Molecular and Functional Imaging Studies of Psychedelic Drug Action in Animals and Humans Paul Cumming, Milan Scheidegger, Dario Dornbierer, Mikael Palner, Boris B. Quednow and Chantal Martin-Soelch Molecules, 2021, 26, 2451 doi : 10.3390/molecules26092451 Abstract : Hallucinogens are a loosely defined group of compounds including LSD, N,Ndimethyltryptamines, mescaline, psilocybin/psilocin, and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methamphetamine (DOM), which can evoke intense visual and emotional experiences. We are witnessing a renaissance of research interest in hallucinogens, driven by increasing awareness of their psychotherapeutic potential. As such, we now present a narrative review of the literature on hallucinogen binding in vitro and ex vivo, and the various molecular imaging studies with positron [...]
Lire la suiteLSD Increases Primary Process Thinking via Serotonin 2A Receptor Activation Rainer Kraehenmann, Dan Pokorny, Helena Aicher, Katrin H. Preller, Thomas Pokorny, Oliver G. Bosch, Erich Seifritz and Franz X. Vollenweider Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2017, Volume 8, Article 814, 1-9. Doi : 10.3389/fphar.2017.00814 Rationale : Stimulation of serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptors by lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and related compounds such as psilocybin has previously been shown to increase primary process thinking – an ontologically and evolutionary early, implicit, associative, and automatic mode of thinking which is typically occurring during altered states of consciousness such as dreaming. However, it is still largely unknown whether LSD induces [...]
Lire la suitePersisting Reductions in Cannabis, Opioid, and Stimulant Misuse After Naturalistic psychedelic Use : An Online Survey Albert Garcia-Romeu, Alan K. Davis, Earth Erowid, Fire Erowid, Roland R. Griffiths and Matthew W. Johnson Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2020, Vol 10, Article 955. Doi : 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00955 Background : Observational data and preliminary studies suggest serotonin 2A agonist psychedelics may hold potential in treating a variety of substance use disorders (SUDs), including opioid use disorder (OUD). Aims : The study aim was to describe and analyze self-reported cases in which naturalistic psychedelic use was followed by cessation or reduction in other substance use. Methods : An anonymous online survey of [...]
Lire la suiteSerotonin 2A Receptor Signaling Underlies LSD-induced Alteration of the Neural Response to Dynamic Changes in Music Frederick S. Barrett, Katrin H. Preller, Marcus Herdener, Petr Janata and Franz X. Vollenweider Cerebral Cortex, November 2018, 28, 3939–3950. doi : 10.1093/cercor/bhx257 Abstract Classic psychedelic drugs (serotonin 2A, or 5HT2A, receptor agonists) have notable effects on music listening. In the current report, blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal was collected during music listening in 25 healthy adults after administration of placebo, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and LSD pretreated with the 5HT2A antagonist ketanserin, to investigate the role of 5HT2A receptor signaling in the neural response to the time-varying tonal [...]
Lire la suiteRole of the 5-HT2A Receptor in Self- and Other-Initiated Social Interaction in Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-Induced States : A Pharmacological fMRI Study Katrin H. Preller, Leonhard Schilbach, Thomas Pokorny, Jan Flemming, Erich Seifritz, and Franz X. Vollenweider The Journal of Neuroscience, 2018, 38, (14), 3603–3611. Doi : 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1939-17.2018 Distortions of self-experience are critical symptoms of psychiatric disorders and have detrimental effects on social interactions. In light of the immense need for improved and targeted interventions for social impairments, it is important to better understand the neurochemical substrates of social interaction abilities. We therefore investigated the pharmacological and neural correlates of self- and other-initiated social interaction. In [...]
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