Biological Psychiatry
July 15, 2022
Randall J Ellis, Anissa Bara, Claudia A Vargas et al.
Cannabis remains one of the most widely abused drugs during pregnancy. In utero exposure to its principal psychoactive component, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), can result in long-term neuropsychiatric risk for the progeny. This study investigated epigenetic signatures underlying these enduring consequences. Rat dams were exposed daily to THC (0.15 mg/kg) during pregnancy, and adult male...
Frontiers in Pharmacology
July 7, 2022
Songbai Xu, Xiaoxiao Yao, Bingjin Li et al.
50 citations
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a devastating psychiatric disorder which exacts enormous personal and social-economic burdens. Ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist, has been discovered to exert rapid and sustained antidepressant-like actions on MDD patients and animal models. However, the dissociation and psychotomimetic propensities of ketamine have limited its use...
Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
July 1, 2022
Christina Driver, Timothy N. W. Jackson, Jim Lagopoulos et al.
The so-called "psychedelic renaissance" has stimulated expanded interest in several classes of drugs that appear to possess transdiagnostic effects in the treatment of mental health disorders, specifically. N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonists are one such class with diverse therapeutic potential. NMDARs mediate excitatory postsynaptic signalling in the central nervous system (CNS)...
Neuropsychopharmacology
June 21, 2022
Gitte M. Knudsen
56 citations
The serotonergic classical psychedelics include compounds that primarily activate the brain's serotonin 2 A receptor (5-HT2AR), such as LSD, psilocybin, and DMT (ayahuasca). The acute effects of these compounds are well-known as are their ability to increase the emotional state both in healthy people and in those with neuropsychiatric disorders. In particular psilocybin, the psychoactive...
Journal of Neurochemistry
June 9, 2022
Vern Lewis, Brandon Rodrigue, Emma J. Arsenault et al.
Ketamine has shown antidepressant effects in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) resistant to first‐line treatments and approved for use in this patient population. Ketamine induces several forms of synaptic plasticity, which are proposed to underlie its antidepressant effects. However, the molecular mechanism of action directly responsible for ketamine's antidepressant effects...
JMIR Formative Research
June 9, 2022
Sarah Lynn, Julia C. Basso
Background Mindfulness and meditation have a rich historical tradition, and a growing scientific base of evidence supports their use in creating positive psychological and neuroplastic changes for practitioners. Although meditation can be taught in various ways, the scientific community has yet to systematically study the impact of different types of meditation on neuropsychological outcomes,...
Experimental Neurology
June 1, 2022
Isis M. Ornelas, F. A. Cini, Isabel Wießner et al.
37 citations
The therapeutic use of classical psychedelic substances such as d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) surged in recent years. Studies in rodents suggest that these effects are produced by increased neural plasticity, including stimulation of the mTOR pathway, a key regulator of metabolism, plasticity, and aging. Could psychedelic-induced neural plasticity be harnessed to enhance cognition? Here we...
L'Encephale
June 1, 2022
Hugo Bottemanne, A Baldacci, C Muller et al.
7 citations
Ketamine, a non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, is used as a fast-acting antidepressant therapy in depressive disorders. This treatment provokes dissociative effects associating derealization and depersonalization, and a synaptogenic signaling cascade promoting brain plasticity. Despite several preliminary studies suggesting the usefulness of its combination with psychotherapy,...
European Psychiatry
June 1, 2022
S. Pratas Penedos, M.j. Freire, I. Fonseca et al.
IntroductionPTSD is a chronic, debilitating condition with limited treatment efficacy. Accessing traumatic memories often leads to overwhelming distress, impacting treatment process. Current approved pharmacological treatments have exhibited small to moderate effects when compared with placebo. Evidence suggests 3,4,-methylene-dioxymethamphetamine(MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy as a viable option...
European Psychiatry
June 1, 2022
L. Silva, L. Bravo
Introduction Ayahuasca is an hallucinogenic tea prepared from the Amazonian vine Banisteriopsis caapi and the leaves of the plant Psychotria Viridis. Banisteriopsis caapi contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO) that render the N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) of Psychotria Viridis active. This brew is being used as a sacrament in syncretic religions in urban areas of Brazil and worldwide with...