Psychedelics in the Treatment of Headache and Chronic Pain Disorders.
Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences 2022 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_365 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | LSD Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Chronic pain Cluster headache Migraine Psychedelics |
| Key findings | The authors argue that psychedelics such as psilocybin and LSD show therapeutic potential for headache and chronic pain disorders, with reported lasting clinical effects after limited dosing. They contend that controlled studies are still in early stages and that disease-specific treatments, mechanisms of action, and safety require considerable further investigation. |
Abstract
The therapeutic potential of psychedelics in headache and chronic pain disorders is documented over decades of anecdotal and early investigational reports, which have paved the way for the first controlled studies of psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in these disorders. The reported lasting clinical effects after limited dosing with psychedelics present a novel means for disease management, but considerable further study will be required to address disease-specific treatments, uncover mechanism(s) of action, and verify safety. In this chapter, these topics are reviewed with particular attention to the neurobiological systems that offer potential sources of psychedelics' unique clinical effects in headache and pain.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on LSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study of a New Schizophrenomimetic Drug—Sernyl | 1959 | Review | |
| Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. General population | 2019 | Integrative review | |
| The Pharmacology of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: A Review | 2008 | Review | |
| Serotonin research: contributions to understanding psychoses | 2008 | Review | |
| ADVERSE REACTIONS TO PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS. A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE | 1984 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 13
- Psychedelics reopen the social reward learning critical period Nature June 14, 2023
- The Psychedelic Future of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment Current Neuropharmacology January 5, 2024
- Scoping Review: The Role of Psychedelics in the Management of Chronic Pain Journal of Pain Research March 1, 2024
- Chronic pain as an emergent property of a complex system and the potential roles of psychedelic therapies. Frontiers in Pain Research April 19, 2024
- Disentangling the acute subjective effects of classic psychedelics from their enduring therapeutic properties. Psychopharmacology May 14, 2024
and 8 more in the library
Cites 28
- 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
- Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 23, 2012
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety. Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2008
- Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity Cell Reports June 1, 2018
- Psilocybin-Occasioned Mystical Experiences in the Treatment of Tobacco Addiction Current Drug Abuse Reviews January 9, 2015
and 23 more in the library