Serotonergic Psychedelics: Experimental Approaches for Assessing Mechanisms of Action
Handbook of experimental pharmacology 2018 DOI: 10.1007/164_2018_107 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Serotonin |
| Citations | 48 |
| Key findings | Serotonergic psychedelics show promise for treating psychiatric disorders, but questions about their molecular neuropharmacology remain. |
Abstract
Recent, well-controlled - albeit small-scale - clinical trials show that serotonergic psychedelics, including psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide, possess great promise for treating psychiatric disorders, including treatment-resistant depression. Additionally, fresh results from a deluge of clinical neuroimaging studies are unveiling the dynamic effects of serotonergic psychedelics on functional activity within, and connectivity across, discrete neural systems. These observations have led to testable hypotheses regarding neural processing mechanisms that contribute to psychedelic effects and therapeutic benefits. Despite these advances and a plethora of preclinical and clinical observations supporting a central role for brain serotonin 5-HT2A receptors in producing serotonergic psychedelic effects, lingering and new questions about mechanisms abound. These chiefly pertain to molecular neuropharmacology. This chapter is devoted to illuminating and discussing such questions in the context of preclinical experimental approaches for studying mechanisms of action of serotonergic psychedelics, classic and new.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on serotonin, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 37
- The Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin Molecules May 15, 2021
- Structure–Activity Relationships for Psilocybin, Baeocystin, Aeruginascin, and Related Analogues to Produce Pharmacological Effects in Mice ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science November 2, 2022
- Serotonin 2A Receptor (5-HT2AR) Agonists: Psychedelics and Non-Hallucinogenic Analogues as Emerging Antidepressants Chemical Reviews November 30, 2023
- Associations between ayahuasca consumption in naturalistic settings and current alcohol and drug use: Results of a large international cross‐sectional survey Drug and Alcohol Review July 25, 2021
- Psychedelics: Alternative and Potential Therapeutic Options for Treating Mood and Anxiety Disorders Molecules April 13, 2022
and 32 more in the library
Cites 106
- 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
- The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2014
- 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 101 more in the library