Alcohol use disorder (AUD) has devastating effects, and its prevalence in the US is growing. It is therefore important to examine multiple avenues for successful cessation and continued abstinence. Disulfiram, oral naltrexone, naltrexone IM, and acamprosate are currently the only four medications approved for the treatment of AUD by the FDA. This review aims to examine the efficacy of the...
Several species of fungi, collectively known as 'psychedelic fungi', produce a range of psychoactive substances, such as psilocybin, ibotenic acid, muscimol and lysergic acid amides. These substances interact with neurotransmitter receptors in the human brain to induce profound psychological effects. These substances are found across multiple fungal phyla, in the mushroom-forming genera...
New methods that capture the public's perception of controversial topics may be valuable. This study investigates public sentiments toward psychedelics and other substances through analyzes of Reddit discussions, using Google's cloud-based Natural Language Processing (NLP) infrastructure. Our findings indicate that illicit substances such as heroin and methamphetamine are associated with highly...
Psychedelics have emerged as a promising treatment for mental health disease, and the therapeutic potential of psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is presently being pursued in numerous clinical trials. This has prompted a search for novel agents with more specific pharmacological activities than the rather promiscuous classical psychedelics. Here we present the detailed...
Current evidence remains insufficient to support the use of psychedelics for substance use disorders in routine clinical practice. Psilocybin has the most supportive data for alcohol use disorder, though it is of moderate quality. The evidence quality is generally low, with significant risk of bias due to poor blinding. Only half of identified studies were RCTs, with 44% conducted over 50 years...
Objectives: This study was conducted to bring psychedelic and biofield science into interdisciplinary dialogue and encourage scientific investigations of psychedelic therapy as a form of energy medicine. In thinking these two sites together, important resonances between both forms of therapy were highlighted which can help elucidate clearer therapeutic mechanisms across both therapies....
Psychedelics may be promising treatments for substance use disorders (SUD). This study aims to understand how individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD), opioid use disorder (OUD), and psychiatric disorders perceive and experience psychedelics for both nonmedical and medical use. Data for this cross-sectional survey study were collected from June 2023 to February 2024 at a large, tertiary...
Psychedelic drugs, known for their potent psychoactive effects, have gained attention for their potential therapeutic benefits in treating mental disorders. However, distressing experiences induced by psychedelics can lead to adverse long-term effects. To better assess these experiences, we aimed to provide a Norwegian translation and psychometric validation of the Challenging Experience...
Cluster headache and migraine have a circadian timing of attacks and are linked to the trigeminovascular system. Recently the trigeminal ganglion was found to have a strong circadian rhythm, with the serotonin 2A receptor identified as a clock-controlled gene. Ergotamine is an acute treatment for cluster headache and migraine, acts on the trigeminal ganglion, and is a serotonin 2A receptor...
Psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocin were once relegated to the fringes of medical research because of their association with counterculture movements and a perceived concern about harm through recreational use, and their consequent legal prohibition in the early 1970s. However, these drugs are now experiencing a renaissance in the field of psychiatry based on increasing evidence that...