Exploring psychedelic-assisted therapy in the treatment of functional seizures: A review of underlying mechanisms and associated brain networks.
Evan Cole Lewis, Alexandria Jaeger, Manesh Girn, Egiroh Omene, Madeline Brendle, Elena Argento
Journal of Psychopharmacology April 23, 2024 DOI: 10.1177/02698811241248395 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Functional neurological disorders Mental health treatment Alternative medicine |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key points | Argues that psychedelic-assisted therapy holds potential as a treatment for functional seizures and that a complexity science perspective can provide mechanistic insight into both functional seizures and psychedelic-assisted therapy. Proposes a novel analytic roadmap to identify markers of functional seizure diagnostic specificity and treatment success, aiming to bridge clinical neurology with psychedelic medicine. |
Abstract
Functional seizures (FS), the most common subtype of functional neurological disorder (FND), cause serious neurological disability and significantly impact quality of life. Characterized by episodic disturbances of functioning that resemble epileptic seizures, FS coincide with multiple comorbidities and are treated poorly by existing approaches. Novel treatment approaches are sorely needed. Notably, mounting evidence supports the safety and efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) for several psychiatric conditions, motivating investigations into whether this efficacy also extends to neurological disorders. Here, we synthesize past empirical findings and frameworks to construct a biopsychosocial mechanistic argument for the potential of PAT as a treatment for FS. In doing so, we highlight FS as a well-defined cohort to further understand the large-scale neural mechanisms underpinning PAT. Our synthesis is guided by a complexity science perspective which we contend can afford unique mechanistic insight into both FS and PAT, as well as help bridge these two domains. We also leverage this perspective to propose a novel analytic roadmap to identify markers of FS diagnostic specificity and treatment success. This endeavor continues the effort to bridge clinical neurology with psychedelic medicine and helps pave the way for a new field of psychedelic neurology.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theorizing that Psychedelic Assisted Therapy May Play a Role in the Treatment of Trauma-Induced Personality Disorders. | 2024 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Learning to Let Go: A Cognitive-Behavioral Model of How Psychedelic Therapy Promotes Acceptance | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Awe: a putative mechanism underlying the effects of classic psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy | 2018 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Ethical and legal issues in psychedelic harm reduction and integration therapy | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Towards psychedelic apprenticeship: Developing a gentle touch for the mediation and validation of psychedelic-induced insights and revelations. | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Probing the functional magnetic resonance imaging response to psilocybin in functional neurological disorder (PsiFUND): study protocol. Wellcome Open Research 2024
- Probing the functional magnetic resonance imaging response to psilocybin in functional neurological disorder (PsiFUND): study protocol Wellcome Open Research April 22, 2025
- Is there a place for psychedelics in sports practice? Acta Neuropsychiatrica 2025
- Psychedelics in functional disorders: A scoping review Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry February 10, 2026
Cites 51
- 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
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study. Nature Medicine June 1, 2021
- Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences April 11, 2016
and 46 more in the library