Classic psychedelics as therapeutics for psychiatric disorders
This chapter (49, Handbook of Behavioural Neuroscience) reviews the use of classical psychedelics and the resurgence of research of them as therapeutics for psychiatric disorders.
Authors
- Peter Hendricks
- David Nichols
- Charles Nichols
Published
Abstract
Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in the study of classic serotonergic hallucinogens, now widely referred to as classic psychedelics. These studies include fundamental molecular and cellular neuroscience and pharmacology, neuroimaging, and psychological experiments. In the early days of classic psychedelic research during the 1950s through the 1970s, classic psychedelics were examined for their therapeutic potential to treat disorders ranging from addiction to schizophrenia. After scheduling laws essentially halted classic psychedelic research worldwide for decades, beginning in the mid-2000s, a few select research groups were given regulatory approval to reinitiate clinical investigations with psilocybin. These studies demonstrated safety and allowed for the development of standardized methodology for conducting clinical trials with psilocybin and other classic psychedelics. There are now data from several clinical trials approved by the proper regulatory agencies in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere, suggesting safety and potentially profound efficacy to treat a variety of psychiatric disorders including anxiety, depression, and addiction.
Research Summary of 'Classic psychedelics as therapeutics for psychiatric disorders'
Introduction
Classic psychedelics have a long history of scientific and clinical interest, beginning with the isolation of mescaline in the late 19th century and the discovery of LSD's psychoactive effects in 1943. Earlier decades saw substantial research on LSD and related compounds, but much of this early work lacked the methodological rigour now expected in clinical science. More recent human studies have renewed interest in the therapeutic potential of classic psychedelics for conditions including anxiety, depression, end-of-life distress, and addiction, with particular clinical attention paid to psilocybin and ayahuasca. This chapter aims to assemble and evaluate the clinical evidence for classic psychedelics as therapeutics for psychiatric disorders and to consider putative mechanisms that might underlie observed benefits. Nichols and colleagues survey clinical trials, pilot studies, and preclinical findings, and they outline biological and psychological models — including a proposed role for the emotion of awe — that could link psychedelic experiences to durable clinical change. The authors frame current findings as promising but emphasise the need for rigorous, larger-scale research to resolve remaining uncertainties.
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Study Details
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- APA Citation
(2020). Classic psychedelics as therapeutics for psychiatric disorders. Handbook of Behavioral Neuroscience, 959-966. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-64125-0.00049-9
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Zamani, A., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Christoff, K. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2021)
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