bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
August 4, 2026
Conor H. Murray, Michael Angyus, Sam Suchin et al.
preprint
Abstract Altered states of consciousness (ASC) refer to states that differ markedly from normal waking consciousness. ASC may occur spontaneously, such as in dreaming, or through consciousness modifying techniques, from meditation, to cannabis and psychedelics. The etymology behind the term psychedelic, meaning mind-manifesting, is based on the hypothesis that certain substances, including...
Frontiers in Neuroscience
August 3, 2026
Kim P. C. Kuypers
Psychedelic-assisted therapy has shown rapid and durable benefits across multiple psychiatric conditions, yet the mechanisms underlying these effects remain incompletely understood. Full-dose psychedelic sessions simultaneously engage serotonergic neurochemistry, high-intensity subjective experience, and autonomic-interoceptive physiology, making it difficult to determine which components are...
Journal of Pain
August 1, 2026
Jon G Dean, Ethan Hurwitz, T. Furnish et al.
Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a refractory condition defined by pain experienced in a missing limb. Psilocybin, a classical serotonergic psychedelic drug, can alleviate various treatment-resistant disorders but has scantly been investigated for chronic pain. This placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical pilot trial (NCT05224336) tested the feasibility, tolerability, and preliminary...
Translational Psychiatry
August 1, 2026
Patrick A. McConnell, Jackson Raffety, Andrew Li et al.
Abstract Psychedelic drugs exert rapid and profound effects on human consciousness [1–7] and are increasingly being investigated for their therapeutic potential [8–14]. Yet the transcriptional programs through which they may reshape brain function and structure remain incompletely understood, in part because the available evidence is heterogeneous and largely preclinical [15, 16]. In a...
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
August 1, 2026
Fabrizio Ascone, Diletta Giangiacomo, Viviana Trezza
Classic psychedelics have re-emerged as compelling probes of neural plasticity, raising interest in their potential relevance for behavioral and circuit-level features associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although only a limited number of studies have examined these compounds in validated animal models of ASD, a growing body of preclinical work has investigated their effects on...
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
August 1, 2026
Mengyang He, Zhifei Shi, Ruijie Zhan et al.
Depression is a complex mental disorder threatening global public health. Its pathophysiological mechanisms involve multidimensional dysfunctions including the emotional-cognitive circuit, Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, neurotransmitter systems and neuroplasticity. Current studies mostly analyze each system in isolation, lacking a unified integrated framework. This review proposes...
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets
July 31, 2026
Sampriti Paul, Sonal Dubey, Mayur Yergeri Chandrasekharappa et al.
Recent advances in neuropsychopharmacology have renewed interest in psychedelics and entactogens as potential treatments for brain disorders, owing to their rapid effects on neural plasticity, cognition, and affect. Classical serotonergic psychedelics primarily act as 5-HT2A receptor agonists with additional activity at 5-HT1A and other serotonin receptors, whereas entactogens such as MDMA...
Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience
July 31, 2026
Won-Seok Choi, Moon‐Soo Lee, Mi Kyoung Seo et al.
Major depressive disorder remains a leading cause of global disability, and many patients show limited response to conventional antidepressants.Increasing evidence suggests that a substantial subgroup exhibits chronic low-grade inflammation, which may constrain synaptic plasticity and contribute to persistent depressive symptoms.In this review, we propose that depression can be conceptualized...
Psychopharmacology
July 28, 2026
Agnieszka Wawrzczak-Bargieła, Małgorzata Jelonek-Kozioł, Weronika Kumorek et al.
RATIONALE: Psilocybin (PSI) microdosing, defined as a repeated administration of sub-perceptual doses, has gained increasing attention as a potential therapeutic strategy for affective and anxiety disorders. However, some molecular mechanisms, particularly regarding epigenetic regulation in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), remain poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: Therefore, the present study...
STUDIES IN HEALTH SCIENCES
July 27, 2026
Kleber Mirallia de Oliveira, Yohana Heloise Mirallia, A. C. Moreira et al.
Background: The practice of meditation and mindfulness techniques has garnered significant interest within the international scientific community due to its potential to induce functional and structural plasticity in the Central Nervous System (CNS). This advanced narrative review aims to analyze, refine, and systematize the neuroscientific foundations of meditation, correlating ultrastructural...