Hallucinogens in Mental Health: Preclinical and Clinical Studies on LSD, Psilocybin, MDMA, and Ketamine
Danilo de Gregorio, Argel Aguilar-Valles, Katrin H. Preller, Boris D. Heifets, Meghan Hibicke, Jennifer Mitchell, Gabriella Gobbi
Journal of Neuroscience November 30, 2020 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1659-20.2020 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ketamine MDMA Mescaline Psilocybin Esketamine LSD |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Pharmacology |
| Citations | 258 |
| Key findings | Hallucinogenic compounds, including ketamine, psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA, show therapeutic potential for psychiatric disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. |
Abstract
A revamped interest in the study of hallucinogens has recently emerged, especially with regard to their potential application in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. In the last decade, a plethora of preclinical and clinical studies have confirmed the efficacy of ketamine in the treatment of depression. More recently, emerging evidence has pointed out the potential therapeutic properties of psilocybin and LSD, as well as their ability to modulate functional brain connectivity. Moreover, MDMA, a compound belonging to the family of entactogens, has been demonstrated to be useful to treat post-traumatic stress disorders. In this review, the pharmacology of hallucinogenic compounds is summarized by underscoring the differences between psychedelic and nonpsychedelic hallucinogens as well as entactogens, and their behavioral effects in both animals and humans are described. Together, these data substantiate the potentials of these compounds in treating mental diseases.