Psychedelic Research Links July 2023

This is all the other psychedelic research that came out in July 2023. These papers don’t (yet) have their own page in our database.

You can find all interesting papers in our Papers Database.

Related Papers

In Rodents

• Age-related impairment in fear memory extinction is restored by ketamine in middle-aged mice (in mice, “[O]ur results indicated that middle-aged mice were unable to extinguish fear memories, which could be treated with ketamine via presynaptic-mediated synaptic plasticity in middle-aged mice, suggesting that ketamine administration may be a new strategy for the treatment of PTSD“)

• Ethopharmacological evaluation of antidepressant-like effect of serotonergic psychedelics in C57BL/6J male mice (in mice, “These results suggest that 5-HT2A contributes to the antidepressant effects of serotonergic psychedelics rather than an anxiolytic effects.“)

• Lasting dynamic effects of the psychedelic 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (+/-)-DOI) on cognitive flexibility (in mice! pre-print “Here we show that a single dose of the psychedelic 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine ((+/-)-DOI) affects structural brain plasticity and cognitive flexibility in young adult mice beyond the acute drug experience.“)

• Traumatic brain injury-induced fear generalization in mice involves hippocampal memory trace dysfunction and is alleviated by (R,S)-ketamine (in mice, “These data show that TBI induces fear generalization by altering fear memory traces, and that this deficit can be improved with a single injection of (R,S)-ketamine.“)

• Ketamine counteracts sevoflurane-induced depressive-like behavior and synaptic plasticity impairments through the adenosine A2A receptor/ERK pathway in rats (in rats, “Our results suggest that ketamine mediates ERK1/2 phosphorylation by downregulating A2AR expression and that p-ERK1/2 increases the production of synaptic-associated proteins, enhancing synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus and thereby ameliorating the depressive-like behavior induced by sevoflurane inhalation in rats.“)

• Novel Iboga-derivatives Modulate Nociception and Inflammation in Acute Mouse Pain Model (in mice, “Iboga-analogs overturned the depleted BDNF whereas, GDNF elevation was further exaggerated. Taken together, these novel iboga-analogs, particularly iboga-alcohol, executed effective anti-nociception and prevented neuroinflammation.“)

• Designer Drug, 25D-NBOMe, Has Reinforcing and Rewarding Effects through Change of a Dopaminergic Neurochemical System (in rats, “[O]ur results show the abuse potential and neurochemical changes related to addictive behavior after administration of 25D-NBOMe.”)

• Psychoactive substances 25H-NBOMe and 25H-NBOH induce antidepressant-like behavior in male rats (in rats, “This study provides new insights into a potential psychedelic substance, specifically by demonstrating the previously unknown antidepressant properties of a single dose of both 25H-NBOMe and 25H-NBOH“)

• Administration effects of four psilocybin mushroom extracts on serotonin levels and endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity levels in vivo and in vitro after one hour (in rats, “Mushroom treatments were safe on the LV function and induced a significant serotonin level with the concentration investigated.“)

• Distinctive Molecular and Metabolic Profiles of Chemically Synthesized Psilocybin and Psychedelic Mushroom Extract (in mice, “our synaptic protein findings suggest that [“full spectrum” (psychedelic) mushroom extract] PME has a more potent and prolonged effect on synaptic plasticity than [chemically synthesized psilocybin] PSIL. Our metabolomics data support a gradient of effects from inert vehicle via chemical psilocybin to PME further supporting differential effects.“)

• A shea butter-based ketamine ointment: The antidepressant effects of transdermal ketamine in rats (in rats, “Transdermal ketamine ameliorated behavioral despair without altering general locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior, showing that skin-friendly drug carriers like shea butter may constitute promising alternatives to current routes of delivery for ketamine. “)

• 5-HT2AR and NMDAR psychedelics induce similar hyper-synchronous states in the rat cognitive-limbic cortex-basal ganglia system (in rats, LSD & DOI vs ketamine & PCP; “While interneurons and principal cells showed disparate firing rate modulations for the two classes of psychedelics, the local field potentials revealed a shared pattern of synchronized high-frequency oscillations in the ventral striatum and several cortical areas. Remarkably, the phase differences between structures were close to zero, corresponding to <1 ms delays.“)

• Low-dose ketamine improves animals’ locomotor activity and decreases brain oxidative stress and inflammation in ammonia-induced neurotoxicity (in rats, ketamine)

• A role of splenic heme biosynthesis pathway in the persistent prophylactic actions of arketamine in lipopolysaccharide-treated mice (in mice, arketamine. “Therefore, the heme biosynthesis pathway could be a new target for the prevention of relapse in MDD patients.“)

