Psychedelic Cognition—The Unreached Frontier of Psychedelic Science
Frontiers in Neuroscience March 15, 2022 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.832375 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Addiction Anxiety |
| Keywords | Cognition Clinical psychology Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 28 |
| Key findings | Existing studies on acute cognitive effects of psychedelics are limited by disparate paradigms, small sample sizes, and lack of testing across dosages and time points in naturalistic settings. |
Abstract
Psychedelic compounds hold the promise of changing the face of neuroscience and psychiatry as we know it. There have been numerous proposals to use them to treat a range of neuropsychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety, addiction and PTSD; and trials to date have delivered positive results in favor of the novel therapeutics. Further to the medical use, the wider healthy population is gaining interest in these compounds. We see a surge in personal use of psychedelic drugs for reasons not limited to spiritual enhancement, improved productivity, aiding the management of non-pathological anxiety and depression, and recreational interests. Notably, microdosing—the practice of taking subacute doses of psychedelic compounds—is on the rise. Our knowledge about the effects of psychedelic compounds, however, especially in naturalistic settings, is still fairly limited. In particular, one of the largest gaps concerns the acute effects on cognition caused by psychedelics. Studies carried out to date are riddled with limitations such as having disparate paradigms, small sample sizes, and insufficient breadth of testing on both unhealthy and healthy volunteers. Moreover, the studies are majoritarily limited to laboratory settings and do not assess the effects at multiple dosages within the same paradigm nor at various points throughout the psychedelic experience. This review aims to summarize the studies to date in relation to how psychedelics acutely affect different domains of cognition. In the pursuit of illuminating the current limitations and offering long-term, forward-thinking solutions, this review compares and contrasts findings related to how psychedelics impact memory, attention, reasoning, social cognition, and creativity.
Comparable studies
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| Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review General (healthcare, schools, workplace) | 2021 | Review | |
| A Consensus Statement on the Use of Ketamine in the Treatment of Mood Disorders | 2017 | Review and consensus statement | |
| Sudarshan Kriya Yogic Breathing in the Treatment of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: Part II—Clinical Applications and Guidelines | 2005 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology | 2018 | Review | |
| Management of Treatment-Resistant Depression: Challenges and Strategies | 2020 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 25
- Greater subjective effects of a low dose of LSD in participants with depressed mood. Neuropsychopharmacology April 1, 2024
- Assessment of the Acute Effects of 2C‐B vs. Psilocybin on Subjective Experience, Mood, and Cognition Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics May 30, 2023
- Psilocybin’s effects on cognition and creativity: A scoping review Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2023
- Psychedelics as potential catalysts of scientific creativity and insight Drug Science, Policy and Law 2022
- An encounter with the self: A thematic and content analysis of the DMT experience from a naturalistic field study. Frontiers in Psychology 2023
and 20 more in the library
Cites 85
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The 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-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: A proof-of-concept study Journal of Psychopharmacology January 13, 2015
- Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences April 11, 2016
- Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Psilocybin in 9 Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry November 15, 2006
and 80 more in the library