Ayahuasca is a psychoactive Amazonian plant brew. It is usually made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine, which contains three primary harmala alkaloids, along with the leaves of Psychotria viridis in which the potent psychedelic dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is found. DMT-harmaloid concoctions have gained popularity in recent years, due to growing anecdotal and scientific reports of therapeutic...
ContextPeople affected by serious illness usually experience suffering in its various dimensions, not only in the physical but also in the psychosocial and spiritual aspects. The interest in psychedelic-assisted therapies as a potential new therapeutic modality has increased since evidence suggests a significant impact of their use on the outcomes of patients with serious illness.ObjectivesTo...
Background: The impact of psychedelic treatment on patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has become more intriguing to the psychiatric field. Because of the stigma surrounding illicit drug use, the scientific communities were unable to conduct thorough studies regarding the effects of psychedelics on the brain. These drugs could help many people with mental illnesses that have not...
Recent clinical and preclinical evidence points towards empathogenic and prosocial effects elicited by psychedelic compounds, notably the serotonin 5-HT 2A agonists lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and their derivatives. These findings suggest a therapeutic potential of psychedelic compounds for some of the behavioural traits associated with autism...
Drugs that target the human serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT 2A R) are used to treat neuropsychiatric diseases; however, many have hallucinogenic effects, hampering their use. Here, we present structures of 5-HT 2A R complexed with the psychedelic drugs psilocin (the active metabolite of psilocybin) and d -lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), as well as the endogenous neurotransmitter serotonin and the...
Abstract Background Currently, personal or familial histories of psychotic symptoms are exclusionary criteria for most psychedelic clinical trials, studies, and treatment programs. This study sought to determine why such an exclusion exists, what the implications of the exclusion criteria are, and if there was agreement in expert opinion. Methods In-depth interviews with 12 experts in the...
Dear Editor, We are in the midst of a so-called “psychedelic renaissance,” a time of renewed interest in the therapeutic potential of psychoactive drugs such as psilocybin, mescaline, and lysergic acid diethylamide. When they first emerged as topics of academic interest in the mid-20th century, these substances were greeted with exuberance for their apparent panacea-like effects in treating a...
Abstract Introduction There is an imminent need for faster-acting and more effective antidepressants beyond the monoaminergic hypothesis. Methods We systematically searched the US Clinical Trials registry for antidepressant compounds with completed phase II and III trials. Compounds that demonstrated significant superiority over placebo in the primary outcome measure in the latest phase of...
Abstract Rationale and objectives Differences among psychedelic substances regarding their subjective experiences are clinically and scientifically interesting. Quantitative linguistic analysis is a powerful tool to examine such differences. This study compared five psychedelic substance report groups and a non-psychedelic report group on quantitative linguistic markers of psychological states...
Legislation to establish a foundation for clinical studies of psilocybin or mushrooms had been introduced in Pennsylvania last fall. The bill would fund clinical trials to address post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans and first responders.