PsychopharmacologySeptember 29, 2026Praneet Suresh, Josie Kins, Lex Levkovskyy et al.
Psychedelics exhibit rapid, durable therapeutic effects across diverse psychiatric conditions, yet their broad-spectrum psychoactivity poses challenges for clinical translation. As a proof-of-concept, we aimed to quantify associations between 19 neurotransmitter receptors and the subjective effects of 21 psychedelic drugs with broadly assayed binding profiles. We used a custom Global Vectors...
RATIONALE An estimated two-thirds of medical cannabis users in the United States are motivated by chronic pain, but clinical guidance remains guarded as to whether the potential benefit of cannabinoids for pain outweighs potential risks, such as effects on cognition. OBJECTIVES In a study where participants experienced benefits of cannabinoids for pain and tension, we evaluated cannabis effects...
RATIONALE: Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) has been reported to evoke psychedelic-like experiences at high doses in some individuals. However, the doses of Δ9-THC that occasion such effects and the phenomenology of these experiences are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: This brief report presents preliminary findings from a pilot human laboratory study that directly compared the acute...
PsychopharmacologyAugust 27, 2026Shayan Eghdami, Mahsa Boroon, Amir-Abbas Keshavarz-Akhlaghi et al.
Approximately 40-60% of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) fail to respond to standard serotonergic and behavioral therapies. This systematic review evaluates the efficacy, durability, and safety of ketamine, a glutamate modulator, for moderate to severe OCD. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched electronic databases through January 2026 for studies treating moderate-to-severe...
RATIONALE Sex differences in the effects of cannabis have been demonstrated in animals, though the human evidence is more equivocal. In particular, more work is needed to better understand interactions between sex and dose in determining acute pharmacological effects of cannabis, especially at higher potencies of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). OBJECTIVES Sex differences were examined following...
RATIONALE: Psilocybin (PSI) microdosing, defined as a repeated administration of sub-perceptual doses, has gained increasing attention as a potential therapeutic strategy for affective and anxiety disorders. However, some molecular mechanisms, particularly regarding epigenetic regulation in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), remain poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: Therefore, the present study...
This paper critiques the use of the term "mysticism" in psychedelic research, arguing its continued use is outdated and misleading. It highlights the confusion stemming from the historical context of "mysticism," particularly through the works of Walter Stace and Walter Pahnke, whose ideas have shaped the psychedelic discourse despite being flawed and largely unexamined. The paper is divided...
6-(2-aminopropyl)benzofuran (6-APB) is a recreational drug that is structurally similar to MDMA. Very little is known about the behavioral effects of 6-APB or its dose-effect relationship in vivo. As the popularity of new psychoactive substances (NPS), such as 6-APB, increases due to their unscheduled status and easy availability, it is important to understand the potential benefits and/or...
Negative self-referential emotions such as embarrassment and shame play a key role in the psychopathology of psychiatric disorders but are often insufficiently addressed by standard treatments. Psychedelics such as ayahuasca - an Amazonian plant decoction containing the psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and harmala alkaloids, have been proposed to positively modulate self-referential...
In humans, researchers can readily query the subjective states elicited by drugs of abuse, but no such introspective readout is currently available in rodents. Rats can convey information relevant to their internal states via ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). We sought to measure USVs and locomotor behavior as parallel behavioral indices of the effects of drugs and ventral tegmental area...
PsychopharmacologyJuly 1, 2026Sarah Ann Smith, Haseeb Mohammad, Lik Hang N Lee et al.
Interest in psychedelic drugs has increased rapidly because of their potential therapeutic role in psychiatric disorders. Impairments in the sociocognitive skills needed to build and maintain social relationships are prominent features of many psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Emerging evidence suggests that compounds such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), lysergic acid...
RATIONALE: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) shows substantial heterogeneity in symptoms and cognitive deficits. According to the Triple Pathway Model, this variability may stem from impairments in three neuropsychological domains: inhibition, motivation, and temporal processing. Repeated low-dose administration of psychedelics is being explored as a treatment for ADHD, but...
RATIONALE: Clinical interest in psilocybin-assisted rehabilitation for motor disorders is growing. However, psilocybin's motor effects are under-researched, and quantifying them is essential for assessing treatment risks and outcomes. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to clarify whether acute effects of psilocybin disrupt established patterns of manual dexterity and coordination. Specifically, we...
