Goodwin et al.1 report a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin has an antidepressant effect short-term in medication-resistant depression. Unanswered questions include drug blood level as a guide to dose, psychedelic effects relationship to antidepressant benefit, and potential suicide risk of psilocybin.
This paper describes three case studies from an outpatient intercultural therapeutic program founded and run by Yaqui health professionals and traditional healers to serve members of the Yaqui tribe residing in Sonora, Mexico. This pilot therapeutic program has been designed specifically for Indigenous individuals, incorporating the ceremonial use of naturally derived psychedelics in addressing...
Due to their potential impact on mood and wellbeing there has been increasing interest in the potential of serotonergic psychedelics such as N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The aim of Part A of this study was to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) profile of escalating doses of SPL026 (DMT fumarate)...
The antidepressant-like activity of (+)-catharanthine and (-)-18-methoxycoronaridine [(-)-18-MC] was studied in male and female mice using forced swim (FST) and tail suspension tests (TST). The underlying molecular mechanism was assessed by electrophysiological, radioligand, and functional experiments. The FST results showed that acute administration (40 mg/kg) of (+)-catharanthine or (-)-18-MC...
Nightmares occur across a wide range of psychiatric disorders, but outside of PTSD presentations are infrequently considered a treatment priority. We aimed to assess evidence for a contributory causal role of nightmares to the occurrence of psychiatric disorders, and vice versa. A systematic review was conducted of longitudinal, experimental, and clinical trial studies. Twenty-four...
Introduction The understanding of biological responses to psychedelics with antidepressant potential is imperative. Here we report how a set of acute parameters, namely emotional (depressive symptoms), cognitive (psychedelic experience), and physiological (salivary cortisol), recorded during an ayahuasca dosing session, modulated serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), serum cortisol...
Burnout is a prolonged psychological response to a longstanding interpersonal stressor at work. It can progress to other mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression. In today's society, burnout has become widespread, and it is currently a serious challenge in health systems. This study intended to investigate the impact of mindfulness training on burnout and depression, anxiety, and stress...
Pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging (phMRI) is a noninvasive method used to evaluate neural circuitry involved in the behavioral effects of drugs like ketamine, independent of their specific biochemical mechanism. The study was designed to evaluate the immediate effect of esketamine, the S-isomer of (±) ketamine on brain activity in awake mice using blood oxygenation level dependent...
Prior research highlights the importance of spirituality/religion (S/R) as it relates to several aspects of mental health and clinical interventions. This research has been expanded to include the concurrent examination of neurobiological correlates of S/R to elucidate potential biological mechanisms. However, the majority of neurobiological research on S/R has neglected mental health, and the...
Major depressive disorder is a highly prevalent psychiatric disorder. Despite an extensive range of treatment options, about a third of patients still struggle to respond to available therapies. In the last 20 years, ketamine has gained considerable attention in the psychiatric field as a promising treatment of depression, particularly in patients who are treatment resistant or at high risk for...