Neuropharmacology - The Consciousness Library

Psychedelics: Science sabotaged by Social Media

Neuropharmacology January 21, 2023 Edward M. Sellers, Myroslava K. Romach 21 citations

The substantial challenges facing high and low dose psychedelic drug development to achieve regulatory approval have been documented in the scientific literature. These limitations have not deterred drug developers and social media from repeatedly misleading patients, the public and health professionals. Developing "micro doses" of psychedelics overcomes many of the scientific and regulatory...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109426 Psilocybin Dosing Mental health Pharmacology +1

Ketamine and serotonergic psychedelics: An update on the mechanisms and biosignatures underlying rapid-acting antidepressant treatment

Neuropharmacology January 13, 2023 Jenessa N Johnston, Bashkim Kadriu, Josh Allen et al. 64 citations

The discovery of ketamine as a rapid-acting antidepressant spurred significant research to understand its underlying mechanisms of action and to identify other novel compounds that may act similarly. Serotonergic psychedelics (SPs) have shown initial promise in treating depression, though the challenge of conducting randomized controlled trials with SPs and the necessity of long-term clinical...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109422 Full text Serotonergic Ketamine Serotonin Antidepressant +3

Alleviating anxiety and taming trauma: Novel pharmacotherapeutics for anxiety disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder

Neuropharmacology January 6, 2023 Nicolas Singewald, Simone B. Sartori, Andreas Reif et al. 57 citations

Psychiatric disorders associated with psychological trauma, stress and anxiety are a highly prevalent and increasing cause of morbidity worldwide. Current therapeutic approaches, including medication, are effective in alleviating symptoms of anxiety disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), at least in some individuals, but have unwanted side-effects and do not resolve underlying...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109418 Panic disorder Anti-anxiety agents Neurochemical Clinical neuroscience +2

Canalization and plasticity in psychopathology

Neuropharmacology December 27, 2022 Robin Carhart-Harris, Shamil Chandaria, David Erritzøe et al. 106 citations

This theoretical article revives a classical bridging construct, canalization, to describe a new model of a general factor of psychopathology. To achieve this, we have distinguished between two types of plasticity, an early one that we call 'TEMP' for 'Temperature or Entropy Mediated Plasticity', and another, we call 'canalization', which is close to Hebbian plasticity. These two forms of...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109398 Psychopathology Plasticity Variance accounting Hebbian theory +1

The varieties of psychedelic law

Neuropharmacology December 21, 2022 Mason Marks 59 citations

After decades of prohibition, psychedelics are generating intense public and private interest. Scientists are researching the therapeutic properties of these substances, and mounting evidence supports their ability to treat a variety of mental health conditions. Meanwhile, dozens of cities and states are proposing or enacting psychedelics legislation to promote research, increase therapeutic...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109399 Ayahuasca Psilocybin Controlled substance regulation Psychedelics policy reform +4

A role of GABAA receptor α1 subunit in the hippocampus for rapid-acting antidepressant-like effects of ketamine.

Neuropharmacology December 21, 2022 Xiao-Hui Tang, Y. Diao, Zhuoying Ren et al.

Ketamine can produce rapid-acting antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant patients with depression. Although alterations in glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission in the brain play a role in depression, the precise molecular mechanisms in these neurotransmission underlying ketamine's antidepressant actions remain largely unknown. Mice exposed to FSS (forced swimming stress) showed...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109383

Experimental strategies to discover and develop the next generation of psychedelics and entactogens as medicines

Neuropharmacology December 15, 2022 David J Heal, Jane Gosden, Sharon L. Smith et al. 18 citations

Research on classical psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD and DMT) and entactogen, MDMA, has produced a renaissance in the search for more effective drugs to treat psychiatric, neurological and various peripheral disorders. Psychedelics and entactogens act though interaction with 5-HT2A and other serotonergic receptors and/or monoamine reuptake transporters. 5-HT, which serves as a neurotransmitter...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109375 MDMA Serotonergic Lysergic acid diethylamide Psilocybin +3

Considerations in assessing the abuse potential of psychedelics during drug development

Neuropharmacology November 28, 2022 Steven Galati, Dominic Chiapperino, Silvia N. Calderon et al. 14 citations

The recent increase in clinical research on the potential therapeutic uses of classic psychedelics has prompted the need to revisit the assessment of the abuse potential of these drugs. The term "classic psychedelic" is used in this manuscript to describe serotonergic 5-HT2A agonists that alter perception, cognition, and mood (i.e., psychedelic effects) and that are currently controlled in...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109352 Psilocybin Substance abuse Schedule Psychotherapist +1

The therapeutic role of ketamine and esketamine in treating psychopathological domains of depression.

