Psilocybin has been suggested as a promising transdiagnostic treatment strategy for a wide range of psychiatric disorders. Recent findings showed that psychedelic-assisted/”psycholitic” psychotherapy should provide significant and sustained alleviation of depressive symptoms. However, to date, there have been several study limitations (e.g., small sample sizes, blinding, limited follow-up,...
Knowledge of breeding systems and genetic diversity is critical to select and combine desired traits that advance new cultivars in agriculture and horticulture. Mushrooms that produce psilocybin, magic mushrooms, may potentially be used in therapeutic and wellness industries, and stand to benefit from genetic improvement. We studied haploid siblings of Psilocybe subaeruginosa to resolve the...
The therapeutic use of the substance psilocin produced by the fungi from the genus named Psilocybe has been an interesting but also controversial topic of discussion among researchers since the 1950s until now. These fungi can synthesize several alkaloids such as psilocybin, which has hallucinogenic properties, but also muscarine, which is a toxic substance that stimulates that part of the...
Psychedelics are used for various pathologies of the central nervous system and are currently the subject of much research, some of which relates to the compounds contained in various Psilocybe-type hallucinogenic mushrooms. It is difficult, however, to obtain and purify sufficient quantities of these compounds from fungi to carry out biological studies, hence the need to develop simple and...
Adults with treatment‐resistant depression who received a single 25‐mg dose of psilocybin saw significant improvement in depressive symptoms relative to a control dose at 3 weeks, a Phase 2b trial has found. A smaller 10‐mg dose of psilocybin did not result in significant improvement over the control dose of 1 mg, and adverse events were common in both of the higher‐dose groups. Study results...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical & ResearchFull AccessDepression Improves Following Single Dose of PsilocybinNick ZagorskiNick ZagorskiPublished Online:26 Dec 2022https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.01.1.50AbstractPatients with treatment-resistant depression who receive a single dose of psilocybin may experience a reduction in depression symptoms.iStock/Rich...
Expansion of psychoactive hallucinogens in mental health continues to be a major trend. Several psychoactive molecules including psilocybin and MDMA continue to move through the FDA approval process with clinical trials.1 In the meantime, off-label ketamine medically supervised programs and indigenous plant ceremonies continue to expand.2,3 This study explores the potential benefits of High...
After decades of prohibition, psychedelics are generating intense public and private interest. Scientists are researching the therapeutic properties of these substances, and mounting evidence supports their ability to treat a variety of mental health conditions. Meanwhile, dozens of cities and states are proposing or enacting psychedelics legislation to promote research, increase therapeutic...
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death amongst adolescents and decades of research have failed to curb suicide rates within this population. There is thus a need to better understand factors that correlate with adolescent suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). MDMA/ecstasy and classic psychedelics represent two areas for exploration, as use of these substances has been associated with...
Alberta will soon become the first province to regulate psychedelic-assisted therapy. But, as with cannabis, momentum for medical access to psychedelics is outpacing research to guide their use. Earlier this year, Health Canada amended its Special Access Program to allow physicians to request
Fruiting bodies, mycelia, or spores in the form of extracts or powder of various medicinal mushrooms are used to prevent, treat, or cure a range of ailments and balance a healthy diet. Medicinal mushrooms are found in several genera of fungi and their fruit bodies, cultured mycelia, and cultured broth contains phytochemical constituents such as triterpenes, lectins, steroids, phenols,...
Abstract Psychoactive mushrooms in the genus Psilocybe have immense cultural value and have been used for centuries in Mesoamerica. Despite a recent surge in interest in these mushrooms due to emerging evidence that psilocybin, the main psychoactive compound, is a promising therapeutic for a variety of mental illnesses, their phylogeny and taxonomy remain substantially incomplete. Moreover, the...
Research on classical psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD and DMT) and entactogen, MDMA, has produced a renaissance in the search for more effective drugs to treat psychiatric, neurological and various peripheral disorders. Psychedelics and entactogens act though interaction with 5-HT2A and other serotonergic receptors and/or monoamine reuptake transporters. 5-HT, which serves as a neurotransmitter...
Background: Psilocybin, the primary psychoactive component of psychedelic ‘magic mushrooms’, may have potential for treating depressive symptoms, and consequent applications for bipolar disorder (BD). Knowledge of the risks and benefits of psilocybin in BD is limited to case studies. Aim: To support the design of clinical trials, we surveyed experiences of psilocybin use in people with BD....
Objectives People with bipolar disorder (BD) spend more time depressed than manic/hypomanic, and depression is associated with greater impairments in psychosocial functioning and quality of life than mania/hypomania. Emerging evidence suggests psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in “magic mushrooms,” is a promising treatment for unipolar depression. Clinical trials of psilocybin therapy have...
Psilocybin is being investigated as a potential treatment for psychiatric and neurological disorders. Only a few studies have evaluated the pharmacokinetics (PKs) of psilocybin and have used body weight‐adjusted dosing. Data on PKs and the PK‐pharmacodynamic (PD) relationship of fixed doses that are commonly used are unavailable. The present study characterized the PKs and PK‐PD relationship of...
After a decades-long pause, psychedelics are again being intensely investigated for treating a wide range of neuropsychiatric ailments including depression, anxiety, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, anorexia, and chronic pain syndromes. The classic serotonergic psychedelics psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide and nonclassic psychedelics 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and...
Abstract Background and Aims The hallucinogenic drug psilocybin is being widely tested in humans for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Psilocybin and other psychedelics are proposed to work through serotonin 2a (5-HT2a) receptors, which are tightly linked to immune function. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of a single dose of psilocybin on a panel of cytokines,...
Importance Psychedelic drugs are becoming accessible in the US through a patchwork of state legislative reforms. This shift necessitates consensus on treatment models, education and guidance for health care professionals, and planning for implementation and regulation. Objective To assess trends in psychedelics legislative reform and legalization in the US to provide guidance to health care...
After a long hiatus, psychiatry is undergoing a resurgence of interest in psychedelic drugs as therapy for a wide range of mental health disorders Accumulating clinical evidence suggests substantial potential for psychedelics used in a therapeutic context, as treatment for, among other disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and addictions to tobacco, opioids and alcohol....