• Noribogaine effects on wakefulness and sleep (in rats, “ Our results show that noribogaine promotes wakefulness while reducing slow-wave sleep and blocking REM sleep. Thus, like ibogaine, noribogaine significantly alters the sleep-wake architecture, highlighting the possible role of serotonin reuptake inhibition as a likely candidate underlying the wake-promoting and REM sleep-suppressing effects.“)

• Identification of 5-HT2A Receptor Signaling Pathways Responsible for Psychedelic Potential (in mice, pre-print, “We show that 5-HT2A-Gq but not 5-HT2A-β-arrestin2 efficacy predicts psychedelic potential, assessed using head-twitch response (HTR) magnitude in male mice. We further show that disrupting Gq-PLC signaling attenuates the HTR and a threshold level of Gq activation is required to induce psychedelic-like effects, consistent with the fact that certain 5-HT2A partial agonists (e.g., lisuride) are non-psychedelic. “)

Chemistry

• Lysergic acid diethylamide stimulates cardiac human H2 histamine and cardiac human 5-HT4-serotonin receptors (in human heart cells, shows affinity for 5-HT4 receptor for LSD, potential cardiac (heart) effects of LSD)

• A molecular analysis of substituted phenylethylamines as potential microtubule targeting agents through in-vitro microtubule-polymerization activity (chemistry, identification of phenylethylamines (mescaline-like))

• Overview of the synthetic approaches to lysergic acid as a precursor to the psychedelic LSD (synthesis)

• Synthesis of R- and S-MDMA via nucleophilic ring-opening of homochiral N-tosylaziridines (synthesis)

• Organic Impurity Profiling of 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) Synthesised from Helional (synthesis/identification of process used)

• Identification of 1-(thiophene-2-carbonyl)-LSD from blotter paper falsely labeled “1D-LSD” (identification)

• A Route to Potent, Selective, and Biased Salvinorin Chemical Space (synthesis, Salvinorin-based psychedelics)

• N-Dibenzofuranylmethyl-Substituted 4-Bromo-2,5-Dimethoxyphenethylamines as 5-HT2 Receptor Partial Agonists (chemistry, novel molecules, “[A] very bulky N-substituent on a phenethylamine 5-HT2 receptor agonist still allows receptor binding and activation, although its effect on potency, at least in the canonical G-protein pathway, is unremarkable.”)

• Structure–Activity Assessment and In-Depth Analysis of Biased Agonism in a Set of Phenylalkylamine 5-HT2A Receptor Agonists (chemistry, analysis of activation of 5-HT2a receptors)

• Mining and Characterization of Indolethylamine N-Methyltransferases in Amphibian Toad Bufo gargarizans (chemistry, “Our research unveils the binding residues of BINMT for 5-HT analogues for the first time and initiates the study of INMTs in amphibian toads, serving as a tentative reference for further study of BINMT and providing insight into the comprehension of BINMT’s catalytic mechanism and its role in the biosynthesis of 5-HT analogues in Bufo toads.“)

• Separation of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide and Its Analogues by High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (chemistry)

Perspectives/Opinions

• Re The prescription of psychedelic therapies in Australia and New Zealand: A brief survey of psychiatrists (commentary)

• The Intricate Interaction Between Expectations and Therapeutic Outcomes of Psychedelic Agents (viewpoint)

• Critique of “Changed Substance Use After Psychedelic Experiences Among Individuals in Canada” (letter to the editor)

• Pattern breaking: a complex systems approach to psychedelic medicine (perspective)

• Science, safety and education: Informing the psychedelic treatment of psychiatric disorders (editorial)

• Exploring the Unique Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelics to Reduce Chronic Shame Among Sexual and Gender Minority Adults (theory building)

• Trip Where you Stand: Towards Psychedelic Liberation (perspective/conversation)

• Must Psilocybin Always “Assist Psychotherapy”? (perspective, from leaders at COMPASS Pathways)

• A multidisciplinary approach to Mental Health and Consciousness Studies (introduction to journal edition)

• Muslim Women and Psychedelics: a Look at the Past, Present, and Future (perspective)

• Bayesian analysis of real-world data as evidence for drug approval: Remembering Sir Michael Rawlins (editorial, “Here, we follow the footsteps of Sir Michael Rawlins and highlight how the combination of real-world evidence (RWE) and Bayesian probability analyses could complement the traditional approach of RCTs and null hypothesis significance testing (NHST).“)

• Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for cancer-related anxiety and depression (commentary)

• What Is in a Name? The Many Meanings of “Psychedelic” (letter to the editor)

• A predictive coding approach to psychedelic virtual-induced hallucinations and creative cognition in aging (perspective/theory building)

• Scientifically Integrating Psychedelics with Counseling: Education, Guidance, and Implications for Mental Health Practitioners (commentary)