BACKGROUND: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) remains a major global health concern, with high morbidity and mortality and limited long-term treatment success. Psychedelic therapy has re-emerged as a potential novel intervention for AUD, yet little is known about how affected individuals perceive such treatments. METHODS: This mixed-method study explored attitudes and perceptions of psychedelic...
Psilocybin is among the serotonergic psychedelics closest to potential FDA approval, with growing evidence of therapeutic benefit across psychiatric conditions. As clinical trials expand, systematic characterization of adverse events (AEs) remains essential. While transient hypertensive responses are well documented, hypotensive events such as neurocardiogenic syncope (NCS) are rarely reported....
Background: Studies have demonstrated that subanesthetic-dose ketamine may modulate the functioning of specific depression-related brain regions, particularly the anterior cingulate cortex and prefrontal cortex. However, how subanesthetic-dose ketamine alters the global and regional graph theory metrics of resting-state functional connectivity in patients with treatment-resistant depression...
PsychopharmacologyMay 11, 2026Gabrielle Abbott, Lisa-Marie Greenwood, Jessica G. Bartschi et al.
Abstract Introduction The regular consumption of cannabis has been associated with changes in cognition. However it is unclear how cognitive performance changes over time with continued cannabis use and whether cognitive alterations predate the onset of cannabis use. We conducted a narrative review of longitudinal observational naturalistic studies of cognition in people who use cannabis....
PsychopharmacologyMay 7, 2026Emillie Beyer, Martine Skumlien, Govinda Poudel et al.
Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) affects ~ 50 million individuals worldwide and is associated with alterations in brain reward pathways. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) show promise in reducing substance use and aberrant brain function in substance use disorders (SUD), but the effects on CUD or brain reward function have not been investigated. To examine whether a 2-week MBI vs. active...
Animal models of cannabinoid self-administration are critical for advancing our understanding of the neurobiology of cannabis use and for developing medications for Cannabis Use Disorder. Use of vapor inhalation models have translational relevance, as the majority of humans who use cannabis do so by inhalation (e.g., smoking, vaporization). Adult male and female Sprague Dawley rats (N = 96,...
RATIONALE: Reports of resurfaced repressed memories during psychedelic experiences have circulated for decades and still emerge today. However, the veracity of repressed memories remains debated, and the mechanisms through which psychedelics might recover alleged repressed memories are unclear. OBJECTIVES: This scoping review aimed to provide an overview of the literature on repressed memory in...
Whole plants and mushrooms have been used in systems of traditional medicine and health around the globe for millennia, and these more wholistic approaches are increasingly being embraced in modern Western societies. Cannabis and psilocybin are perhaps two of the most salient examples given current public and academic interests. Greater accessibility, along with expanding socioeconomic and...
RATIONALE: Social withdrawal in the sub-chronic phencyclidine (PCP) rat model—a behavioral correlate of schizophrenia’s negative symptoms—is well characterized, yet the psychological mechanisms underlying this deficit remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: Despite the complexity of social behavior, assessments often rely on a single metric (e.g., total interaction time) that has limited explanatory power,...
PsychopharmacologyApril 23, 2026Josephine Sena Lumor, Henriette Nyberg, Elisabeth Nerem et al.
Abstract Rationale As cannabis legalization and decriminalization have expanded, it is increasingly perceived as a low-risk substance. Concurrently, the potency of cannabis products and the number of young adults seeking treatment for cannabis use disorder have risen markedly. A growing body of research links early onset, frequent use, and high potency cannabis products to a range of adverse...
Abstract Rationale Many cannabis users claim that one reason they use cannabis is to relieve stress or dampen effects of stressful memories. However, the processes by which cannabis or its primary constituent, Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) alleviate stressful experiences remains unclear. Objective Here, we assessed whether low oral doses of THC reduce emotional or physiological responses to...
BACKGROUND: Chronic stress is a risk factor for the development of anxiety, depression, and comorbid systemic conditions. Ayahuasca (AYA) has been used for hundreds of years and it elicits antidepressant and anxiolytic effects. However, it remains unknown whether AYA elicits a behavioral and biochemical protective effect in chronic stress. AIM OF THE STUDY: Therefore, we evaluated the...