Therapeutic use of serotoninergic hallucinogens: A review of the evidence and of the biological and psychological mechanisms.
Rafael Guimarães Dos Santos, Jaime Eduardo Cecilio Hallak
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews January 2020 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.12.001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) Psilocybin Ayahuasca |
| Topics | Ayahuasca Serotonin |
| Keywords | Hallucinogens Therapeutical use |
| Key findings | The authors argue that single or few doses of serotoninergic hallucinogens such as LSD, DMT, and psilocybin produce rapid and sustained antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive effects, linked to 5-HT2A receptor agonism, increased glutamatergic transmission, and neuroplasticity. They describe these results as preliminary but promising and call for larger controlled trials, particularly in treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders. |
Abstract
Serotoninergic hallucinogens include drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and psilocybin. Recent trials with single/few doses of these compounds show that they induce rapid and sustained antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive effects. These effects are also observed in religious groups using the DMT-containing brew ayahuasca. The agonist action of these substances on 5-HT2A receptors expressed in frontal and limbic areas increase glutamatergic transmission and neuroplasticity. These neurochemical effects are associated with acute alterations on self-perception and increases in introspection and positive mood, and with subacute and long-term decreases in psychiatric symptoms, increases in some personality traits such as openness, improvements in emotional processing, and increases in empathy. These are preliminary but promising results that should be further explored in controlled trials with larger sample sizes, especially considering that these compounds could be beneficial in the treatment of treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders.
Comparable studies
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- Classic Psychedelic Drugs: Update on Biological Mechanisms Pharmacopsychiatry January 25, 2022
- Psychedelics and Neural Plasticity: Therapeutic Implications. Journal of Neuroscience November 1, 2022
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Cites 95
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- 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
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- Pilot Study of Psilocybin Treatment for Anxiety in Patients With Advanced-Stage Cancer Archives of General Psychiatry September 7, 2010
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