Mois : octobre 2019

Plastic and Neuroprotective Mechanisms Involved in the Therapeutic Effects of Cannabidiol in Psychiatric Disorders, Alline C. Campos et al.,

Plastic and Neuroprotective Mechanisms Involved in the Therapeutic Effects of Cannabidiol in Psychiatric Disorders Alline C. Campos, Manoela V. Fogaça, Franciele F. Scarante, Sâmia R. L. Joca, Amanda J. Sales, Felipe V. Gomes, Andreza B. Sonego, Naielly S. Rodrigues, Ismael Galve-Roperh, and Francisco S. Guimarães Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2017. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00269   Beneficial effects of cannabidiol (CBD) have been described for a wide range of psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, psychosis, and depression. The mechanisms responsible for these effects, however, are still poorly understood. Similar to clinical antidepressant or atypical antipsychotic drugs, recent findings clearly indicate that CBD, either acutely or repeatedly administered, induces plastic changes. [...]

Lire la suite

Cannabinoids, Neurogenesis and Antidepressant Drugs : Is there a Link ?, Manoela Viar Fogaça et al., 2013

Cannabinoids, Neurogenesis and Antidepressant Drugs : Is there a Link ? Manoela Viar Fogaça, Ismael Galve-Roperh, Francisco Silveira Guimarães and Alline Cristina Campos Current Neuropharmacology, 2013, 11, 263-275 Abstract Similar to clinically used antidepressants, cannabinoids can also regulate anxiety and depressive symptoms. Although the mechanisms of these effects are not completely understood, recent evidence suggests that changes in endocannabinoid system could be involved in some actions of antidepressants. Chronic antidepressant treatment modifies the expression of CB1 receptors and endocannabinoid (EC) content in brain regions related to mood and anxiety control. Moreover, both antidepressant and cannabinoids activate mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and phosphoinositide 3- kinase(PI3 [...]

Lire la suite

Revisiting Wasson’s Soma : Exploring the Effects of Preparation on the Chemistry of Amanita muscaria, Kevin FEENEY, 2010

Revisiting Wasson’s Soma : Exploring the Effects of Preparation on the Chemistry of Amanita muscaria. Kevin FEENEY Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2010, 42, (4), 499-506   In 1968 R. Gordon Wasson first proposed his groundbreaking theory identifying Soma, the hallucinogenic sacrament of the Vedas, as the classic spotted fairy tale mushroom – Amanita muscaria. While Wasson’s theory is compelling on many levels he neglected to explain how the pressing and filtering of Soma, as described in the Rig Veda, supported his theory of Soma’s identity. This omission has led to several criticisms of his theory, including: (1) that such an elaborate process of extraction [...]

Lire la suite

Bipolar disorder and the endocannabinoid system, Shokouh Arjmand et al., 2019

Bipolar disorder and the endocannabinoid system Shokouh Arjmand, Mina Behzadi, Kristi A. Kohlmeier, Shahrzad Mazhari, Abdolreza Sabahi and Mohammad Shabani Acta Neuropsychiatrica, 2019, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1017/neu.2019.21   Abstract Objective : Bipolar disorder (BD) is a debilitating, lifelong neuropsychiatric illness characterised by unsteady mood states which vacillate from (hypo)mania to depression. Despite the availability of pharmaceutical agents which can be effective in ameliorating the acute affective symptoms and prevent episodic relapse, BD is inadequately treated in a subset of patients. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is known to exert neuromodulatory effects on other neurotransmitter systems critical in governing emotions. Several studies ranging from clinical to molecular, as well as [...]

