A number of recent articles, many appearing in Schizophrenia Bulletin, signal a renewed interest in phenomenological approaches to our understanding of schizophrenia. These approaches conceptualize schizophrenia as a disorder of altered self-awareness and decreased prereflective social attunement, which may manifest as an impaired understanding of self, others, and the physical world....
The current study tested whether oral Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC: 0-, 10-, and 20-mg) pretreatment would attenuate polysensory cue-induced craving for marijuana. Cannabis dependent participants (7 males and 7 females, who smoked on average 5.4 ± 1.1 blunts daily) completed 3 experimental sessions (oral THC pretreatment dose; counterbalanced order) using a placebo-controlled within-subject...
Indolethylamine‐N MethylTransferase (INMT) is a small molecule N‐methyltransferase that transfer methyl groups from S‐Adenosyl‐L‐Methionine (SAM) to indoleamines. Methylation of tryptamine produces the hallucinogen, N,N‐dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and methylated serotonin generates bufotenin. In animals, the endogenous production of DMT has been proposed to be a regulator of the Sigma‐1 Receptor...
A range of psychoactive substances used by patients suffering from schizophrenia varies and may include those which are fatal and may cause serious toxicity leading to death. We here present a case report of a patient suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, who was abusing Datura stramonium over a prolonged period. A 32 year old male presented with aggressive behaviour, irritability for 6 years...
This study aimed to investigate the cycles (2nd/4th) and duration-related (5/10 min) variations in the story-like organization of dream experience elaborated during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Dream reports were analysed using story grammar rules. Reports were provided by those subjects (14 of 22) capable of reporting a dream after each of the four awakenings provoked in 2 consecutive...
Noribogaine is the primary metabolite of the anti‐addictive substance ibogaine, which modulates opiate analgesic activity and the components of drug addiction in animal models at brain concentrations of 0.5‐15 µM. In this study, molecular activities of noribogaine at mu (OPRM) and kappa (OPRK) opioid receptors were characterized. Noribogaine was a moderately potent antagonist of the OPRM...
Noribogaine, a polypharmacological drug with activities at opioid receptors, ionotropic nicotinic receptors, and serotonin reuptake transporters, is being investigated for treatment of substance abuse‐related disorders. In this study, noribogaine molecular activity at neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) was characterized. Noribogaine inhibited α3β4, α7 nAChRs, and endogenously...
Ibogaine is a naturally occurring hallucinogen with postulated anti-addictive qualities. While illegal domestically, a growing number of individuals have sought it out for treatment of opiate dependence, primarily in poorly regulated overseas clinics. Existing serious adverse events include cardiac and vestibular toxicity, though ours is the first report of mania stemming from its use. To...
BACKGROUND: Many smokers are unable to access effective behavioral smoking cessation therapies due to location, financial limitations, schedule, transportation issues or other reasons. We report results from a prospective observational study in which a promising novel behavioral intervention, Mindfulness Training for Smokers was provided via web-based video instruction with telephone-based...
The pharmacological activities and acute toxicity of the psilocin (PC) and dried residues of the crude extracts of psychotropic mushrooms were investigated in mice. The hallucinogenic substances were effectively isolated, by using methanol, from the species of Psilocybe semilanceata and Pholiotina cyanopus, that were collected in the north-east region of Poland. The chemical analysis of these...