This study examines the relationship between psilocybin reforms and usage patterns of prevalent psychedelics in the United States. Given decriminalization efforts in several cities and legalization in Oregon, the author analyzes drug use panel data from University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future project to assess changes in self-reported use of psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD),...
ABSTRACT In the 1950s–60s, serotonergic psychedelic drugs were studied as potential adjuvants to psychotherapy to treat addiction and alcoholism. However, starting in the 70s, preclinical and clinical studies on psychedelics stopped for decades because legislation controlled its recreational use, citing their hallucinogenic and psychotomimetic effects, as well as their abuse potential....
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant global health challenge, with limited effective treatments for its acute and chronic consequences. TBI is characterized by neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, impaired neuroplasticity, imbalances in neurotransmission, and cell death - factors that contribute to the development of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Emerging evidence suggests...
Innovative therapies, such as psilocybin-assisted psychotherapies, hold great promises for treating anxiety, depression, and various other mental health disorders, addressing some of the challenges faced by conventional psychiatric medicine. This study focuses on developing and validating an HPLC-DAD methodology for detecting psilocybin and psilocin in extracts from psychedelic mushrooms...
Background Recent studies have suggested that psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin might benefit patients with mental illness. This revival calls for revisiting the field’s past experiences with these agents. From 1960 to 1973, many patients were treated with LSD and/or psilocybin at the Department of Psychiatry at Frederiksberg Hospital in Denmark. Here, we...
Serotonergic psychedelics are remarkable for their capacity to induce variable yet reproducible modifications to human consciousness. The acute effects of these compounds include perceptual alterations, predominantly in the visual domain, yet these alterations have been mostly documented only by subjective reports. We used eye-tracking to quantify the effects of low vs. high doses of psilocybin...
Recent advancements in the study of psilocybin and its active metabolite psilocin have highlighted their unique psychedelic properties and potential therapeutic applications, particularly in the rapid and sustained treatment of depression. However, the potent acute psychedelic effects of psilocybin necessitate a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying its action. In this study,...
Abstract Psilocybin, the naturally occurring psychedelic compound produced by hallucinogenic mushrooms, has received attention due to considerable clinical evidence for its therapeutic potential to treat various psychiatric and neurodegenerative indications. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain enigmatic, and few studies have explored its systemic impacts. We provide the first...
Molecular PsychiatryJuly 7, 2025Dongsun Park, Gwangho Lee, Won-Gyu Lee et al.7 citations
Major depressive disorder is a debilitating condition, with many patients unresponsive to conventional monoaminergic antidepressants. Rapid-acting antidepressants such as ketamine and psilocybin offer promising alternatives, relieving symptoms within hours. Ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, and psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic primarily targeting 5-HT2A receptors, both enhance...
Background: Individuals with bipolar II disorder (BD-II) and depression face limited treatment options and are often excluded from psilocybin therapy trials due to theoretical concerns of precipitating mania or psychosis. Although psilocybin has demonstrated antidepressant effects when combined with psychotherapy, adverse event reporting is inconsistent, and restrictive eligibility criteria...