Lire la suite

Role of the Endocannabinoid System in the Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia: Implications for Pharmacological Intervention, F.M. Leweke et al., 2018

Role of the Endocannabinoid System in the Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia: Implications for Pharmacological Intervention F.M. Leweke, J.K. Mueller, B.Lange, S. Fritze, C.E. Topor, D. Koethe, C. Rohleder CNS Drugs, 2018 Jul;32(7):605-619. doi: 10.1007/s40263-018-0539-z. Abstract The term schizophrenia describes a group of multifaceted psychiatric conditions causing significant impairment of the quality of life of affected patients. Although multiple pharmacological treatment options exist, e.g. first- or second-generation antipsychotics, these therapeutics often cause disturbing side effects, such as extrapyramidal symptoms, prolactin increase, sexual dysfunction and/or metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, cognitive impairments and negative symptoms, two factors significantly influencing the course and outcome, are not sufficiently addressed by the available [...]

Lire la suite

Childhood trauma and being at-risk for psychosis are associated with higher peripheral endocannabinoids, E. Appiah-Kusi et al., 2019

Childhood trauma and being at-risk for psychosis are associated with higher peripheral endocannabinoids E. Appiah-Kusi, R. Wilson, M.Colizzi, E. Foglia, Sagnik Bhattacharyya, et al. Psychological Medicine, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291719001946 Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 August 2019 Abstract BackgroundEvidence has been accumulating regarding alterations in components of the endocannabinoid system in patients with psychosis. Of all the putative risk factors associated with psychosis, being at clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR) has the strongest association with the onset of psychosis, and exposure to childhood trauma has been linked to an increased risk of development of psychotic disorder. We aimed to investigate whether being at-risk for [...]

Lire la suite

Amanita muscaria: chemistry, biology, toxicology, and ethnomycology, Didier MICHELOT, Leda Maria MELENDEZ-HOWELL, 2003 

Amanita muscaria: chemistry, biology, toxicology, and ethnomycology Didier MICHELOT, Leda Maria MELENDEZ-HOWELL Mycological Research, 2003, 107, (2), 131-146. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0953756203007305   The fly agaric is a remarkable mushroom in many respects; these are its bearing, history, chemical components and the poisoning that it provokes when consumed. The ‘pantherina’ poisoning syndrome is characterized by central nervous system dysfunction. The main species responsible are Amanita muscaria and A. pantherina (Amanitaceae) ; however, some other species of the genus have been suspected for similar actions. Ibotenic acid and muscimol are the active components, and probably, some other substances detected in the latter species participate in the psychotropic effects. The [...]

Lire la suite

Bur¯aq depicted as Amanita muscaria in a 15th century Timurid-illuminated manuscript?, Alan PIPER, 2019

Buraq depicted as Amanita muscaria in a 15th century Timurid-illuminated manuscript? Alan PIPER Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 2019. DOI: 10.1556/2054.2019.023   A series of illustrations in a 15th century Timurid manuscript record the mi’raj, the ascent through the seven heavens by Mohammed, the Prophet of Islam. Several of the illustrations depict Bur¯aq, the fabulous creature by means of which Mohammed achieves his ascent, with distinctive features of the Amanita muscaria mushroom. A. muscaria or “fly agaric” is a psychoactive mushroom used by Siberian shamans to enter the spirit world for the purposes of conversing with spirits or diagnosing and curing disease. Using an interdisciplinary approach, [...]

Lire la suite

The Prosocial Effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA): Controlled Studies in Humans and Laboratory Animals, Philip Kamilar-Britt and Gillinder Bedi, 2015

The Prosocial Effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA): Controlled Studies in Humans and Laboratory Animals Philip Kamilar-Britt and Gillinder Bedi Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 2015, 57, 433–446. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.08.016   Abstract Users of ±3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ‘ecstasy’) report prosocial effects such as sociability and empathy. Supporting these apparently unique social effects, data from controlled laboratory studies indicate that MDMA alters social feelings, information processing, and behavior in humans, and social behavior in rodents. Here, we review this growing body of evidence. In rodents, MDMA increases passive prosocial behavior (adjacent lying) and social reward while decreasing aggression, effects that may involve serotonin 1A receptor mediated oxytocin release interacting with vasopressin receptor [...]

Lire la suite