Mescaline (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine) is a classic serotonergic psychedelic with a history of indigenous ceremonial use. There is renewed scientific interest in mescaline because of the potential psychiatric benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Mescaline primarily exerts its psychoactive effects through serotonin-2A (5-HT 2A ) receptor agonism. There is a lack of controlled clinical...
With a rapid rise in clinical trials investigating psychogenic substances, the field faces considerable concerns regarding transparency and conflicts of interest. This study aims to systematically characterize ongoing NIH-registered clinical trials investigating psychogenic substances for psychiatric disorders as of late 2024, including research protocols, institutional settings, and funding...
Recent findings support the provision of meditation-based interventions (MBIs) in primary care. However, the acceptability of MBI among patients prescribed medications for opioid use disorder (eg, buprenorphine) in primary care remains unclear. This study assessed experiences and preferences for adopting MBI among patients prescribed buprenorphine in office-based opioid treatment (OBOT). This...
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) (also known as "ecstasy" or "Molly") has regained attention in recent years for its efficacy in treating posttraumatic stress disorder, and the drug was granted breakthrough therapy designation for such use by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2017. However, little is known about the current epidemiology of recreational ecstasy/MDMA use. We...
After becoming notorious for its use as a party drug in the 1980s, 3,4-methylenedioxy-methampetamine (MDMA), also known by its street names "molly" and "ecstasy," has emerged as a powerful treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There are extensive data about the risk profile of MDMA. However, the literature is significantly biased. Animal models demonstrating neurotoxic or adverse...
Ketamine, an arylcyclohexylamine dissociative anesthetic agent, has evolved into a versatile therapeutic. It has a rapid-onset, well-understood cardiovascular effects and a favorable safety profile in clinical use. Its enantiomeric compound, esketamine, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2019 for both treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder with suicidal...
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic increasingly utilized in United States medical settings for the treatment of mental health conditions. Additionally, it is increasingly used in nonmedical settings for its dissociative properties. While nonmedical ketamine use and ketamine use disorder (KUD) have been observed internationally, KUD, and approaches to its treatment, have not been previously...
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a hallucinogenic agent. In the mid-20th century, it was used to augment psychoanalysis and to treat alcohol use disorder. However, LSD was banned in 1970 in part because of concerns that it could bring about or exacerbate mental illness. Its therapeutic potential remains incompletely understood. While uncontrolled recreational use of LSD can, in rare...
The primary psychoactive drug in magic mushrooms, psilocybin, induces profound alterations in consciousness through the 5-HT2A receptor. This review consolidates current research findings to elucidate the pharmacology, safety profile, and clinical applications of psilocybin. Despite initial concerns that psilocybin could cause psychosis, contemporary research has demonstrated that psilocybin is...
Ayahuasca is a South American plant hallucinogen rich in the psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine and β-carbolines (mainly harmine). Preclinical and observational studies suggest that ayahuasca exerts beneficial effects in substance use disorders, but these potentials were never assessed in a clinical trial. Single-center, single-blind, feasibility, proof-of-concept study, assessing the effects...