CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics
November 11, 2008
Torsten Passie, John H. Halpern, Dirk O. Stichtenoth et al.
459 citations
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) was synthesized in 1938 and its psychoactive effects discovered in 1943. It was used in psychiatric research during the 1950s and 1960s to produce experimental psychosis and in psycholytic and psychedelic therapy. After becoming an illegal drug of abuse from the mid-1960s, scientific interest has resumed with new methods and oversight. This review covers all aspects of LSD's pharmacology and psychopharmacology, based on nearly 10,000 scientific papers. LSD is physiologically well tolerated and psychological reactions can be controlled in a medical setting, but uncontrolled use risks complications. New interest focuses on LSD as a tool for studying consciousness and potential treatments for cluster headache and terminally ill patients.
Neurology
June 26, 2006
R. Andrew Sewell, John H. Halpern, Harrison G. Pope
259 citations
In interviews with 53 cluster headache patients who used psilocybin or LSD, most reported benefits: 22 of 26 psilocybin users said it aborted attacks, 25 of 48 psilocybin users and 7 of 8 LSD users reported ending a cluster period, and 18 of 19 psilocybin users and 4 of 5 LSD users said it extended remission periods. The authors suggest further research on these substances for cluster headache is warranted.
Pharmacology & Therapeutics
May 1, 2004
John H. Halpern
209 citations
Many hallucinogens and dissociative agents can be obtained from plants and fungi growing wild or in gardens across the United States, contrary to the common belief that such drugs are only smuggled or clandestinely produced. This article reviews botanical sources containing N,N-dimethyltryptamine, MAOIs, lysergic acid amide, anticholinergic drugs, salvinorin-A, mescaline cacti, psilocybin mushrooms, and Amanita muscaria and Amanita pantherina. Dangerous misidentification is most common with mushrooms, but a novice forager can learn to properly identify and prepare many of these plants. The article covers geographical range, drug content, preparation, intoxication, health risks, and the legal protections sought by religions like the Santo Daime and Uniao do Vegetal for sacramental ayahuasca.
Biological Psychiatry
October 15, 2005
John H. Halpern, Andrea R Sherwood, James I. Hudson et al.
186 citations
Regular use of peyote, a hallucinogen-containing cactus, in a religious setting among Navajo Native Americans does not appear to cause long-term psychological or cognitive deficits. In a study comparing three groups—61 Native American Church members who regularly ingested peyote, 36 individuals with past alcohol dependence who had been sober for at least two months, and 79 individuals with minimal substance use—the peyote group showed no significant differences on a mental health inventory or ten neuropsychological tests compared to the minimal-use group. In contrast, the former alcoholic group showed significant deficits on all mental health scales and two neuropsychological measures. Total lifetime peyote use was not linked to worse performance. These findings may not apply to illicit hallucinogen users.
Drug Testing and Analysis
June 26, 2012
Torsten Passie, H. M. Emrich, Matthias Karst et al.
114 citations
A 19-year-old male with severe PTSD symptoms, including flashbacks, panic attacks, and self-mutilation, experienced dramatic symptom reduction after smoking cannabis resin. This review examines clinical and preclinical neurobiological evidence for cannabis's effects on PTSD. Cannabis may reduce the strength and emotional impact of traumatic memories through synergistic mechanisms, potentially aiding sleep, reducing anxiety, and lessening flashback involvement. Endocannabinoid signaling systems in stress-sensitive brain regions like the hypothalamus and amygdala suggest their role in regulating stress responses. Evidence increasingly indicates cannabinoids may play a role in fear extinction and have antidepressive effects. Further studies are needed to evaluate cannabinoids' therapeutic potential in PTSD.
Cephalalgia
March 26, 2010
Matthias Karst, John H. Halpern, Michael Bernateck et al.
104 citations
Cluster headache is a severe, one-sided headache condition affecting 0.1% of people. Standard treatments like oxygen and sumatriptan can fail, and surgical options carry serious risks. An internet survey of 53 patients suggested that the hallucinogens psilocybin and LSD may abort attacks and extend remission better than standard drugs, but these substances are criminalized. To test whether a non-hallucinogenic LSD analog could also help, researchers investigated 2-bromo-LSD (BOL-148). Past studies found BOL-148 non-toxic and non-hallucinogenic, with only mild side effects at the dose used, and no long-term effects in over 300 healthy subjects or in schizophrenic women given 30mg daily for weeks.
Addiction Research
January 1, 1996
John H. Halpern
63 citations
Treating drug dependence with hallucinogens shows promise, but earlier research was limited by weak methodology and lack of double-blind, placebo-controlled designs. Interest has revived, especially with ibogaine's apparent anti-craving properties, which may extend to all hallucinogens. Their potential efficacy may involve agonism and antagonism at specific serotonin receptor sites. After a hallucinogen, a positive 'afterglow' lasting weeks to months may be extended by repeated dosing. Ibogaine and LSD have lengthy action periods, but short-acting tryptamines like DMT could be administered in an office setting, suggesting a hallucinogen with superior anti-craving properties and few side effects may be discovered.
Current Psychiatry Reports
October 1, 2003
John H. Halpern
42 citations
Hallucinogen research has largely focused on epidemiology and pathology, with little attention to religious or therapeutic uses. This paper reviews less familiar compounds like Salvia divinorum, MDMA (ecstasy), and synthetic hallucinogen analogs, along with the rare condition hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (flashbacks) and its treatment. Current clinical research and case vignettes suggest hallucinogens may have anti-addictive applications. Religious, nondrug use of hallucinogens as sacred sacraments in the US and elsewhere is also discussed. The authors argue that these physiologically nonaddictive drugs may offer legitimate societal benefits, and that methodologically sound research could support such benefits, helping clinicians address hallucinogen use with patients.