Nature Communications
May 5, 2026
T Lyons, M Spriggs, L Kerkelä et al.
19 citations
Psychedelics have robust effects on acute brain function and long-term behavior but whether they also cause enduring functional and anatomical brain changes is largely unknown. In an exploratory, placebo-controlled, within-subjects, electroencephalography (EEG), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study in 28 healthy, entirely psychedelic-naive participants, anatomical and functional brain...
Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences
2024
D J Nutt, Joseph Peill, B Weiss et al.
30 citations
Psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin and ketamine are returning to clinical research and intervention across several disorders including the treatment of depression. This chapter focusses on psychedelics that specifically target the 5-HT2A receptor such as psilocybin and DMT. These produce plasma-concentration related psychological effects such as hallucinations and out of body experiences,...
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity
May 1, 2021
M J Spriggs, Hannes Kettner, R L Carhart-Harris
Psychedelic therapy is showing promise for a broad range of mental health conditions, indicative of a transdiagnostic action. While the efficacy of symptom-focused treatments for eating disorders (EDs) is limited, improved mental health and psychological wellbeing are thought to contribute to greater treatment outcomes. This study provides the first quantitative exploration of the psychological...
Psychopharmacology
November 1, 2019
Suzanne L. Russ, R L Carhart-Harris, Geoffrey Maruyama et al.
75 citations
Recent research demonstrated the potential of psychedelic drugs as treatment for depression and death-related anxiety and as an enhancement for well-being. While generally positive, responses to psychedelic drugs can vary according to traits, setting, and mental state (set) before and during ingestion. Most earlier models explain minimal response variation, primarily related to dosage and...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
August 31, 2017
R L Carhart-Harris, D J Nutt
Previous attempts to identify a unified theory of brain serotonin function have largely failed to achieve consensus. In this present synthesis, we integrate previous perspectives with new and older data to create a novel bipartite model centred on the view that serotonin neurotransmission enhances two distinct adaptive responses to adversity, mediated in large part by its two most prevalent and...
Psychopharmacology
October 2015
Mendel Kaelen, Frederick S. Barrett, Leor Roseman et al.
There is renewed interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). LSD was used extensively in the 1950s and 1960s as an adjunct in psychotherapy, reportedly enhancing emotionality. Music is an effective tool to evoke and study emotion and is considered an important element in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy; however, the hypothesis that...
Psychopharmacology
February 2015
R L Carhart-Harris, Mendel Kaelen, M G Whalley et al.
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) has a history of use as a psychotherapeutic aid in the treatment of mood disorders and addiction, and it was also explored as an enhancer of mind control. The present study sought to test the effect of LSD on suggestibility in a modern research study. Ten healthy volunteers were administered with intravenous (i.v.) LSD (40-80 μg) in a within-subject...
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
October 1, 2011
R L Carhart-Harris, L A King, D J Nutt
This study sought to collect information on the former legal-high 'mephedrone' using a web-based survey targeted at mephedrone users. The survey was advertised on websites frequented by drug users. Individuals were invited to complete the survey if they had taken mephedrone on at least one occasion in the past. One thousand and six completed forms were received from declared users, making this...