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 suiteRole 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 suiteChildhood 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 suiteAmanita 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 suiteBuraq 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 suiteThe 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 suiteWhy Psychiatry Needs 3,4 Methylenedioxymeth-amphetamine : A Child Psychiatrist’s Perspective Ben SESSA Neurotherapeutics, 2017, 14, (3), 741-749. doi:10.1007/s13311-017-0531-1 Abstract Since the late 1980s the psychoactive drug 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has had a well-known history as the recreationally used drug ecstasy. What is less well known by the public is that MDMA started its life as a therapeutic agent and that in recent years an increasing amount of clinical research has been undertaken to revisit the drug’s medical potential. MDMA has unique pharmacological properties that translate well to its proposed agent to assist trauma-focused psychotherapy. Psychological trauma—especially that which arises early in life from child abuse—underpins many [...]
Lire la suiteCommon neural signatures of psychedelics : Frequency-specific energy changes and repertoire expansion revealed using connectome-harmonic decomposition Selen Atasoy, Jakub Vohryzek, Gustavo Deco, Robin L. Carhart-Harris, Morten L. Kringelbach Progress in Brain Research, 2018, Volume 242,97- https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.08.009 ISSN 0079-6123 © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Abstract The search for the universal laws of human brain function is still on-going but progress is being made. Here we describe the novel concepts of connectome harmonics and connectomeharmonic decomposition, which can be used to characterize the brain activity associated with any mental state. We use this new frequency-specific language to describe the brain activity elicited by psilocybin and LSD [...]
Lire la suiteThe expansion of the field of research on ayahuasca: Some reflections about the ayahuasca track at the 2010 MAPS “Psychedelic Science in the 21st Century” conference Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Clancy Cavnar International Journal of Drug Policy, 2011, 22, 174–178 doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2010.09.002 A recent conference sponsored by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) in collaboration with the Heffter Research Institute, the Beckley Foundation and the Council on Spiritual Practices held from April 15th to 18th 2010, in San José, USA (MAPS, 2010) united 90 presenters and 1100 participants with the goal of giving visibility to studies on the therapeutic potentials of psychedelics (psilocybin,MDMA,ibogaine, ayahuasca, etc.) [...]
Lire la suiteUne université de Houston teste la psilocybine pour la dépression résistante aux traitements - www.NEWSWEED.fr 22 octobre 2019 Aurélien BERNARD Dans la foulée de sa décriminalisation dans quelques villes des États-Unis (Oakland et Denver notamment), la psilocybine intéresse actuellement la communauté scientifique à la recherche de preuves d’efficacité thérapeutique. Des chercheurs du Science Health Center de l’Université du Texas à Houston (UTHealth) ont annoncé qu’ils étudiaient la psilocybine pour la dépression réfractaire aux traitements. PUBLICITE L’étude est inspirée par des recherches scientifiques antérieures qui suggèrent que la psilocybine agit pour créer de nouveaux circuits mentaux. Une étude de 2012 a conclu que la substance pouvait permettre [...]
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