• Psychedelics for Psychological Suffering at the End of Life – Prioritizing Our Priorities (commentary)

• Psychedelics to Relieve Psychological Suffering Associated with a Life-Threatening Diagnosis: Time for a Canadian Policy Discussion (commentary)

• Psychedelics as Therapeutics—Potential and Challenges (viewpoint)

• What to do about the woo? Philosophy and Psychedelics. Frameworks for Exceptional Experience (commentary/review)

• Acid feminism: Gender, psychonautics and the politics of consciousness (perspective)

• Drugs, techno and the ecstasy of queer bodies (essay)

Reviews

• Risk of bias in randomized clinical trials on psychedelic medicine: A systematic review (review, “[W]e suggest that future trials use a parallel-group design and utilize an active placebo on a psychedelic-naïve population. Future trials should publish trial protocol and SAPs, use clinician-rated outcomes accessed by a blinded rater, evaluate blinding of intervention, and consider measuring expectancy and therapeutic fidelity.”)

• Introduction to the chemistry and pharmacology of psychedelic drugs (review, chemistry & pharmacology)

• Addressing the Current Knowledge and Gaps in Research Surrounding Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), Psilocybin, and Psilocin in Rodent Models (review)

• The resurgence of hallucinogen drugs in clinical research (review)

• Ketamine for Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: State of the Field (review)

• A Review of MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (review)

• Psychoactive substances in psychotherapy – A vision for the future? – A systematic review on Psilocybin (review)

• Psychedelics-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of depression (review, German)

• The Role of Glutamate Underlying Treatment-resistant Depression (review)

• Anhedonia and Depressive Disorders (review, covers ketamine)

• Psychoactive substances in psychotherapy – A vision for the future? – A systematic review on Psilocybin (review)

• Changes in synaptic markers after administration of ketamine or psychedelics: a systematic scoping review (review)

• Outcomes of usage of psychedelics by people reporting an eating disorder in clinical and non-clinical settings: a scoping review (review)

• The Resurgence of Hallucinogen Drugs in Clinical Research (review)

• Metabolites Study of Experimental Plant Derived Alkaloids: A Review (review)

• Sexual Dysfunction Related to Ketamine Use: a Systematic Review (review)

• A Systematic Review on the Therapeutic Effects of Ayahuasca (review)

• Effect of Ketamine on Postoperative Neurocognitive Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (review, “There was no statistically significant difference in incidences of postoperative delirium, vasopressor requirement, and fentanyl consumption between the ketamine and control groups. However, hallucinations were more frequently reported in the ketamine group.“)

• Suicide prevention and ketamine: insights from computational modeling (review)

• Management of convulsive status epilepticus: recent updates (review, briefly covers ketamine)

• Psychedelic therapies reconsidered: compounds, clinical indications, and cautious optimism (review)

• Natural psychedelics in the treatment of depression; a review focusing on neurotransmitters (review)

• Psychedelic therapies reconsidered: compounds, clinical indications, and cautious optimism (narrative review)

• Microbiome: The Next Frontier in Psychedelic Renaissance (review)

• Ketamine and rapid antidepressant action: new treatments and novel synaptic signaling mechanisms (review)

• The Potential for Psychedelics to Improve Coping Skills and Resilience in Persons With Newly Diagnosed Mild Cognitive Impairment or Early Alzheimer’s Disease (review, psychological help for those with Alzheimer’s)

• Overweeg (es)ketamine bij therapieresistente depressie (review, Dutch)

• Psychoactive drugs and male fertility: impacts and mechanisms (review, finds negative effect of psychoactive drugs on male fertility)

• All-natural 5-MeO-DMT sigma receptor 1 agonist and its therapeutic impact in mental and neurodegenerative diseases through mitochondrial activation (review)

• Could classic psychedelics influence immigrants’ acculturation process? A narrative review contemplating how (review)

Other

• Psychologists’ and psychotherapists’ knowledge, attitudes, and clinical practices regarding the therapeutic use of psychedelics (n=237, attitudes of mental health providers, most lacked knowledge about psychedelics)

• Festivals following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions: Prevalence of new psychoactive substances and illicit drugs (finding novel psychedelics (NPS) at festivals)

• Tune in, Turn on: Religious Music and Spiritual Power in the History of Psychedelic Therapy (history, music x psychedelics)

• Altered states of leadership: mindfulness meditation, psychedelic use, and leadership development (n=3150, survey, leadership x psychedelics (and mindfulness))

• Currents of Knowledge: the Santo Daime bailado as decolonial dance (ethnographic, music)

• Dutch newspapers on war victims and their LSD-treatment by Jan Bastiaans, from KZ-syndrome to PTSD (book review)

