Psychedelic drug policy is changing, both in the USA and internationally. However, psychedelic use is not homogeneous, as there are multiple unique contexts for use, including clinical therapies, naturalistic use, and microdosing. There are notable differences between these contexts regarding emerging evidence for safety, therapeutic efficacy, likely future legality, and more. We compared...
Medications to treat substance use disorders (SUDs) remain suboptimal or, in the case of stimulants and cannabis, non-existent. Many factors have contributed to this paucity, including the biological complexity of addiction, regulatory challenges, and a historical lack of enthusiasm among pharmaceutical companies to commit resources to this disease space. Despite these headwinds, the recent...
There is unprecedented clinician, industry, and patient interest in the therapeutic development of psychedelic drugs. This is due to a combination of promising clinical trial results, positive media coverage, and the lack of novel pharmacologic treatments for psychiatric disorders in recent decades. However, the field faces a key methodological challenge: masking participants to treatment...
Psychedelic substances have been used for centuries in various cultural and religious contexts, and more recently, in clinical research and therapy. There is a surge of interest in psychedelics, and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is becoming increasingly accessible. However, most individuals using psychedelics do so outside of therapeutic contexts. It is important to understand the adverse...
Persons with schizophrenia are excluded from psychedelic-assisted therapy due to concerns about the risk of triggering or worsening psychosis. However, there is limited meta-analytic data on the risk of psychedelic-induced psychosis in individuals with pre-existing psychotic disorders. We conducted a systematic review, meta-analysis, and overview of reviews to assess the incidence of...
Olfactory dysfunction (OD) has become increasingly prevalent since the COVID-19 pandemic, yet effective treatments remain limited. In recent years, anecdotal reports have emerged on the potential benefits of serotonergic psychedelics (lysergic acid diethylamide [LSD], psilocybin, etc.) in improving OD. To date, only one case series in the medical literature has documented this phenomenon. This...
Background: Psilocybin, a serotonin 2A receptor agonist with psychedelic properties, shows promise as a novel treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD). While current studies involve two dosing sessions, the effects of a single dose have not been investigated. Aims: To investigate the pharmacokinetics, feasibility, safety and efficacy of single-dose psilocybin therapy in AUD. Methods: This...
February 26, 2025Stanisław Adamczyk, Małgorzata Paczyńska, Anastasia Ruban et al.1 citation
preprint
Psychedelic substances have the potential to induce profound alterations in cognition, emotionality, and sensory perception. The quality and intensity of these subjective effects exhibit high intra- and inter-individual variability, which can potentially be accounted for by the variability in contexts in which psychedelics are used. Therefore, the aim of the present cross-sectional study was to...
Background/Objectives: Suicide accounts for 1.4% of global deaths, and the slow-acting nature of traditional treatments for suicide risk underscores the need for alternatives. Psychedelic therapies may rapidly reduce suicide risk. This systematic review evaluates impact of psychedelic therapies on suicide-related outcomes. Methods: A systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and...
Psychedelics are well known for their ability to produce profoundly altered states of consciousness. But, more importantly, the effects of psychedelics can influence neurobehavioral changes that last well after these acute subjective effects end. This phenomenon is currently being leveraged in the development of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies for the treatment of multiple neuropsychiatric...