Ayahuasca is a traditional Amazonian brew composed primarily of Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis, drawing increasing interest for its psychedelic effects and potential therapeutic applications. Its pharmacological action is based on the synergistic combination of β-carbolines (harmine, tetrahydroharmine, and harmaline), which act as reversible inhibitors of monoamine oxidase A...
Ketamine and its enantiomers, esketamine and arketamine, have emerged as promising treatments for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). This cross-sectional study evaluates the regulatory alignment of 40 clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, focusing on the methodological challenges. The study highlights methodological inconsistencies, particularly around the challenges of functional...
Purpose and scope: New psychoactive substances (NPS) are a broad class of compounds that are typically designed to mimic illicit substances and circumvent legislative controls. It is often difficult to predict their toxicity and other health effects due to a lack of research and data. In this study, NPS are defined as substances that are not controlled under the Controlled Drugs and Substances...
This viewpoint reconceptualizes mysticism and fundamentalism as brain network disorders, with psychedelics like psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, and N,N-dimethyltryptamine offering potential to modulate these states. By disrupting rigid neural patterns, psychedelics may foster cognitive flexibility, challenge inflexible belief systems, and offer therapeutic value for extremism and mental...
Blackburne et al. track the electroencephalogram activity of volunteers inhaling a high dose of the powerful psychedelic 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, revealing profoundly slowed-down brain activity but no significant reduction of alpha band power that is typical of other psychedelics.1.
Pain is a protective mechanism that can be classified into acute and chronic types. Ayahuasca is a psychoactive brew rich in dimethyltryptamine or DMT (a 5-HT2A receptor agonist), and harmine (a monoamine-oxidase (MAO) inhibitor) used for religious and therapeutic purposes. Previous preclinical and anecdotal evidence suggests that ayahuasca and its compounds have antinociceptive and...
Background: Although classic psychedelic trials show therapeutic potential, the limited diversity of participants raises concerns about generalizability and safety. Aims: This study assesses the representation of race, ethnicity, and sex in interventional clinical trials of psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) to evaluate disparities in participant diversity. Methods: We conducted a...
Background: Classic serotonergic psychedelics are 5-HT2A partial agonists that induce non-ordinary states of consciousness. Many have demonstrated anti-addictive properties; however, their impact on smoking behaviors remains under-researched. This review provides a synthesis of the therapeutic potential of these compounds in promoting smoking cessation and reduction. Methods: A systematic...
Background Recent years have seen renewed clinical interest in the therapeutic potential of classical psychedelics, such as psilocybin, LSD, DMT, and mescaline. While modern studies have focused on adult populations, adolescents under 18 are routinely excluded due to regulatory, legal, and ethical challenges. Although there exists observational data and historical studies from 1959 to 1974...
Both psychedelic substances and meditation have been proposed to facilitate personally meaningful and transformative experiences, with insights playing a central role. However, previous research has mainly relied on questionnaires, limiting the range of insights that can be identified. In this study, we recruited participants who provided narrative reports of insights in personally meaningful...