Neuropharmacology November 1, 2022 Muhammad Youshay Jawad, Joshua D. Di Vincenzo, Sebastian Badulescu et al. 29 citations

Over the past two decades, ketamine has emerged as a novel effective and safe rapid-acting antidepressant. While the vast majority of studies on ketamine have focused on its ability to reduce the severity of depression broadly, its effectiveness in specific domains such as cognition, anhedonia, suicidality, and workplace/social/scholastic functionality has been neglected. Similarly, current...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109299

Mescaline: The forgotten psychedelic

Neuropharmacology October 14, 2022 Ian G Campbell, Ioanna A. Vamvakopoulou, Kelly A.d. Narine et al. 97 citations

The pharmacological mechanisms of mescaline are similar to those of other classical psychedelics, like psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Mescaline appears to be safe to consume, with most intoxications being mild and easily treatable. Improvement in mental well-being and its ability to overcome alcoholism render mescaline potentially beneficial in clinical settings. This article...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109294 Mescaline Psilocybin Lysergic acid diethylamide 5-ht2a receptor +4

Ketamine and its metabolites: Potential as novel treatments for depression.

Neuropharmacology October 1, 2022 Kai Zhang, Yitan Yao, Kenji Hashimoto 68 citations

Depression is a well-known serious mental illness, and the onset of treatment using traditional antidepressants is frequently delayed by several weeks. Moreover, numerous patients with depression fail to respond to therapy. One major breakthrough in antidepressant therapy is that subanesthetic ketamine doses can rapidly alleviate depressive symptoms within hours of administering a single dose,...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109305

Psychedelics therapeutics: What we know, what we think, and what we need to research.

Neuropharmacology September 27, 2022 David Nutt, Meg J. Spriggs, David Erritzøe 77 citations

Psychedelic therapy is perhaps the most exciting new development in psychiatry. Not only does it offer a radical new approach to treatment where mainstream approaches have proven ineffective, but the growing evidence for transdiagnostic efficacy is eliciting a re-think of current diagnostic and symptom-specific approaches to psychiatry. This excitement has led to a massive investment in this...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109257 Neuroplasticity Brain plasticity Neural plasticity Synaptic plasticity +19

Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy to treat psychiatric and existential distress in life-threatening medical illnesses and palliative care.

Neuropharmacology September 15, 2022 S Ross, M Agrawal, Roland R. Griffiths et al. 69 citations

Psychiatric and existential distress commonly occur in advanced cancer and other serious, life-threatening or end-of-life medical illnesses and are associated with poor medical and psychiatric outcomes. Currently available treatment modalities in this patient population, including medication and psychotherapy, are limited in effectiveness, especially regarding existential distress. The lack of...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109174 Full text Anxiety Depression Existential distress Psychedelic therapy +4

Depression and antidepressant effects of ketamine and its metabolites: The pivotal role of gut microbiota.

Neuropharmacology September 1, 2022 Hao-Ming Hua, Chao Huang, Hanyu Liu et al. 35 citations

The discovery of the robust antidepressant actions of ketamine is regarded as one of the greatest advancements in depression treatment in the past 60 years. Recent findings have provided strong evidence for the presence of bidirectional communication networks between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain in depression. Moreover, increasing evidence supports the antidepressant role of...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109272

Psychedelics as potent anti-inflammatory therapeutics

Neuropharmacology August 22, 2022 Charles D. Nichols 31 citations

Psychedelics have seen a resurgence of interest from both the scientific and lay community in recent years. Psychedelics are known for their ability to produce profound perceptual alterations, ego dissolution, and separation from reality in humans. Virtually all research into psychedelics and their mechanism of action has focused on examining effects in the brain, and on consciousness....

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109232 Psilocybin Consciousness Hallucinogen Pharmacology

Psychedelic drug abuse potential assessment research for new drug applications and Controlled Substances Act scheduling

Neuropharmacology August 17, 2022 Jack E Henningfield, Marion A Coe, Roland R. Griffiths et al. 34 citations

New medicines containing classic hallucinogenic and entactogenic psychedelic substance are under development for various psychiatric and neurological disorders. Many of these, including psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) are Schedule I controlled substances of the United States Controlled Substances Act (US CSA), and similarly controlled...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109220 Clinical study design Consciousness Controlled substance regulation Drug scheduling +9

Arketamine, a new rapid-acting antidepressant: A historical review and future directions

Neuropharmacology August 14, 2022 Ji-Chun Zhang, Wei Yao, Kenji Hashimoto 88 citations

The N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist (R,S)-ketamine causes rapid onset and sustained antidepressant actions in treatment-resistant patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders, such as bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. (R,S)-ketamine is a racemic mixture consisting of (R)-ketamine (or arketamine) and (S)-ketamine (or...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109219 Antidepressant Psychotherapist Pharmacology

Policy considerations that support equitable access to responsible, accountable, safe, and ethical uses of psychedelic medicines

Neuropharmacology August 13, 2022 Ingrid Donato, Veronica Magar, Sean J Belouin et al. 49 citations

There is mounting evidence suggesting psychedelic and entactogen medicines (namely psilocybin and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA]), in conjunction with proper psychosocial support, hold the potential to provide safe, rapid acting, and robust clinical improvements with durable effects. In the US, both psilocybin and MDMA have been granted Breakthrough Therapy designations by the US Food...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109214 Access to medicines Expanded access Internet privacy Public relations +1

Discrimination of motor and sensorimotor effects of phencyclidine and MK-801: Involvement of GluN2C-containing NMDA receptors in psychosis-like models.

