Patient Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy : An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Alexander B. Belser, Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, T. Cody Swift, Sara Terrana, Neşe Devenot, Harris L. Friedman, Jeffrey Guss, Anthony Bossis and Stephen Ross Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 2017, 1 –35 Doi : 10.1177/0022167817706884 journals.sagepub.com/home/jhp Abstract The psychological mechanisms of action involved in psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy are not yet well understood. Despite a resurgence of quantitative research regarding psilocybin, the current study is the first qualitative study of participant experiences in psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. Semistructured interviews were carried out with 13 adult participants aged 22 to 69 years (M = 50 years) with clinically elevated anxiety associated with a cancer [...]
Lire la suiteThe mixed serotonin receptor agonist psilocybin reduces threat-induced modulation of amygdala connectivity Rainer Kraehenmann, André Schmidt, Karl Friston, Katrin H. Preller, Erich Seifritz, Franz X. Vollenweider NeuroImage : Clinical, 2016, 11, 53–60 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2015.08.009 a b s t r a c t Stimulation of serotonergic neurotransmission by psilocybin has been shown to shift emotional biases away from negative towards positive stimuli. We have recently shown that reduced amygdala activity during threat processing might underlie psilocybin's effect on emotional processing. However, it is still not known whether psilocybin modulates bottom-up or top-down connectivity within the visual-limbic-prefrontal network underlying threat processing.We therefore analyzed our previous fMRI data using [...]
Lire la suiteAntidepressive and anxiolytic effects of ayahuasca : a systematic literature review of animal and human studies Rafael G. dos Santos, Flavia L. Osorio, José Alexandre S. Crippa, Jaime E.C. Hallak Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria, 2016, 38, 65–72 doi:10.1590/1516-4446-2015-1701 ABSTRACT Objective : To conduct a systematic literature review of animal and human studies reporting anxiolytic or antidepressive effects of ayahuasca or some of its isolated alkaloids (dimethyltryptamine, harmine, tetrahydroharmine, and harmaline). Methods : Papers published until 3 April 2015 were retrieved from the PubMed, LILACS and SciELO databases following a comprehensive search strategy and using a predetermined set of criteria for article selection. Results : Five hundred and [...]
Lire la suiteThe Therapeutic Potentials of Ayahuasca in the Treatment of Depression Fernanda Palhano-Fontes, Joao C. Alchieri, Joao Paulo M. Oliveira, Bruno Lobao Soares, Jaime E. C. Hallak, Nicole Galvao-Coelho and Draulio B. de Araujo Chapter 2, in B. C. Labate and C. Cavnar (eds.), "The Therapeutic Use of Ayahuasca", Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2014 Doi : 10.1007/978-3-642-40426-9_2, Abstract Major depressive disorder (MDD) is generally classified as a mood disorder with a profound effect on the individual’s behavior and quality of life. According to the World Health Organization, in about 20 years, depression will be the disorder with the most significant repercussions, both socially and economically. Despite [...]
Lire la suitePsilocybin-assisted therapy for depression : How do we advance the field ? Sally E Meikle, Paul Liknaitzky, Susan L Rossell, Margaret Ross, Nigel Strauss, Neil Thomas, Greg Murray, Martin Williams, David J Castle Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 2019, 1–7 Doi : 10.1177/0004867419888575 Abstract In the quest for new treatment options for depression, attention is being paid to the potential role of psychedelic drugs. Psilocybin is of particular interest given its mechanism of action, its benefits in early trials and its relatively low side effects burden. This viewpoint outlines a number of key issues that remain to be elucidated about its potential use [...]
Lire la suiteMolecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the antidepressant effects of ketamine enantiomers and its metabolites Chun Yang, Jianjun Yang, Ailin Luo and Kenji Hashimoto Translational Psychiatry, 2019, 9, 280 doi : 10.1038/s41398-019-0624-1 Abstract Although the robust antidepressant effects of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist ketamine in patients with treatment-resistant depression are beyond doubt, the precise molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying its antidepressant effects remain unknown. NMDAR inhibition and the subsequent α-amino-3-hydroxy-5- methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) activation are suggested to play a role in the antidepressant effects of ketamine. Although (R)-ketamine is a less potent NMDAR antagonist than (S)-ketamine, (R)-ketamine has shown more marked and longer-lasting antidepressant-like [...]
Lire la suiteIncreased amygdala responses to emotional faces after psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression Leor Roseman, Lysia Demetriou, Matthew B. Wall, David J. Nutt, Robin L. Carhart-Harris Neuropharmacology, 2018, 142, 263e269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.12.041 Abstract Recent evidence indicates that psilocybin with psychological support may be effective for treating depression. Some studies have found that patients with depression show heightened amygdala responses to fearful faces and there is reliable evidence that treatment with SSRIs attenuates amygdala responses (Ma, 2015). We hypothesised that amygdala responses to emotional faces would be altered post treatment with psilocybin. In this open-label study, 20 individuals diagnosed with moderate to severe, treatment-resistant depression, underwent two separate dosing [...]
Lire la suiteFDA's Rapid Approval of Esketamine for Severe Depression Questioned Pauline Anderson Medscape, November 13, 2019 https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/921248 While some experts have hailed intranasal esketamine (Spravato, Janssen) as a "game changer" for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), others are concerned over the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) rapid approval of the drug. Dr Erick Turner In an editorial published online October 31 in Lancet Psychiatry, Erick H. Turner, MD, who sits on one of the FDA advisory committees that recommended approval of Spravato, said the drug did not meet standard criteria for FDA approval and that there was little evidence to support its safety and efficacy based on data from [...]
Lire la suiteA Chocolate a Day Keeps Depression Away ? Megan Brooks, Laurie Barclay Medscape, 13 / 09 /2019 https://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/917963 Clinical Context Accumulating evidence suggests that dietary factors, such as eating chocolate, may affect depressive symptoms. The potential mood-enhancing properties of chocolate may relate to its orosensory properties, psychoactive ingredients, and activation of neural reward pathways. However, only a few studies have analyzed associations between chocolate consumption and depressive symptoms, with conflicting results. The goal of this analysis was to evaluate associations between chocolate consumption and depressive symptoms in a large, representative sample of US adults enrolled in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between [...]
Lire la suiteCannabinoids, 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 [...]
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