Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a common condition with potentially devastating individual, family, and societal consequences, is highly associated with substance use disorders (SUDs). The association between PTSD and SUD is complex and may involve adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), historical and multi-generational traumas, and social determinants of health as well as cultural and...
Substance use disorder (SUD) is a global public health concern that affects millions of people worldwide. Considering current research, addiction has been noted as the last stage of a chronic disease that may impair brain reward circuit responses and affects personal and social life. Treatments for SUD face challenges including availability and limited pharmacological response, often resulting...
Background: Depression is a psychiatric disorder with limited therapy options. Psychedelics are new antidepressant candidates, being the ayahuasca one of the most promising ones. A synergistic combination of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and β-carbolines allows ayahuasca antidepressant properties. Another psychedelic and DMT-containing beverage is the jurema wine used religiously by indigenous...
In 2020, Oregon became the first state in the US to decriminalize use of many illicit substances, including mushrooms containing psilocybin, and allow adults aged 21 years and older to take psilocybin under supervision in state-licensed service centers.Numerous states and municipalities have since proposed similar policies, 1 a process catalyzed by excitement about positive clinical trials of...
Abstract Psychedelic substances such as psilocybin and ketamine may represent the future of antidepressant treatment, due to their rapid and prolonged effects on mood and cognition. The current body of psychedelic research has focused on administration and treatment within a psychiatric context. Here, instead, we put to the test the contention that it is necessary to evaluate the current state...
Abstract Mystical experiences frequently precede decreases in human suffering or increased functioning. Therapies that include the ingestion of psychoactive substances in supportive environments often lead to improvements that correlate with the magnitude of the mystical experiences generated. A close look at these phenomena from a philosophy of science perspective might put empiricists in a...
BACKGROUND: Current first-line treatment for social anxiety disorder (SAD), one of the most prevalent anxiety disorders, is limited in its efficacy. Hence, novel treatment approaches are urgently needed. The current review suggests a combination of meditation-based interventions and the administration of a psychedelic as a future alternative treatment approach. While both separate treatments...
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy gained considerable interest as a novel treatment strategy for fear-related mental disorders but the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. The serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor is a key target underlying the effects of psychedelics on emotional arousal but its role in fear processing remains controversial. Using the psychedelic 5-HT2A/5-HT2C receptor...
European PsychiatryJune 1, 2022S. Pratas Penedos, M.j. Freire, I. Fonseca et al.
IntroductionPTSD is a chronic, debilitating condition with limited treatment efficacy. Accessing traumatic memories often leads to overwhelming distress, impacting treatment process. Current approved pharmacological treatments have exhibited small to moderate effects when compared with placebo. Evidence suggests 3,4,-methylene-dioxymethamphetamine(MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy as a viable option...
Stream of thought describes the nature of the mind when it is freely roaming, a mental state that is continuous and highly dynamic as in mind-wandering or free association. Classic serotonergic psychedelics are known to profoundly impact perception, cognition and language, yet their influence on the stream of thought remains largely unexplored. To elucidate the effects of LSD on the stream of...