Psychiatric News
March 20, 2020
Katie O’connor
Though the field is young, psychedelics appear to hold promise as a treatment for addiction, even as barriers to research persist. Researchers around the world are investigating how drugs such as LSD, MDMA (also known as ecstasy), ketamine, and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) can treat patients with substance use disorders (SUD). Though there is still a lot to learn, early...
March 1, 2020
Adam Winstock, James W. Rucker
29 citations
Abstract Psychedelics and hallucinogens represent some of the most commonly used drugs in the world, with a history of use steeped in spirituality, counter-culture, and more recently latent therapeutic potential. Sharing a common mechanism of action at the 5-HT2a receptor, drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin, while they can rarely induce significant short-term...
PLoS One
February 21, 2020
Bheatrix Bienemann, Nina Stamato Ruschel, Maria Luiza Pesse Campos et al.
81 citations
Psilocybin, a substance mainly found in mushrooms of the genus psilocybe, has been historically used for ritualistic, recreational and, more recently, medicinal purposes. The scientific literature suggests low toxicity, low risk of addiction, overdose, or other causes of injury commonly caused by substances of abuse, with growing interest in the use of this substance for conditions such as...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
January 22, 2020
Earth Erowid, Fire Erowid, Albert Garcia‐romeu et al.
155 citations
While these cross-sectional and self-report methods cannot determine whether psychedelics caused changes in drug use, results suggest the potential that psychedelics cause reductions in problematic substance use, and support additional clinical research on psychedelic-assisted treatment for SUD.
Romanian Journal of Pediatrics
December 31, 2019
Viorela Nitescu
4 citations
According to the definition established by the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) a “new psychoactive substance is considered any narcotic or psychotropic substance in pure form or in preparations, which is not controlled by the Conventions regarding drugs of the United Nations and which represent a threat to human health comparable to that realized by the...
Pharmacology & Therapeutics
May 1, 2019
Matthew W Johnson, Peter S. Hendricks, Frederick S. Barrett et al.
520 citations
The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrative review and offer novel insights regarding human research with classic psychedelics (classic hallucinogens), which are serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) agonists such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), mescaline, and psilocybin. Classic psychedelics have been administered as sacraments since ancient times. They were of prominent interest...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
March 15, 2019
Lisa Jerome, Brad Burge, Richard Doblin et al.
87 citations
Psychedelic plants and fungi have been used in indigenous medicinal traditions for millennia. Modern psychedelic research began when Albert Hofmann first synthesized lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25) in 1938. Five years later, became the first person to ingest LSD. Hofmann was unaware of the significance of his actions, and the effects they would set in motion. After a burgeoning period of...
2019
17 citations
Researchers, program administrators, and practicing clinicians explain the most recent developments in using psychedelic substances to treat psychological, physiological, and social problems. More than a decade ago, the U.S. government lifted its ban on all testing of psychedelic substances. Winkelman and Sessa now provide updated scientific research and applications of these substances, now...
Cephalalgia
October 5, 2018
Ilse F. de Coo, Willemijn C. Naber, Leopoldine A. Wilbrink et al.
47 citations
Introduction Many patients with cluster headache report use of illicit drugs. We systematically assessed the use of illicit drugs and their effects in a well-defined Dutch cluster headache population. Methods In this cross-sectional explorative study, 756 people with cluster headache received a questionnaire on lifetime use and perceived effects of illicit drugs. Results were compared with age...
International Review of Psychiatry
July 4, 2018
Thomas W. Flanagan, Charles D. Nichols
263 citations
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT)2A receptor agonists have recently emerged as promising new treatment options for a variety of disorders. The recent success of these agonists, also known as psychedelics, like psilocybin for the treatment of anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and addiction, has ushered in a renaissance in the way these compounds are perceived in the...