Psychedelic Drugs in Biomedicine
Evan J. Kyzar, Charles D. Nichols, Raul R. Gainetdinov, David E. Nichols, Allan V. Kalueff
Trends in Pharmacological Sciences September 22, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2017.08.003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Addiction Anxiety LSD Mescaline Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Biomedicine Hallucinogen Psychotherapist Pharmacology |
| Citations | 155 |
| Key findings | Psychedelic drugs show promise as treatments for addiction, depression, anxiety, and other conditions, but many questions about their mechanisms, safety, and efficacy remain. |
Abstract
Psychedelic drugs, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), mescaline, and psilocybin, exert profound effects on brain and behavior. After decades of difficulties in studying these compounds, psychedelics are again being tested as potential treatments for intractable biomedical disorders. Preclinical research of psychedelics complements human neuroimaging studies and pilot clinical trials, suggesting these compounds as promising treatments for addiction, depression, anxiety, and other conditions. However, many questions regarding the mechanisms of action, safety, and efficacy of psychedelics remain. Here, we summarize recent preclinical and clinical data in this field, discuss their pharmacological mechanisms of action, and outline critical areas for future studies of psychedelic drugs, with the goal of maximizing the potential benefits of translational psychedelic biomedicine to patients.
In the evidence
This study is part of the evidence base for 3 syntheses in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.
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Psychedelic drugs show promise as treatments for addiction, depression, anxiety, and other conditions, but many questions about their mechanisms, safety, and efficacy remain.
Synthesized
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Reviews preclinical and clinical data suggesting psychedelics including LSD are promising treatments for addiction, depression, and anxiety, while noting many questions about mechanisms, safety, and efficacy remain.
Synthesized
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Preclinical and pilot clinical data suggest psychedelics are promising treatments for addiction, depression, and anxiety, but many questions about mechanisms, safety, and efficacy remain.
Synthesized
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on LSD for addiction, most cited first.