Neuropharmacology August 1, 2022 Mireia Tarrés-Gatius, Ximena López-Hill, Lluis Miquel-Rio et al.

Non-competitive NMDA receptor (NMDA-R) antagonists like ketamine, phencyclidine (PCP) and MK-801 are routinely used as pharmacological models of schizophrenia. However, the NMDA-R subtypes, neuronal types (e.g., GABA vs. glutamatergic neurons) and brain regions involved in psychotomimetic actions are not fully understood. PCP activates thalamo-cortical circuits after NMDA-R blockade in...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109079 Full text Brain activity Cerebellum Non-competitive nmda-r antagonists Schizophrenia +1

Psychedelics as preventive treatment in headache and chronic pain disorders

Neuropharmacology June 16, 2022 Emmanuelle A. D. Schindler 29 citations

The effects of psychedelic drugs in headache and chronic pain disorders have been reported for several decades, and now controlled studies are emerging. The existing evidence supports a lasting therapeutic benefit after limited dosing, a unique feature of the drug class that distinguishes it from conventional treatment. This commentary summarizes these reports of preventive effects of...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109166 Chronic pain

Special considerations for evaluating psilocybin-facilitated psychotherapy in vulnerable populations

Neuropharmacology May 13, 2022 Cynthia E. Ortiz, Haley Maria Dourron, Noah W Sweat et al. 26 citations

Psilocybin-facilitated psychotherapy shows potential transdiagnostic efficacy for a range of mental health conditions. Though vulnerable populations bear disproportionate mental health burden, they have been largely neglected in the clinical psilocybin literature. However, if the field is to best respond to the diverse needs of individuals from vulnerable populations, care must be taken to...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109127 Psilocybin Mental health Context archaeology Alliance +5

R (-)-methoxetamine exerts rapid and sustained antidepressant effects and fewer behavioral side effects relative to S (+)-methoxetamine.

Neuropharmacology August 1, 2021 Chrislean Jun Botanas, Raly James Perez Custodio, Hee Jin Kim et al. 13 citations

The newfound antidepressant efficacy of ketamine has provided opportunities for the development of new-generation, rapid-acting, glutamate-based antidepressants. We previously identified that methoxetamine (MXE), a ketamine analog, and an N-Methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, produced rapid and sustained antidepressant effects in mice. MXE (R, S (±)-MXE) is a racemic mixture...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108619 Full text Depression Antidepressant Enantiomers Methoxetamine +1

N,N-Dimethyltryptamine attenuates spreading depolarization and restrains neurodegeneration by sigma-1 receptor activation in the ischemic rat brain.

Neuropharmacology July 1, 2021 Írisz Szabó, Viktória É Varga, Szabolcs Dvorácskó et al. 67 citations

Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), an endogenous ligand of sigma-1 receptors (Sig-1Rs), acts against systemic hypoxia, but whether DMT may prevent cerebral ischemic injury is unexplored. Here global forebrain ischemia was created in anesthetized rats and aggravated with the induction of spreading depolarizations (SDs) and subsequent short hypoxia before reperfusion. Drugs (DMT, the selective Sig-1R...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108612 Full text Cerebral ischemia N,N-Dimethyltryptamine Sigma-1 receptor Spreading depolarization +1

Co-administration of cannabidiol and ketamine induces antidepressant-like effects devoid of hyperlocomotor side-effects.

Neuropharmacology June 19, 2021 A. Sartim, J. Marques, K. Silveira et al.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Although useful as a rapid-acting antidepressant drug, ketamine is known to induce psychotomimetic effects, which may interfere with its therapeutic use. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychostimulant compound from Cannabis sativa, which has shown promising antidepressant effects without inducing hyperlocomotion. AMPA receptor activation is involved in the antidepressant...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108679 Full text

Correlation between the potency of hallucinogens in the mouse head-twitch response assay and their behavioral and subjective effects in other species.

Neuropharmacology May 1, 2020 Adam L. Halberstadt, Muhammad Chatha, Adam K. Klein et al. 274 citations

Serotonergic hallucinogens such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) induce head twitches in rodents via 5-HT2A receptor activation. The goal of the present investigation was to determine whether a correlation exists between the potency of hallucinogens in the mouse head-twitch response (HTR) paradigm and their reported potencies in other species, specifically rats and humans. Dose-response...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.107933 Full text DMT Mescaline Psilocybin Behavioral model +5

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