Negative symptoms of schizophrenia, such as social withdrawal and lack of motivation, contribute heavily to the economic burden of the disease and have no FDA-approved treatments. This review argues that MDMA, a schedule I substance known to enhance social interaction and empathy, may offer a novel therapeutic approach. The authors examine literature on negative symptoms, existing treatments, and MDMA-assisted therapy, concluding that recent evidence suggests MDMA can be safe and potentially effective for treating negative symptoms. The review also discusses safety considerations and possible mechanisms of action, including MDMA's ability to induce metaplasticity in the brain.
Serotonergic psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and LSD show promise as treatments for headache disorders, including migraine and cluster headache. Some patients who underwent brief treatment periods experienced reduced headache attack frequency, severity, or duration. When prescription medications are ineffective or habit-forming, patients often turn to these alternatives. This review assesses the literature on mechanisms, safety, and efficacy, emphasizing that physicians should be well-informed to advise patients who self-treat. Further research is needed, including combining psychedelics with psychotherapy like cognitive behavioral therapy.
Cannabis acutely worsened cognitive control and produced more aversive intoxication in cannabis users at clinical high-risk for psychosis, but not in psychiatrically-healthy cannabis users. Six high-risk and six healthy users smoked either active (5.5% THC) or placebo cannabis under double-blind conditions. High-risk participants showed decreased response inhibition and aversive intoxication after active cannabis, along with changes in psychomotor speed and cannabis-related attentional bias. No such effects appeared in healthy users. The findings provide preliminary evidence of a deleterious cognitive and reward-related response to cannabis in individuals with preexisting psychosis risk.