Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology
August 1, 2014
David Baumeister, Georgina Barnes, Giovanni Giaroli et al.
Hallucinogens have been part of spiritual practice for millennia, but controversy surrounding their mind-manifesting effects led to their proscription by the mid-20th century, largely without evidence of harm or toxicity and despite nascent data suggesting therapeutic utility in treating depressive illnesses. This review explores their pharmacodynamic actions and the current limited data on...
Behavioural Brain Research
July 15, 2014
Adam L. Halberstadt
Serotonergic hallucinogens, such as (+)-lysergic acid diethylamide, psilocybin, and mescaline, are somewhat enigmatic substances. Although these drugs are derived from multiple chemical families, they all produce remarkably similar effects in animals and humans, and they show cross-tolerance. This article reviews the evidence demonstrating the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor is the primary site of...
Molecular & Cellular Proteomics
March 18, 2014
Samah Karaki, Carine Bécamel, Samy Murat et al.
73 citations
The serotonin 5-HT(2A) receptor is a primary target of psychedelic hallucinogens such as lysergic acid diethylamine, mescaline, and psilocybin, which reproduce some of the core symptoms of schizophrenia. An incompletely resolved paradox is that only some 5-HT(2A) receptor agonists exhibit hallucinogenic activity, whereas structurally related agonists with comparable affinity and activity lack...
Neuropharmacology
February 1, 2014
Adam L. Halberstadt, Mark A. Geyer
113 citations
N-benzyl substitution markedly enhances the affinity of phenethylamine hallucinogens at the 5-HT(2A) receptor. N-benzyl substituted derivatives of 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenethylamine (2C-I), such as N-(2-methoxybenzyl)-2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenethylamine (25I-NBOMe) and N-(2,3-methylenedioxybenzyl)-2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenethylamine (25I-NBMD), have appeared recently as designer drugs, but have...
Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
January 3, 2014
Patrick Dawson, Jolanta Opacka-Juffry, James D Moffatt et al.
5-APB, commonly marketed as 'benzofury' is a new psychoactive substance and erstwhile 'legal high' which has been implicated in 10 recent drug-related deaths in the UK. This drug was available on the internet and in 'head shops' and was one of the most commonly sold legal highs up until its recent UK temporary ban (UK Home Office). Despite its prominence, very little is known about its...
Journal of dual diagnosis
2014
Shaul Lev-Ran, Daniel Feingold, Alma Frenkel et al.
An unusual side effect of hallucinogen use is the appearance of hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD). Despite high rates of prior hallucinogen use among individuals with schizophrenia, there are insufficient data on the clinical characteristics of individuals with co-occurring schizophrenia and HPPD. Twenty-six hospitalized patients with schizophrenia and prior LSD use (12 with...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
November 27, 2013
Adam Winstock, Stephen J. Kaar, Rohan Borschmann
101 citations
This paper presents original research on prevalence, user characteristics and effect profile of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a potent hallucinogenic which acts primarily through the serotonergic system. Data were obtained from the Global Drug Survey (an anonymous online survey of people, many of whom have used drugs) conducted between November and December 2012 with 22,289 responses. Lifetime...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
August 13, 2013
Adam L. Halberstadt, Mark A. Geyer
66 citations
Abstract One of the oldest models of schizophrenia is based on the effects of serotonergic hallucinogens such as mescaline, psilocybin, and (+)-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), which act through the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. These compounds produce a ‘model psychosis’ in normal individuals that resembles at least some of the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. Based on these similarities, and...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
June 10, 2013
José L. Moreno, Javier González-Maeso
30 citations
Abstract One of the main obstacles faced by translational neuroscience is the development of animal models of psychiatric disorders. Behavioural pharmacology studies indicate that psychedelic drugs, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and dissociative drugs, such as phencyclidine (PCP), induce in healthy human volunteers psychotic and cognitive symptoms that resemble some of those observed...
Current Drug Abuse Reviews
June 1, 2013
Michael P. Bogenschutz
47 citations
Recent developments in the study of classic hallucinogens, combined with a re-appraisal of the older literature, have led to a renewal of interest in possible therapeutic applications for these drugs, notably their application in the treatment of addictions. This article will first provide a brief review of the research literature providing direct and indirect support for the possible...