Psychedelic compounds, including psilocybin, psilocin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT), and mescaline, have long been recognized for their recreational effects and involvement in forensic cases. They have recently gained attention also for their potential therapeutic applications in treating neurological and psychiatric disorders [1]. Despite this...
This article describes the Swiss limited access program for psychedelic/3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted therapy. The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health can issue authorizations for the limited medical use of otherwise prohibited substances. To be eligible, patients suffer from a mostly incurable disease, the prohibited substance can alleviate the suffering, and there are no...
Abstract Based on promising preliminary results from clinical trials, it seems likely that psychedelic substances (classic serotonergic psychedelics, such as psilocybin, and entactogens, such as MDMA) will be introduced into psychiatry as psychedelic-assisted therapy. This also raises a range of ethical questions that urgently need to be addressed before widespread roll-out in society. This...
Approximately 6% of Polish adults, mostly young men living in urban areas, reported using classic psychedelics, particularly LSD and psilocybin mushrooms. Further research and educational efforts are needed to support the scientific exploration of PAT, and to help shift public perceptions of its therapeutic potential.
The use of psychoactive Psilocybe mushrooms as entheogens by the Mazatecs of Oaxaca became known to the world in 1957. While the Mazatec Region has been the focus of research, historical records indicate that other indigenous groups in Mexico, including the Zapotecs, also used these mushrooms for ceremonial and medicinal purposes. However, the linguistic, cultural and ecological diversity of...
There is a growing body of clinical research on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for the treatment of mental health disorders, notably depression. Accordingly, the new revision of the European Medicines Agency guideline on the clinical investigation of products for depression will incorporate a section covering specific regulatory recommendations for the design of studies with...
The increasing popularity of Amanita muscaria, driven by its hallucinogenic properties, has raised significant public health concerns, particularly as it remains largely unregulated across most European Union countries. The mushroom contains muscimol, a compound that induces euphoria, altered perception, and hallucinations, and its precursor, ibotenic acid, converts to muscimol when dried or...
This chapter reviews the effects of classic psychedelics on human oscillatory brain activity, as measured by resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). Across moderate to high doses of LSD, psilocybin, ayahuasca, and DMT, a consistent reduction in alpha power (8-13 Hz) emerges, particularly in occipital regions. Below 30 Hz, desynchronization is typical,...
To design therapeutic trials and select the most appropriate substance and dose for an indication, a detailed understanding of clinical pharmacology is crucial. In recent years, several studies have explored the human pharmacology of different psychedelics and 3,4-methylendioxymethylamphetamin (MDMA). This chapter summarizes pharmacological characteristics of the serotonergic psychedelics...
Although studies of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy are accumulating, there is no consensus regarding best practice of the psychotherapeutic component. In this systematic review, we summarised the quality of reporting on psychological interventions in research about psychedelic treatments. The design followed PRISMA guidelines and was preregistered in PROSPERO (CRD42022319221). We searched...