Future Directions for Clinical Psychedelic Research : The Relaxed Symptom Network Evan Lewis-Healey, Ruben Laukkonen , Michiel van Elk Pre-Print, May 2021 Doi : 10.31234/osf.io/q3ymd Abstract Recent clinical trials have demonstrated that psilocybin may have strong antidepressant effects, and may be effective in the treatment of depressive disorders when embedded in a psychotherapeutic protocol (psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy; PAP). There are now dozens of registered and ongoing clinical trials that intend to test for the efficacy of psilocybin within a psychotherapeutic protocol. Despite promising results, the mechanism(s) that may be responsible for the antidepressant effects of PAP are still hotly contested. In this paper, we provide a [...]
Lire la suiteIntegrating Endocannabinoid Signaling and Cannabinoids into the Biology and Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Matthew N. Hill, Patrizia Campolongo, Rachel Yehuda and Sachin Pate Neuropsychopharmacology REVIEWS, 2018, 43, 80–102. doi : 10.1038/npp.2017.162 Exposure to stress is an undeniable, but in most cases surmountable, part of life. However, in certain individuals, exposure to severe or cumulative stressors can lead to an array of pathological conditions including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), characterized by debilitating trauma-related intrusive thoughts, avoidance behaviors, hyperarousal, as well as depressed mood and anxiety. In the context of the rapidly changing political and legal landscape surrounding use of cannabis products in the USA, [...]
Lire la suiteMedical cannabis and mental health : A guided systematic review, Zach Walsh, Raul Gonzalez, Kim Crosby, Michelle S. Thiessen, Chris Carroll, Marcel O. Bonn-Miller Clinical Psychology Review, 2017, 51, 15-29. Doi : 10.1016/j.cpr.2016.10.002 a b s t r a c t This review considers the potential influences of the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes (CTP) on areas of interest to mental health professionals, with foci on adult psychopathology and assessment. We identified 31 articles relating to the use of CTP and mental health, and 29 review articles on cannabis use and mental health that did not focus on use for therapeutic purposes. Results reflect the [...]
Lire la suiteThe Varieties of Psychedelic Epistemology Chris Letheby Published in N. Wyrd, D. Luke, A. Tollan, C. Adams, and D. King (eds.) : "Psychedelicacies: more food for thought from Breaking Convention", Strange Attractor Press, 2019. INTRODUCTION Is it possible to gain knowledge1 by taking psychedelic2 drugs? One influential answer is ‘yes’: according to this conception, by inducing mystical states of consciousness, psychedelics afford direct knowledge of supernatural, transcendent dimensions of reality. This is an entheogenic conception of the drugs as agents that “generate the divine within”. A second influential answer is ‘no’: since materialism or physicalism3 is true, there are no transcendent realities, and psychedelics [...]
Lire la suiteIn Vivo Availability of Cannabinoid 1 Receptor Levels in Patients With First-Episode Psychosis Faith Borgan, Heikki Laurikainen, Mattia Veronese, Tiago Reis Marques, Merja Haaparanta-Solin, Olof Solin, Tarik Dahoun, Maria Rogdaki, Raimo KR Salokangas, Max Karukivi, Marta Di Forti, Federico Turkheimer, Jarmo Hietala, Oliver Howes for the METSY Group JAMA Psychiatry, 2019. doi : 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.1427 IMPORTANCE Experimental and epidemiological studies implicate the cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) in the pathophysiology of psychosis. However, whether CB1R levels are altered in the early stages of psychosis and whether they are linked to cognitive function or symptom severity remain unknown. OBJECTIVE To investigate CB1R availability in first-episode psychosis (FEP) without the [...]
Lire la suiteThe Potential of Cannabidiol Treatment for Cannabis Users With Recent-Onset Psychosis Britta Hahn Schizophrenia Bulletin, 2018, vol. 44, no. 1, 46–53 doi:10.1093/schbul/sbx105 A major factor associated with poor prognostic outcome after a first psychotic break is cannabis misuse, which is prevalent in schizophrenia and particularly common in individuals with recent-onset psychosis. Behavioral interventions aimed at reducing cannabis use have been unsuccessful in this population. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a phytocannabinoid found in cannabis, although at low concentrations in modern-day strains. CBD has a broad pharmacological profile, but contrary to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD does not activate CB1 or CB2 receptors and has at most subtle subjective [...]
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 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 suiteAssessment of the Psychotherapeutic Effects of Ritual Ayahuasca Use on Drug Dependency : A Pilot Study Xavier Fernández, Rafael Guimarães dos Santos, Marta Cutchet, Sabela Fondevila, Débora González, Miguel Ángel Alcázar, Jordi Riba, José Carlos Bouso, Josep María Fábregas, Xavier Fernández, Rafael Guimarães dos Santos in "The Therapeutic Use of Ayahuasca", Chapter 11, 183-196 Beatriz Caiuby LABATE, Clancy CAVNAR Editors, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2014 First Online: 23 November 2013 Abstract Using personality, psychopathology, and neuropsychological assessment instruments, our team assessed the therapeutic effects of an ayahuasca ritual treatment. Data was collected at the Institute of Applied Amazonian Ethnopsychology (IDEAA), in the Brazilian Amazon Basin. Psychological assessments [...]
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