Cannabinoid-Based Therapies and Brain Development : Potential Harmful Effect of Early Modulation of the Endocannabinoid System Patrícia Schonhofen, Ivi Juliana Bristot, José Alexandre Crippa, Jaime Eduardo Cecílio Hallak, Antônio Waldo Zuardi, Richard B. Parsons, Fábio Klamt CNS Drugs, 2018, 32, (Suppl 1), 1-16. Springer Nature Switzerland, Doi : 10.1007/s40263-018-0550-4 Abstract The endocannabinoid retrograde signaling pathway is widely expressed in the central nervous system, where it plays major roles in regulating synaptic plasticity (excitatory and inhibitory) through long-term potentiation and long-term depression. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) components—cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids and synthesis/degradation enzymes—are expressed and are functional from early developmental stages and throughout adolescent cortical development, regulating progenitor [...]
Lire la suiteSome distorted thoughts about ketamine as a psychedelic and a novel hypothesis based on NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic plasticity Rachael Ingram, Heather Kang, Stafford Lightman, David E. Jane, Zuner A. Bortolotto, Graham L. Collingridge, David Lodge, Arturas Volianskis Neuropharmacology, 2018, 142, 30e40 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.06.008 Abstract Ketamine, a channel blocking NMDA receptor antagonist, is used off-label for its psychedelic effects, which may arise from a combination of several inter-related actions. Firstly, reductions of the contribution of NMDA receptors to afferent information from external and internal sensory inputs may distort sensations and their processing in higher brain centres. Secondly, reductions of NMDA receptormediated excitation of GABAergic interneurons can result in [...]
Lire la suitePlastic 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 suiteCan Psychedelic Drugs Attenuate Age-Related Changes in Cognition and Affect ? Jacob S. Aday, Emily K. Bloesch, & Christopher C. Davoli Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, August 2019 DOI: 10.1007/s41465-019-00151-6 Abstract Older adulthood can be characterized by various cognitive and affective changes. In general, older adults show declines in creativity and executive functioning. They also score lower in openness to experience, empathy, and many suffer from a paucity of meaningful experiences. Further, depression, pessimism, and suicide can be major concerns for this population. Although currently there are few interventions that can effectively address these changes, recent findings from psychedelic science suggest myriad parallels between the effects [...]
Lire la suiteChronic, Intermittent Microdoses of the Psychedelic N,N‑Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) Produce Positive Effects on Mood and Anxiety in Rodents Lindsay P. Cameron, Charlie J. Benson, Brian C. DeFelice, Oliver Fiehn, and David E. Olson ACS Chemical Neurosciences, 2019 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00692 ABSTRACT : Drugs capable of ameliorating symptoms of depression and anxiety while also improving cognitive function and sociability are highly desirable. Anecdotal reports have suggested that serotonergic psychedelics administered in low doses on a chronic, intermittent schedule, so-called “microdosing”, might produce beneficial effects on mood, anxiety, cognition, and social interaction. Here, we test this hypothesis by subjecting male and female Sprague Dawley rats to behavioral testing following the [...]
Lire la suiteEndocannabinoid Signaling and Synaptic Function Pablo E. Castillo, Thomas J. Younts, Andres E. Chavez, and Yuki Hashimotodani Neuron, Cell Press, 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2012.09.020 Endocannabinoids are key modulators of synaptic function. By activating cannabinoid receptors expressed in the central nervous system, these lipid messengers can regulate several neural functions and behaviors. As experimental tools advance, the repertoire of known endocannabinoid-mediated effects at the synapse, and their underlying mechanism, continues to expand. Retrograde signaling is the principal mode by which endocannabinoids mediate short- and long-term forms of plasticity at both excitatory and inhibitory synapses. However, growing evidence suggests that endocannabinoids can also signal in a nonretrograde manner. [...]
Lire la suiteThe Neurobiology of Psychedelic Drugs: Implications for the Treatment of Mood Disorders Franz X. VOLLENWEIDER & Michael KOMETER Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2010, 11, (9), 642-51 DOI: 10.1038/nrn2884 Abstract After a pause of nearly 40 years in research into the effects of psychedelic drugs, recent advances in our understanding of the neurobiology of psychedelics, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin and ketamine have led to renewed interest in the clinical potential of psychedelics in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders. Recent behavioural and neuroimaging data show that psychedelics modulate neural circuits that have been implicated in mood and affective disorders, and can reduce the clinical [...]
Lire la suitePsychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity Astral X Neural Plasticity, Alexandra C. Greb, Lindsay P. Cameron, Jonathan M. Wong, Eden V. Barragan, Paige C. Wilson, Kyle F. Burbach, Sina Soltanzadeh Zarandi, Alexander Sood, Michael R. Padd, Whitney C. Duim, Megan Y. Dennis, A. Kimberley McAllister, Kassandra M. Ori-McKenney, John A. Gray and David E. Olson Experiment Findings, February 2018 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331396378 SUMMARY Atrophy of neurons in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a key role in the pathophysiology of depression and related disorders. The ability to promote both structural and functional plasticity in the PFC has been hypothesized to underlie the fast-acting antidepressant properties of the [...]
Lire la suiteThe alkaloids of Banisteriopsis caapi, the plant source of the Amazonian hallucinogen Ayahuasca, stimulate adult neurogenesis in vitro Jose A. Morales-García, Mario de la Fuente Revenga, Sandra Alonso-Gil, María Isabel Rodríguez-Franco, Amanda Feilding, Ana Perez-Castillo & Jordi Riba Scientific Reports, 2017, 7, 5309 www.nature.com/scientificreports https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-05407-9 DOI:10.1038/s41598-017-05407-9 Abstract : Banisteriopsis caapi is the basic ingredient of ayahuasca, a psychotropic plant tea used in the Amazon for ritual and medicinal purposes, and by interested individuals worldwide. Animal studies and recent clinical research suggests that B. caapi preparations show antidepressant activity, a therapeutic effect that has been linked to hippocampal neurogenesis. Here we report that harmine, tetrahydroharmine and harmaline, the [...]
Lire la suiteEndocannabinoid-Mediated Control of Synaptic Transmission Masanobu KANO, Takako OHNO-SHOSAKU, Yuki HASHIMOTODANI, Motokazu UCHIGASHIMA, and Masahiko WATANABE Physiological Reviews, 2009, 89, 1, 309-380. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00019.2008 I. Introduction 310 II. Cannabinoid Receptors 311 A. CB1 receptor 311 B. CB2 receptor 315 C. “CB3” receptor 315 D. TRPV1 receptor 317 E. GPR55 receptor 317 III. CB1 Receptor Signaling 317 A. Intracellular signaling pathways 317 B. Suppression of transmitter release 318 C. Morphological changes 318 IV. Biochemistry of Endocannabinoids 318 A. Endocannabinoids 318 B. Biosynthesis of anandamide 319 C. Biosynthesis of 2-AG 320 D. Degradation of endocannabinoids 321 E. Endocannabinoid transport 321 F. Lipid raft 322 V. Endocannabinoid-Mediated Short-Term Depression 322 A. Endocannabinoid as a retrograde messenger 322 B. eCB-STD in various brain regions 324 C. Mechanisms of ecb-std 334 VI. [...]
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