Psychedelics for Brain Injury: A Mini-Review.
Front Neurol July 29, 2021 Mia Khan, Gregory Carter, Sunil K Aggarwal et al. 33 citations
Stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are leading causes of disability, with nearly half of severe TBI patients left with major disability despite rehabilitation. Pharmacologic treatment for brain injury is still in its infancy. Recent clinical trials have begun testing psychedelic therapeutics for brain injury. This narrative mini-review summarizes studies on psychedelic therapeutics and brain injury. Recent in vitro, in vivo, and case report studies suggest psychedelic pharmacotherapies may influence future brain injury treatment by modulating neuroinflammation, hippocampal neurogenesis, neuroplasticity, and brain complexity. Historical safety data on some substances could serve as phase 0 and phase I studies, and further phase II trials will clarify how these drugs may treat TBI and reperfusion injury from stroke.