Effects of psychedelics on markers of neuroplasticity in humans
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) |
| Topics | Neuroplasticity |
| Key points | Argues that while animal research suggests psychedelics such as LSD act as "psychoplastogens" with rapid, circuit-specific, and lasting effects on neuroplasticity, human evidence remains scarce and it is still unclear how psychedelics affect neuroplasticity in humans or what such effects might mean. The thesis investigates this question through three papers. |
Abstract
A growing number of studies suggest that serotonergic psychedelics, including lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), can rapidly and lastingly stimulate various aspects of neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the nervous system’s fundamental ability to reorganize itself in order to adapt to its environment, and it involves both changes in brain structure and changes in how the brain functions. It is also fundamental for learning in the broadest sense. Drugs which stimulate neuroplasticity may have important clinical uses, and promising data from animal studies has given psychedelics the moniker of psychoplastogens for their rapid, circuit-specific, and lasting effects on neuroplasticity. However, data in humans is scarcer due to the relative difficulty of measuring neuroplasticity non-invasively. It remains unclear how psychedelics impact neuroplasticity in humans and, if they do, what this might mean. The aim of this thesis is to investigate whether psychedelics, and particularly the potent psychoplastogen LSD, can stimulate neuroplasticity in humans. It consists of three papers exploring this question from different angles.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on neuroplasticity, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Dendrite-Focused Framework for Understanding the Actions of Ketamine and Psychedelics | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Does Psychedelic Therapy Have a Transdiagnostic Action and Prophylactic Potential? | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| A complex systems perspective on psychedelic brain action. | 2023 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Critical Period Plasticity as a Framework for Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Therapeutic mechanisms of psychedelics and entactogens. | 2023 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |