Natural Psychoplastogens As Antidepressant Agents
Molecules March 5, 2020 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25051172 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Anxiety Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Antidepressant Depression economics Pharmacology Hallucinogen |
| Citations | 18 |
| Key findings | Psychoplastogens, including naturally occurring compounds like psilocybin, can rapidly restructure neural networks and produce acute and long-term positive effects beyond treating psychiatric diseases. |
Abstract
Increasing prevalence and burden of major depressive disorder presents an unavoidable problem for psychiatry. Existing antidepressants exert their effect only after several weeks of continuous treatment. In addition, their serious side effects and ineffectiveness in one-third of patients call for urgent action. Recent advances have given rise to the concept of psychoplastogens. These compounds are capable of fast structural and functional rearrangement of neural networks by targeting mechanisms previously implicated in the development of depression. Furthermore, evidence shows that they exert a potent acute and long-term positive effects, reaching beyond the treatment of psychiatric diseases. Several of them are naturally occurring compounds, such as psilocybin, N,N-dimethyltryptamine, and 7,8-dihydroxyflavone. Their pharmacology and effects in animal and human studies were discussed in this article.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on psilocybin for anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelics as anti-inflammatory agents Animal models and cellular studies | 2018 | Review | |
| Ayahuasca: Pharmacology, neuroscience and therapeutic potential | 2016 | Review | |
| Psychedelic Drugs in Biomedicine | 2017 | Review | |
| A review of emerging therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs in the treatment of psychiatric illnesses | 2020 | Review | |
| Psychedelics and health behaviour change | 2021 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- Potential safety, benefits, and influence of the placebo effect in microdosing psychedelic drugs: A systematic review Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews October 5, 2020
- Mini-review: The neurobiology of treating substance use disorders with classical psychedelics Frontiers in Neuroscience April 17, 2023
- Optimization through a Box–Behnken Experimental Design of the Microwave-Assisted Extraction of the Psychoactive Compounds in Hallucinogenic Fungi (Psylocibe cubensis) Journal of Fungi June 2, 2022
- Serotonergic psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT alters plasticity-related gene expression and generates anxiolytic effects in stressed mice. Molecular Psychiatry 2025
- Pharmacologic Similarities and Differences Among Hallucinogens The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology August 1, 2021
and 5 more in the library
Cites 29
- Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 23, 2012
- Psilocybin induces schizophrenia-like psychosis in humans via a serotonin-2 agonist action Neuroreport December 1, 1998
and 24 more in the library