Journal of Psychopharmacology
November 30, 2016
Annie Umbricht, Mary P Cosimano, Roland R. Griffiths et al.
2,174 citations
Cancer patients often develop chronic, clinically significant symptoms of depression and anxiety. Previous studies suggest that psilocybin may decrease depression and anxiety in cancer patients. The effects of psilocybin were studied in 51 cancer patients with life-threatening diagnoses and symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. This randomized, double-blind, cross-over trial investigated the...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
November 18, 2016
Frederick S. Barrett, Matthew P. Bradstreet, Jeannie‐marie Leoutsakos et al.
364 citations
Acute adverse psychological reactions to classic hallucinogens (“bad trips” or “challenging experiences”), while usually benign with proper screening, preparation, and support in controlled settings, remain a safety concern in uncontrolled settings (such as illicit use contexts). Anecdotal and case reports suggest potential adverse acute symptoms including affective (panic, depressed mood),...
Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics
November 4, 2016
De Nichols, Mw Johnson, Cd Nichols
366 citations
Scientific interest in serotonergic psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin and LSD; 5‐HT 2A receptor agonists) has dramatically increased within the last decade. Clinical studies administering psychedelics with psychotherapy have shown preliminary evidence of robust efficacy in treating anxiety and depression, as well as addiction to tobacco and alcohol. Moreover, recent research has suggested that...
Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology
October 27, 2016
Ananya Mahapatra, Rishi Gupta
37 citations
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring alkaloid, pharmacologically similar to the classic hallucinogen lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Although primarily used as a recreational drug or an entheogen in particular cultural settings, recent population based studies have shown that it does not lead to serious physical or mental health problems or dependent use. In view of recent work demonstrating...
The Lancet Psychiatry
May 17, 2016
Philip J. Cowen
13 citations
“Alice remained looking thoughtfully at the mushroom for a minute, trying to make out which were the two sides of it; and as it was perfectly round, she found this a very difficult question”. To resolve the issue, Alice ate the mushroom; in more recent times, however, experimentation with psilocybin-containing magic mushrooms has been strongly discouraged. In the UK, in 2005, magic mushrooms...
Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology
March 18, 2016
Rafael G. Dos Santos, Flávia de Lima Osório, José Alexandre S. Crippa et al.
306 citations
To date, pharmacological treatments for mood and anxiety disorders and for drug dependence show limited efficacy, leaving a large number of patients suffering severe and persistent symptoms. Preliminary studies in animals and humans suggest that ayahuasca, psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) may have antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive properties. Thus, we conducted a...
Brain Research Bulletin
March 11, 2016
Elisabet Domínguez‐clavé, Joaquim Soler, Matilde Elices et al.
220 citations
Ayahuasca is the Quechua name for a tea obtained from the vine Banisteriopsis caapi, and used for ritual purposes by the indigenous populations of the Amazon. The use of a variation of the tea that combines B. caapi with the leaves of the shrub Psychotria viridis has experienced unprecedented expansion worldwide for its psychotropic properties. This preparation contains the psychedelic 5-HT2A...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
March 1, 2015
Pål-ørjan Johansen, Teri Suzanne Krebs
300 citations
A recent large population study of 130,000 adults in the United States failed to find evidence for a link between psychedelic use (lysergic acid diethylamide, psilocybin or mescaline) and mental health problems. Using a new data set consisting of 135,095 randomly selected United States adults, including 19,299 psychedelic users, we examine the associations between psychedelic use and mental...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
October 20, 2014
James A. Wilcox
55 citations
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder with considerable morbidity and mortality. This condition disables many individuals and is often refractory to treatment. Research suggests that serotonin plays a role in OCD symptom reduction. We present a case of an individual who successfully used psilocybin, a serotonergic agent, to reduce the core symptoms of OCD for several...
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...