We aim to systematically review and meta-analyze the effectiveness and safety of psychedelics [psilocybin, ayahuasca (active component DMT), LSD and MDMA] in treating symptoms of various mental disorders. Web of Science, Embase, EBSCO, and PubMed were searched up to February 2024 and 126 articles were finally included. Results showed that psilocybin has the largest number of articles on...
The impact of psychedelic treatment on patients suffering from psychiatric diseases like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic psychiatric disorder (PTSD), and existential distress related to cancer has become very intriguing to psychiatrists in the modern era. Serotonergic psychedelics include Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, mescaline, ayahuasca, and methylene-deoxy methamphetamine...
Although psychedelic and hallucinogenic substances have gained popularity for therapeutic use, their dermatologic adverse effects are poorly characterized. This review characterizes the cutaneous reactions associated with psychedelic and hallucinogenic drugs. A review of PubMed and Scopus was conducted from the inception of databases to August 31, 2023. Search terms included drug names and...
The serotonergic transmitter system plays fundamental roles in the nervous system in neurotransmission, synaptic plasticity, pathological processes, and therapeutic effects of antidepressants and psychedelics, as well as in the gastrointestinal and circulatory systems. We introduce a novel small molecule fluorescent agent, termed SERTlight, that specifically labels serotonergic neuronal cell...
Introduction Growing clinical interest in psychedelic-assisted therapies has led to a second wave of research involving psilocybin, LSD, MDMA and other substances. Data suggests that these compounds have the potential to treat mental health conditions that are especially prevalent in older adults such as depression, anxiety, existential distress and post-traumatic stress disorder. Objectives...
Traumatic events play a causal role in the etiology of stress-related psychopathologies such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recent research highlighted the therapeutic potential of psychoactive substances in alleviating trauma symptoms among chronic stress-related patients. This study is the first to investigate the impact of psychoactive substances consumed during...
Psychedelics are mainly from the class of psychoactive substances whose action is to produce changes in the perception, mood, cognitive behavior, and processes of a person. This psychedelic drug creates an alteration in a person’s thinking, sense of time, and emotions. Hallucinations can be a main cause for people who take psychedelics. Mainly, these psychedelic drugs have been used since...
This Perspectives piece gives a brief overview on the last 70 years of psychedelic research in relation to the treatment of mental illness with a particular focus on addictions. We briefly precis the work in the 19650s/60s that started following the discovery of LSD. Then we overview research developments over the past twenty years driven by emerging neuroscience on these agents, the rise of...
Abstract Prodrugs are an important strategy for the development and design of therapeutic drugs. They involve the addition of an easily removable group (such as an ester) to a molecule in order to chemically protect it from metabolism, hydrolysis, or interaction with tissues. In the therapeutic drug market, prodrugs may reduce adverse effects, lead to more accurate tissue delivery, increase...
The use of psychoactive substances for ritual, spiritual and medicinal purposes stretches back into prehistory and has been a common feature of many diverse cultures and societies globally. Psychedelics, with their unique ability to amplify feelings of connectedness and openness, may have also served as tools for promoting tribal cohesion and trust in ancient cultures. Psychedelic is a broad...