightmare frequency, and suicidal ideation. After controlling for potential confounders, nightmares—but not insomnia, depression, or anxiety—were independent risk factors for suicidal ideation. Pathway analyses indicated that the relationship between traumatic event exposure and suicidal ideation was fully mediated by nightmares, with a proportion mediated of 66.4%. The authors suggest that nightmare intervention might be considered a component of suicide prevention strategies.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2022
Yundong Ma, Xia Feng, Di Wang et al.
Childhood adversity is associated with the content of adult dreams, specifically the characters, friendly interactions, and objects that appear in them. In a cross-sectional study of 120 healthy adults aged 18–35 who recorded dreams for 10 consecutive days, those who reported more childhood trauma also showed differences in dream elements, as coded by the Hall and Van de Castle system. Regression models predicted dream characters and objects from childhood adversity scores. No gender differences were found in dream recall, sleep quality, emotional state, or childhood adversity levels.