• Food of the Gods? (academic book chapter)

• AI Chatbots, Health Privacy, and Challenges to HIPAA Compliance (law/compliance)

• Effect of continuous subanesthetic esketamine infusion on postoperative fatigue in patients undergoing laparoscopic radical resection for colorectal cancer: a randomized controlled study (n=62, RCT, “inally, our study suggested that subanesthetic esketamine improved postoperative fatigue, stabilized postoperative mood, reduced intraoperative remifentanil consumption, and promoted postoperative intestinal function recovery without increasing adverse reactions.“)

• Psychologists’ Attitudes and Experiences Regarding Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy (PAP), Specifically MDMA (thesis, n=67, psychologists who used psychedelics are more open to them)

• Analysis of the Different Potential Treatment Venues of Psychedelic Medicines (thesis)

• Unraveling Psychedelic Responses: Targeted Protein Degradation and Genetic Diversity (patent highlight)

• The Synergistic Effects of 5-HT2A and TRP Agonism/Antagonism in Reducing Inflammation for Enhanced Mental and Physical Health (patent highlight)

• The Santo Daime – Reflections on Hybridism and (Multi)territorialities (Portuguese, review)

• Is the use of psilocybin effective in treating depression? (Portuguese, review)

• The Use of Chacrona (Psychotria Viridis Ruiz & Pav) and Mariri (Banisteriopsis Caapi Spruce Ex Griseb. Morton) as Mystic-religious Plant: a Literature Review (Portuguese, review)

• Confronting the figure of the “mad scientist” in psychedelic history: LSD’s use as a correctional tool in the postwar period (history)

• Social anxiety and MDMA-assisted therapy investigation: a novel clinical trial protocol (clinical trial protocol for “Social Anxiety MDMA-Assisted Therapy Investigation“)

• Translation and Initial Psychometric Evaluation of Spanish Versions of Three Psychedelic Acute Effects Measures: Mystical, Challenging, and Insight Experiences (translation of psychedelic measures to Spanish)

• Effects of different doses of esketamine intervention on postpartum depressive symptoms in cesarean section women: A randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical study (esketamine for PPD, (probably to add later))

• Imprinting: expanding the extra-pharmacological model of psychedelic drug action to incorporate delayed influences of sets and settings (n=2 (from n=26), environment ‘imprinting’ around KAT)

• Ecstasy use discussion in Dutch current affairs TV programs. A methodological exploration of Automatic Speech Recognition metadata (analysis of Dutch TV reporting around MDMA/Ecstasy)

• Automated Detection of Psychedelic-Induced Head-Twitch Response in Mice (academic book chapter, protocol)

• Reports from EPA 2023 abstractsImprovement in Depression Symptoms Measured by Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale and Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Rated Items after Randomised Double-blind COMP360 Psilocybin Therapy for Treatment-resistant Depression Systematic Review on the Mechanisms of Action of Psilocybin in the Treatment of Depression The Effects of Serotonergic Psychedelics on Neural Activity: A Meta-Analysis of Task-Based Functional Neuroimaging Studies A systematic review to assess the use of psilocybin in the treatment of headaches Possible psychotic episode after repeated ayahuasca intake: a case report The therapeutic potential of psilocybin in depression resistant to psychotropic drugs Psilocybin as an antidepressant strategy – a review of safety aspects Psychedelics for depression: from neurobiology to treatment Evidence that Moved Psychedelic Medicine from the Fringe to the Mainstream in 2022

• Reports by explorers and travelers and the first scientific studies on ayahuasca (dating from 1850 to 1950) within the current debate on the “psychedelic renaissance” (history)

• Ketamine for Treatment-Resistant Depression and Suicidality in Adolescents: An Observational Study of 3 Cases (case study, n=3, ketamine for TRD/SI in adolescents)

• A right to try psychedelics? (thesis)

• Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression without psychedelic effects: study protocol for a 4-week, double-blind, proof-of-concept randomised controlled trial (study protocol)

• Ketamine-induced changes in resting state connectivity, 2 h after the drug administration in patients with remitted depression (n=35, ketamine, brain study)

• Central nervous system-related safety and tolerability of add-on ketamine to standard of care treatment in treatment-resistant psychotic depression in patients with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder (n=36, ketamine, safety)

• Psychoactive substance use in patients diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: an exploratory study (n=438, survey, ADHD x psychedelics)

• “Why would you open someone’s brain up?” Lived experience insights inform a psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy treatment manual for body image disturbance (n=6, panel, challenges identification in psychedelics for body image disturbance (BID))

• On the mushrooming reports of “quiet quitting”: Employees’ lifetime psilocybin use predicts their overtime hours worked (from n=217k survey, more psilocybin = less work, correlational)