Antidepressant, Antipsychotic, and Hallucinogen Drugs for the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders: A Convergence at the Serotonin-2A Receptor
Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services June 30, 2016 DOI: 10.3928/02793695-20160616-09 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Anxiety Serotonin |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Antidepressant Schizophrenia object-oriented programming Atypical antipsychotic Pharmacology Receptor |
| Citations | 22 |
| Key findings | Concurrent use of antidepressant or atypical antipsychotic drugs may attenuate the therapeutic effects of hallucinogen drugs due to desensitization or down-regulation of 5HT2A receptors. |
Abstract
Antidepressant, atypical antipsychotic, and hallucinogen drugs mediate their actions in part by interactions with the serotonin-2A (5HT2A) receptor. Serotonergic hallucinogen drugs, such as psilocybin, bind most potently as agonists at the 5HT2A receptor, producing profound changes in perception, mood, and cognition. Some of these drugs have been or are currently being investigated in small Phase 2 studies for depression, alcoholism, smoking cessation, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder. However, unlike the synergistic effects of combining antidepressant and atypical antipsychotic drugs, the potential therapeutic effects of hallucinogen drugs may be attenuated by the concurrent use of these medications because antidepressant and atypical antipsychotic drugs desensitize and/or down-regulate 5HT2A receptors. This finding has important implications for optimizing the potential therapeutic use of hallucinogen drugs in psychiatry. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 54 (7), 21–24.]
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on serotonin, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Psychedelic Cognition—The Unreached Frontier of Psychedelic Science Frontiers in Neuroscience March 15, 2022
- Study Protocol for ‘PsilOCD: A Pharmacological Challenge Study Evaluating the Effects of the 5-HT2A Agonist Psilocybin on the Neurocognitive and Clinical Correlates of Compulsivity’ Cureus January 29, 2025
- The Role ofPsychedelics in Managing Anxiety, Depression, and Flashbacks of Individuals withPost-Traumatic Stress Disorder International Journal of Science and Research Methodology January 31, 2022
- Chemical Reactivity Parameters to Analyze Psychedelics: How Do We Explain the Potency of the Drugs? ACS Omega September 24, 2024
- Risks and adverse events associated with the use of psychedelics Psychedelics as Psychiatric Medications March 1, 2023
and 1 more in the library
Cites 8
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety. Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2008
- The pharmacology of psilocybin Addiction Biology October 1, 2002
- The paradoxical psychological effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) Psychological Medicine February 5, 2016
- Novel psychopharmacological therapies for psychiatric disorders: psilocybin and MDMA. The Lancet Psychiatry April 5, 2016
and 3 more in the library