Can the revival of serotonergic psychedelic drugs as treatments for mental disorders help to characterize their risks and benefits?
M. I. Husain, M. Umer, Benoit H. Mulsant
Expert Opinion on Drug Safety April 6, 2022 DOI: 10.1080/14740338.2022.2063274 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Serotonin |
| Key findings | The text reports that classic psychedelics act through serotonin 5HT2A receptor activation, that this mechanism underlies their hallucinogenic effects and can be blocked by ketanserin, and that early clinical research in the 1950s and 1960s tested these compounds in over 100 trials with more than 40,000 participants before social, political, and regulatory forces halted research momentum. |
Abstract
Classic psychedelics are a loosely grouped class of drugs that activate serotonin 5HT2A receptors to induce complex behavioral, psychological, and physiological effects [1]; 5HT2A agonism induces the hallucinogenic experiences that distinguish psychedelics [2] while pre-medicating with a 5HT2A antagonist, such as ketanserin, prevents them [3,4]. In the 1950s and 1960s, after Albert Hoffman’s discovery of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin (the chemical component of ‘magic mushrooms’), these compounds were used as experimental treatments in over 100 clinical trials including over 40,000 participants with mental and substance use disorders [5,6]. The results of these initial studies, and mainstream media, heralded psychedelics as a promising treatment for substance use disorders, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [5]. However, scientific momentum stalled when social and political forces constrained supply of these compounds for research before their ban by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances in 1971.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on serotonin, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression without psychedelic effects: study protocol for a 4-week, double-blind, proof-of-concept randomised controlled trial BJPsych Open July 1, 2023
- Invisible wounds: Suturing the gap between the neurobiology, conventional and emerging therapies for posttraumatic stress disorder. European Neuropsychopharmacology August 2022
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- Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression New England Journal of Medicine April 14, 2021
- Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder JAMA Psychiatry November 4, 2020
and 22 more in the library