On the Relationship between Classic Psychedelics and Suicidality : A Systematic Review Richard J. Zeifman, Nikhita Singhal, Leah Breslow, & Cory R. Weissman ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science, 2021, 4, (2), 436-451 Doi : 10.1021/acsptsci.1c00024 Abstract Use of classic psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin, ayahuasca, lysergic acid diethylamide) is increasing and psychedelic therapy is receiving growing attention as a novel mental health intervention. Suicidality remains a potential safety concern associated with classic psychedelics and is, concurrently, a mental health concern that psychedelic therapy may show promise in targeting. Accordingly, further understanding of the relationship between classic psychedelics and suicidality is needed. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review [...]
Lire la suiteThe effects of psilocybin on cognitive and emotional functions in healthy participants : Results from a phase 1, randomised, placebo-controlled trial involving simultaneous psilocybin administration and preparation James J Rucker, Lindsey Marwood, Riikka-Liisa J Ajantaival, Catherine Bird, Hans Eriksson, John Harrison, Molly Lennard-Jones, Sunil Mistry, Francesco Saldarini, Susan Stansfield, Sara J Tai, Sam Williams, Neil Weston, Ekaterina Malievskaia and Allan H Young Abstract Background : Psilocybin, a psychoactive serotonin receptor partial agonist, has been reported to acutely reduce clinical symptoms of depressive disorders. Psilocybin’s effects on cognitive function have not been widely or systematically studied. Aim : The aim of this study was to [...]
Lire la suiteAssessing the risk-benefit profile of classical psychedelics : a clinical review of second-wave psychedelic research David Bender & David J. Hellerstein Psychopharmacology (Berl), 2022. Doi : 10.1007/s00213-021-06049-6 Abstract Rationale : A broad reassessment of the potential benefits of psychedelic drugs has led to the initiation of multiple major clinical trials in an effort to advance their status to become FDA-approved medications, as well as local legislative efforts to legalize or decriminalize their use. Objectives : To use recently published data to assess potential risks and benefits of psychedelic drugs as therapeutics, as well as to synthesize what is currently known in order [...]
Lire la suiteAssessing the treatment of cannabidiolic acid methyl ester: a stable synthetic analogue of cannabidiolic acid on c‑Fos and NeuN expression in the hypothalamus of rats Eric Murillo‑Rodríguez, Diana Millán‑Aldaco, Gloria Arankowsky‑Sandoval, Tetsuya Yamamoto, Roger G. Pertwee, Linda Parker and Raphael Mechoulam Abstract Background : Cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychotropic compound from Cannabis sativa, shows positive results on controlling several health disturbances; however, comparable data regarding additional chemical from C. sativa, such as cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), is scarce due to its instability. To address this limitation, a stable CBDA analogue, CBDA methyl ester (HU-580), was synthetized and showed CBDA-like effects. Recently, we described that HU-580 increased [...]
Lire la suiteFlashback phenomena after administration of LSD and psilocybin in controlled studies with healthy participants Felix Müller, Elias Kraus, Friederike Holze, Anna Becker, Laura Ley, Yasmin Schmid, Patrick Vizeli, Matthias E. Liechti, Stefan Borgwardt Psychopharmacology, 2022, 1-11. doi : 10.1007/s00213-022-06066-z Abstract Background : LSD and psilocybin are increasingly used in phase I trials and evaluated as therapeutic agents for mental disorders. The phenomenon of reoccurring drug-like experiences after the acute substance effects have worn off was described for both substances and especially attributed to LSD. According to the DSM-V, the persisting and distressing manifestation of these experiences is called hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder (HPPD). Data on both conditions [...]
Lire la suiteMedical cannabis for severe treatment resistant epilepsy in children : a case-series of 10 patients Rayyan Zafar, Anne Schlag, Lawrence Phillips, David J Nutt BMJ Paediatrics Open, 2021, 5, e001234. doi : 10.1136/bmjpo-2021-001234 ABSTRACT Objectives : To report the findings of a case-series of 10 children suffering with intractable epilepsies in the UK to determine the feasibility for using whole-plant cannabis medicines to treat seizures in children. Setting : This study was conducted retrospectively through collecting clinical data from caretakers and clinicians on study outcome variables. Participants were recruited through the MedCann Support and End our Pain charity groups which are patient representative groups that support children [...]
Lire la suiteWhole-plant Cannabis Linked to Large Reduction in Seizures Kelli Whitlock Burton Medscape - Dec 29, 2021. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/965756 Whole-plant cannabis is linked to a significant reduction in seizures in children with severe treatment-resistant epilepsy, early research suggests. In a small case series, children with severe treatment-resistant epilepsy treated with a range of whole-plant extract cannabis-based medical products (CBMPs) reported an 86% reduction in monthly seizures. All participants had no improvement with traditional antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). The study adds to a small but growing body of research investigating whole-plant cannabis medicines containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in pediatric epilepsies. Rayyan Raja Zafar "Although we have previously noted the superior efficacy of whole-plant medical cannabis is a previous [...]
Lire la suiteEpidiolex Plus THC May Lower Seizures in Pediatric Epilepsy Randy Dotinga Medscape.com - Oct 14, 2021. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/960842 Children and young adults with epilepsy had fewer seizures after combination treatment with the drug Epidiolex, which contains the cannabidiol (CBD), and various doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the component of cannabis that makes people high in larger quantities, researchers reported. "THC can contribute to seizure control and mitigation some of the side effects of CBD," said study coauthor and Austin, Tex., child neurologist Karen Keough, MD, in an interview. Keough and colleagues presented their findings at the 50th annual meeting of the Child Neurology Society. In a landmark move, the Food and [...]
Lire la suitePsychedelic Therapy and Suicide : A Myth Busted ? Megan Brooks Medscape Psychiatry, February 01, 2022 www.medscape.com/viewarticle/967669_print A commonly held belief that classic psychedelic therapy can trigger suicidal thoughts, actions, or other types of self-harm is not supported by research, and, in fact, the opposite may be true. Results from a meta-analysis of individual patient data showed that psychedelic therapy was associated with large, acute, and sustained decreases in suicidality across a range of clinical patient populations. "This is the first analysis to synthesize suicidality outcome data from recent clinical trials with psychedelics. It gives us a better understanding of the effects of psychedelics on suicidality in the [...]
Lire la suitePsychedelic psychiatry’s brave new world. Nutt, D., Erritzoe, D., & Carhart-Harris, R. Cell, 2020, 181, (1), 24-28. Doi : 10.1016/j.cell.2020.03.020 After a legally mandated, decades-long global arrest of research on psychedelic drugs, investiga- tion of psychedelics in the context of psychiatric disorders is yielding exciting results. Outcomes of neuroscience and clinical research into 5-Hydroxytryptamine 2A (5-HT2A) receptor agonists, such as psilocybin, show promise for addressing a range of serious disorders, including depression and addiction. Introduction—Why the Psychedelic Revolution in Psychiatry? Research leading to the discovery of new pharmacological treatments for psychiat- ric disorders has been painfully slow. With a few exceptions, including the use of orexin [...]
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