Neuroinflammation is a critical factor in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and major depressive disorder. Psychedelics, such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and dimethyltryptamine (DMT), have demonstrated promising therapeutic effects on neuroinflammation, primarily through interactions...
The ever-changing landscape surrounding legality and accessibility of psychedelics and their increasing popularity make it imperative to better understand the nature of psychedelic use by the general population. To this end, 1,486 eligible respondents (Mage = 29.58, 67.1% male) residing in the United States completed an online survey designed to assess the types of psychedelics used, methods of...
January 23, 2025Noureddine Chaachouay, Allal Douira, Lahcen Zidane
Anadenanthera peregrina (L.) Speg., sometimes called Cohoba or Yopo, is a plant species that falls under the scientific classification of the Fabaceae family under the Fabales order in the plant kingdom. It belongs to the Anadenanthera genus. This woody plant may grow to a height of 27 meters, forming various shapes, from small shrubs to massive trees. Anadenanthera peregrina (L.) Speg....
Psychedelic drugs are increasingly visible in society once more, but their risks and adverse effects have received less attention than perhaps they should. While fatalities associated with psychedelics appear rare, a systematic approach to characterising their aetiology is required to inform harm minimisation efforts. This study aimed to analyse prevalence and characteristics of...
Recent advancements in the study of mushroom-derived tryptamines, particularly psilocybin and its metabolite psilocin, highlight their unique psychedelic properties and potential therapeutic applications, especially for mental health conditions like depression. This study examines how the position of the hydroxyl group on the indole ring affects the 5-HT2A receptor activity and psychedelic-like...
Open Access Journal of Science2025Alexandre Azenha Alves de Rezende, Luis Felipe Dos Santos Silva, Luciana Karen Calábria
Ayahuasca is a psychoactive drink used mainly by indigenous peoples. Its preparation involves the decoction of the Banisteriopsis caapi (Spruce ex Griseb.) C.V. Morton vine with Psychotria viridis Ruiz & Pav. leaves. The psychoactive effect is derived from the combination of the dimethyltryptamine from the shrub with the alkaloids from the vine. Given the promising therapeutic potential and the...
Background: The Altered States of Consciousness Scale (3/5D-ASC or 11-ASC) is widely used to assess non-ordinary states of consciousness, particularly for psychedelic research. However, its original dimensional model (3D-ASC within 5D-ASC) and later 11-subscale structure (11-ASC) have a hierarchically incompatible higher/lower-order structure. Although the 11-ASC offers superior model fit, the...
Psychedelics are psychoactive substances that cause changes in perception, state of consciousness, mood and numerous cognitive processes. The best known are lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), psilocybin and mescaline. The main mechanism of action of psychedelics is agonism towards serotonin 5-HT2A receptors. In the middle of the 20th century, interest in the use of...
Psychedelic experiences, especially those induced by substances such as N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), are often characterized by high subjective intensity, complex visual content, and notable ineffability-that is, the difficulty of being fully expressed in words. This expressive limitation poses a significant challenge to the integration of the experience, which is essential for the therapeutic...
Classic psychedelics such as LSD, psilocybin, and DMT from unregulated markets pose considerable risks through unknown adulterants and potencies. In this chapter, we explore the importance of drug checking in minimizing harm among users of classic psychedelics and examine the opportunities and challenges associated with intervention settings, analytical techniques, and risk communication...