Anxiety DisordersSchizophreniaNeuroimaging & Brain Measures

The neurobiology of psychedelic drugs: implications for the treatment of mood disorders

This oft-cited (457+) opinion/review article by Vollenweider & Kometer gives an overview of the neurobiology of psychedelics and where research stood in 2010.

Authors

  • Franz Vollenweider
  • Matthias Kometer

Published

Nature Reviews Neuroscience
meta Study

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 symptoms of these disorders. These findings raise the possibility that research into psychedelics might identify novel therapeutic mechanisms and approaches that are based on glutamate-driven neuroplasticity.

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Research Summary of 'The neurobiology of psychedelic drugs: implications for the treatment of mood disorders'

Introduction

Psychedelic drugs have long been of scientific and cultural interest because they induce profound alterations in perception, selfhood and emotion. Traditionally used in indigenous medical and religious practices, systematic research began in the 1950s after the discovery of LSD. Early work explored both the phenomenology of drug-induced states and potential therapeutic uses; classical hallucinogens (for example, LSD and psilocybin) and dissociative anaesthetics (for example, ketamine and PCP) were studied as tools to model psychosis and as adjuncts to psychotherapy. By the late 1960s and 1970s, however, regulatory restrictions and social controversy curtailed clinical research, leaving many questions about mechanisms and therapeutic utility unresolved. This Perspective takes stock of renewed research since the 1990s that combines modern neuroimaging, molecular pharmacology and clinical studies. Vollenweider and colleagues set out to review early and contemporary evidence on the therapeutic effects of classical hallucinogens and dissociative anaesthetics, and to synthesise mechanistic data relating to serotonergic and glutamatergic systems. The paper aims to evaluate how these neurobiological mechanisms could translate into treatments for mood and anxiety disorders, and to identify directions for future research and clinical development.

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Study Details

References (15)

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The neurobiology of psychedelic drugs:... — Research Summary & Context | Blossom