Homological scaffolds of brain functional networks G. Petri, Paul Expert, F. Turkheimer, Robin Carhart-Harris, David Nutt, P.J. hellyer, F. Vaccarino Journal of The Royal Society, Interface, 2014, 11, 20140873 Published : 06 December 2014 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2014.0873 Abstract Networks, as efficient representations of complex systems, have appealed to scientists for a long time and now permeate many areas of science, including neuroimaging (Bullmore and Sporns 2009 Nat. Rev. Neurosci.10, 186–198. (doi:10.1038/nrn2618)). Traditionally, the structure of complex networks has been studied through their statistical properties and metrics concerned with node and link properties, e.g. degree-distribution, node centrality and modularity. Here, we study the characteristics of functional brain networks at [...]
Lire la suiteCultural Neurophenomenology of Psychedelic Thought : Guiding the “Unconstrained” Mind Through Ritual Context Michael Lifshitz, Eli Sheiner, and Laurence J. Kirmayer The Oxford Handbook of Spontaneous Thought : Mind-Wandering, Creativity, and Dreaming, Edited by Kalina Christoff and Kieran C.R. Fox May 2018 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190464745.013.4 Abstract This chapter explores psychedelics as catalysts of spontaneous thought. Classic serotonergic psychedelics such as psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca can induce potent alterations in cognition and perception. The chapter reviews research on these substances through the lens of cultural neurophenomenology, which aims to trace how neurobiology and sociocultural factors interact to shape experience. After a decades-long hiatus, the scientific study of psychedelics [...]
Lire la suiteClassic Hallucinogens and Mystical Experiences : Phenomenology and Neural Correlates Frederick S. Barrett and Roland R. Griffiths The following chapter will appear in the Springer text “Behavioral Neurobiology of Psychedelic Drugs”, in the series “Current Topics in Behavioral Neuroscience” that is edited by Adam L Halberstadt, Franz X Vollenweider, and David E Nichols Current Topics in Behavioral Neuroscience, 2017 March 26. DOI: 10.1007/7854_2017_474 Abstract This chapter begins with a brief review of descriptions and definitions of mystical-type experiences and the historical connection between classic hallucinogens and mystical experiences. The chapter then explores the empirical literature on experiences with classic hallucinogens in which claims about mystical or religious experiences [...]
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 suiteHuman hallucinogen research : Guidelines for safety. Matthew W. Johnson, William A. Richards, Roland R. Griffiths Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2008, 22, 603–620. doi : 10.1177/0269881108093587 Abstract There has recently been a renewal of human research with classical hallucinogens (psychedelics). This paper first briefly discusses the unique history of human hallucinogen research, and then reviews the risks of hallucinogen administration and safeguards for minimizing these risks. Although hallucinogens are relatively safe physiologically and are not considered drugs of dependence, their administration involves unique psychological risks. The most likely risk is overwhelming distress during drug action ('bad trip'), which could lead to potentially dangerous behaviour such as [...]
Lire la suitePsychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy : A Paradigm Shift in Psychiatric Research and Development Eduardo Ekman Schenberg Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2018, Volume 9, Article 733, 1-11 doi: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00733 Abstract Mental disorders are rising while development of novel psychiatric medications is declining. This stall in innovation has also been linked with intense debates on the current diagnostics and explanations for mental disorders, together constituting a paradigmatic crisis. A radical innovation is psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP): professionally supervised use of ketamine, MDMA, psilocybin, LSD and ibogaine as part of elaborated psychotherapy programs. Clinical results so far have shown safety and efficacy, even for “treatment resistant” conditions, and thus deserve increasing attention [...]
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 suiteLong-term follow-up of psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation Johnson M.W., Garcia-Romeu A., Griffiths R.R. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 2017, 43, (1), 55–60 http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/00952990.2016.1170135 Abstract Background : A recent open-label pilot study (N = 15) found that two to three moderate to high doses (20 and 30 mg/70 kg) of the serotonin 2A receptor agonist, psilocybin, in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for smoking cessation, resulted in substantially higher 6-month smoking abstinence rates than are typically observed with other medications or CBT alone. Objectives : To assess long-term effects of a psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation program at ≥12 months after psilocybin administration. Methods : The present [...]
Lire la suiteUnifying Theories of Psychedelic Drug Effects Link R. Swanson Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2018, Volume 9, Article 172, 1-23 www.frontiersin.org (2 March 2018) doi: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00172 Abstract How do psychedelic drugs produce their characteristic range of acute effects in perception, emotion, cognition, and sense of self? How do these effects relate to the clinical efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapies? Efforts to understand psychedelic phenomena date back more than a century in Western science. In this article I review theories of psychedelic drug effects and highlight key concepts which have endured over the last 125 years of psychedelic science. First, I describe the subjective phenomenology of acute psychedelic effects using [...]
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 [...]
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