BioMed Research International
January 1, 2014
Francesco Saverio Bersani, Ornella Corazza, Gabriella Albano et al.
98 citations
25C-NBOMe, sold online as legal LSD or under names like 'N-bomb' and 'Pandora', is a partial agonist of 5-HT2A receptors that carries a high risk of overdose, with acute toxicity and fatalities reported. It is taken orally, sublingually, nasally, by injection, vaginally, rectally, or smoked, producing effects such as sublingual numbing, stimulation, hallucinations, dissociation, and anxiety. Its use is an emerging phenomenon increased by low-cost online availability, and health professionals should be informed about this trend.
BioMed Research International
January 1, 2014
Benjamin Rolland, Renaud Jardri, Ali Amad et al.
96 citations
Hallucinations arise from at least three distinct pharmacological pathways: activation of dopamine D2 receptors by psychostimulants, activation of serotonin 5HT2A receptors by psychedelics, and blockage of glutamate NMDA receptors by dissociative anesthetics. In schizophrenia, the relative roles of NMDA and dopamine receptors remain debated, and slight clinical differences appear depending on the cause. This narrative review synthesizes how leading researchers have approached whether the concept of hallucination is clinically and neurobiologically homogeneous. Some favor a single mechanism, while others propose integrated theories based on pharmacological psychosis models. The authors suggest that although common neurobiological pathways may exist, each system likely has unique properties that explain observed clinical differences.
BioMed Research International
January 1, 2015
Débora González, Marta Torrens, Magı́ Farré
44 citations
A single 20 mg dose of 2C-B in healthy recreational users produced positive subjective effects, including euphoria and well-being, along with reduced anger. However, it increased reactivity to negative emotional stimuli and impaired recognition of happy facial expressions. Speech became more emotional, noticeable to others. Mild increases in blood pressure and heart rate occurred. The authors conclude that 2C-B's emotional profile fits an entactogen with psychedelic properties.
BioMed Research International
January 1, 2015
Heather Buttle
32 citations
Meditation's secular benefits—lower blood pressure, reduced cortisol, cortical thickening, and brain changes linked to attention and emotion regulation—are secondary to its primary spiritual aim of transformation. This review contrasts the relaxation response model with mindfulness research emphasizing attention and alertness, showing how Buddhist texts can guide scientific questions. It proposes triangulating spiritual texts, first-person neurophenomenological accounts, and physiological/cognitive measures to understand meditation in both health and spiritual contexts.
BioMed Research International
January 1, 2018
Hugo Vigerelli, Juliana Mozer Sciani, Maria Andrea Camarano Eula et al.
21 citations
Bufotenine, a serotonin-derived alkaloid structurally similar to LSD and psilocin, inhibits rabies virus infection in lab and animal models, increasing survival. In mice treated daily for 21 days with 0.63, 1.05, or 2.1 mg/animal, mild behavioral changes occurred in a dose-dependent manner, but physiological functions remained normal and no organ damage was seen. High doses caused local injection-site inflammation without cellular damage. The alkaloid distributed to heart and kidney at all doses, and to lungs and brain at higher doses. The effective dose (0.63 mg/day) appears safe, causing no significant central nervous system effects, suggesting bufotenine as a drug prototype for rabies, an incurable disease.
BioMed Research International
January 1, 2014
Georg F. Weber, Bethann N. Johnson, Bryan K. Yamamoto et al.
19 citations
MDMA, a substituted amphetamine and recreational drug, can produce mood-enhancing short-term effects that may lead to its use under stress. Clinical studies suggest MDMA treatment might alleviate symptoms of stress disorders like PTSD, but repeated use causes lasting deficits in serotonergic nerve terminal markers, indicating possible neurotoxicity. Chronic stress worsens MDMA-induced serotonergic neurotoxicity. In rats, MDMA altered gene expression in the hippocampus related to protein folding and neuropeptide signaling. In stressed rats, MDMA changed genetic responses affecting sensory processing and tissue damage responses, and reversed stress-induced downregulation of circadian rhythm genes. These transcriptional changes accompany the drug's persistent effects on neuronal structure and function.
BioMed Research International
February 24, 2015
Christina Daniel, O. Mason
People who are prone to hallucinations experience more psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) during brief sensory deprivation than those who are not, and both groups show an increase in PLEs during deprivation. Hallucination proneness is the strongest predictor of this increase, with state anxiety also contributing. Suggestibility and fantasy proneness do not predict the increase, indicating that the rise in PLEs reflects genuine perceptual changes rather than a tendency to falsely report experiences. The findings support sensory deprivation as a safe, nonpharmacological model for studying psychosis.
BioMed Research International
January 1, 2015
Henrique Adam Pasquini, Guaraci Ken Tanaka, Luis Fernando Hindi Basile et al.
Long-term Soto Zen Buddhist meditators showed no significant change in beta brainwave activity during an adapted meditation task, contrary to expectations. Instead, the frequency of weekly meditation practice correlated with increased induced theta power and a higher theta/beta ratio, suggesting that mindfulness meditation involves permitting distractions and deliberately reducing attention rather than actively focusing.