A depressão é um transtorno mental prevalente e incapacitante sendo considerado um problema de saúde pública. É caracterizada por humor deprimido persistente, perda de interesse em atividades diárias, alterações cognitivas e somáticas e, frequentemente, acompanhada por fadiga, alterações no sono ou no apetite. Estima-se que cerca de 20–40% dos pacientes com transtorno depressivo maior não...
Psychedelic compounds such as psilocybin, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), N,Ndimethyltryptamine (DMT), and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) are emerging as novel therapeutics for neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and addiction. Acting primarily through serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonism, they activate intracellular cascades...
FigshareMarch 11, 2026Jenna Houff, Andrew Williams, Obie Allen et al.
preprint
Clinical trials suggest that a single dose of psilocybin may be an effective treatment for substance use disorders. Choice impulsivity is a value-based decision-making bias that predicts drug-intake escalation and is commonly associated with substance use disorders. The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex regulates choice impulsivity and is enriched with 5-HT2A receptors that mediate effects of...
Background: Anhedonia and reward-processing deficits are core features of major depressive disorder (MDD) that respond poorly to traditional antidepressants.Ketamine has rapid antidepressant effects, yet its neurofunctional actions within reward circuits remain unclear.We synthesized human neuroimaging evidence on ketamine-related modulation of reward circuitry and implications for...
The “God gene” hypothesis has attracted attention in the literature as an approach suggesting that religious and spiritual tendencies in individuals may have a genetic basis. Dean Hamer’s hypothesis claims that the VMAT2 gene may be related to a predisposition toward mystical experiences through its role in regulating monoamine neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine....
Upwards of 50% of people do not respond to the primary treatment modalities for major depressive disorder (MDD), which has led to increased attention and use of alternative methods, including exercise and psychedelics. While interventions using either exercise or psychedelics have demonstrated largely positive results in isolation, their synergistic potential has yet to be explored. As such,...
A 16-year-old boy with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), characterized by health-focused obsessions, intrusive ruminations, derealization, and significant functional impairment, failed to tolerate standard serotonergic agents (escitalopram, fluoxetine) and bupropion due to worsening anxiety, somatic concerns, or headaches. An oral glutamatergic regimen was initiated with...
Fear and anxiety perform essential protective roles, yet when they become dysregulated, they can trap trauma survivors in persistent hypervigilance and distress. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) manifests as intrusive memories, avoidance, and heightened arousal long after the precipitating event. Although current pharmacotherapies - including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors,...
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is increasingly viewed as a disorder of impaired neural plasticity, yet the mechanisms underlying diverse antidepressant classes - glutamatergic (e.g., ketamine), monoaminergic (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)), and GABAergic (e.g., neurosteroids) - remain incompletely integrated. The objective of this study was to extend a...
Psychedelic substances like ayahuasca, psilocybin, and LSD have been used for thousands of years in spiritual ceremonies, with users often reporting transcendent and life-altering experiences. Chapter 8 traces the arc of psychedelic use from ancient rituals and colonization to the countercultural revolution and modern neuroscience labs. The chapter blends cultural history with...