Microdosing psychedelics: More questions than answers? An overview and suggestions for future research Kim P.C. Kuypers, Livia Ng, David Erritzoe, Gitte M. Knudsen, Charles D. Nichols, David E. Nichols, Luca Pani, Anaïs Soula and David Nutt Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2019, 1-10. Doi: 10.1177/0269881119857204 Abstract Background : In the past few years, the issue of ‘microdosing’ psychedelics has been openly discussed in the public arena where claims have been made about their positive effect on mood state and cognitive processes such as concentration. However, there are very few scientific studies that have specifically addressed this issue, and there is no agreed scientific consensus on what microdosing [...]
Lire la suitePsychedelics as a treatment for disorders of consciousness Gregory SCOTT and Robin L. CARHART-HARRIS Neuroscience of Consciousness, 2019, 5, (1), niz003 doi: 10.1093/nc/niz003 Abstract Based on its ability to increase brain complexity, a seemingly reliable index of conscious level, we propose testing the capacity of the classic psychedelic, psilocybin, to increase conscious awareness in patients with disorders of consciousness. We also confront the considerable ethical and practical challenges this proposal must address, if this hypothesis is to be directly assessed. Key words : disorders of consciousness; psychedelics; psilocybin; complexity Introduction Disorders of consciousness (DoC) are the most devastating form of impairment that may follow acquired brain injury. In [...]
Lire la suiteCannabis à usage thérapeutique, la longue marche, Dr Bertrand Lebeau-Leibovici, UFCM, Strasbourg, 28 juin 2019
Lire la suiteOpioïdes : le cannabidiol pour réduire la dépendance ? Le cannabidiol (CBD) réduit le craving et l'anxiété chez les personnes ayant des antécédents d'abus d'héroïne/opioïdes, suggérant un rôle possible du cannabis ou de son agent le cannabidiol dans la réduction de la dépendance aux opioïdes. C’est la conclusion de cette étude réalisée à l’Icahn School of Medicine du Mont Sinaï (New York), présentée dans l'American Journal of Psychiatry. L'étude confirme également les effets anti-stress du CBD avec une baisse de la fréquence cardiaque et du taux de cortisol induites par les stimuli de drogues. La grande disponibilité des opioïdes sur prescription ces [...]
Lire la suiteWelcome letter | Registration | Sponsorship DEAR COLLEAGUES It is our pleasure to invite you to participate in The American Conference on Controversies on Cannabis-Based Medicines (Med-CannabisUSA) which will take place January 23-24, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. Med-CannabisUSA will address the many controversies surrounding cannabis-based medicines. Strong public and patient demand has led to the decision to allow cannabis products for medical use all over the world. There is a rapidly-growing basic-science and clinical research literature providing insight into potential use of cannabis products for chronic pain, cancer management, and many other medical areas. Growing concerns and controversies focusing on overly-optimistic therapeutic claims and potential harms parallel recent expanded access [...]
Lire la suitePsychiatry might need some psychedelic therapy Matthew W. Johnson International Review of Psychiatry, 2018, 30, 4, 285-290, DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2018.1509544 EDITORIAL Psychiatry might need some psychedelic therapy In historical and modern-day studies, psychedelic drugs have shown promise in managing a variety of psychiatric disorders, but their medical use has often raised controversies. The controversies have related to social, political, and legal challenges. History Although anthropological evidence suggests that classic psychedelic drugs (hereafter, ‘psychedelics’) have been used by various indigenous peoples as sacraments and healing agents before recorded history, in the mid-twentieth century they came to occupy a place at the cutting edge of psychiatric research (Johnson, Richards, & Griffiths, [...]
Lire la suiteThe tripping point : The potential role of psychedelic-assisted therapy in the response to the opioid crisis Elena Argento, Kenneth W. Tupper, M. Eugenia Socias International Journal of Drug Policy, 2019, 66, 80–81 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2018.11.006 0955-3959/ © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved A B S T R A C T The increasing contamination of the drug supply with illicitly manufactured fentanyl and related analogs in North America has resulted in the most severe drug-overdose crisis in history. Available pharmaco-therapy options for the treatment of opioid use disorder have had limited success in curbing the current crisis, and a growing body of evidence highlights the need for [...]
Lire la suitePsychedelic microdosing benefits and challenges : an empirical codebook Thomas Anderson, Rotem Petranker2, Adam Christopher, Daniel Rosenbaum, Cory Weissman, Le-Anh Dinh-Williams, Katrina Hui and Emma Hapke Harm Reduction Journal, 2019, 16, 43, 1-10 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-019-0308-4 Abstract Background : Microdosing psychedelics is the practice of consuming very low, sub-hallucinogenic doses of a psychedelic substance, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) or psilocybin-containing mushrooms. According to media reports, microdosing has grown in popularity, yet the scientific literature contains minimal research on this practice. There has been limited reporting on adverse events associated with microdosing, and the experiences of microdosers in community samples have not been categorized. Methods : In the [...]
Lire la suiteAssociations between adolescent cannabis use frequency and adult brain structure : A prospective study of boys followed to adulthood. Madeline H. Meier, Roberta A. Schriber, Jordan Beardslee, Jamie Hanson, Dustin Pardini Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2019, 202, 191-199 Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V. PMID : 31357120 DOI : 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.05.012 Abstract BACKGROUND : Few studies have tested the hypothesis that adolescent cannabis users show structural brain alterations in adulthood. The present study tested associations between prospectively-assessed trajectories of adolescent cannabis use and adult brain structure in a sample of boys followed to adulthood. METHODS : Data came from the Pittsburgh Youth Study - a longitudinal [...]
Lire la suiteConsommer du cannabis à l’adolescence n’aurait pas d’impact sur la structure du cerveau à l’âge adulte 31 juillet 2019 Floriane Ramfos © DR La dangerosité du cannabis pour le développement neuronal des adolescents est un argument courant chez les partisans de la prohibition. Pourtant, selon une étude du Drug and Alcohol Dependence, la consommation de cannabis pendant l’adolescence n’est pas associée à des différences structurelles dans le cerveau à l’âge adulte. Méthodologie et résultats L’étude a été réalisée auprès de 1000 hommes, auxquels les chercheurs ont demandé de déclarer leur consommation de cannabis lorsqu’ils avaient entre 13 à 19 ans. Cela a permis aux scientifiques d’identifier différentes [...]
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