Psychedelics Research Links November 2021

This is all the other psychedelic research that came out in November 2021. These papers don’t (yet) have their own page in our database.

Find our recap of the most interesting papers this month in our November Recap.

You can find all interesting papers in our Papers Database.

Related papers

Use CTRL/CMD+F to quickly search if anything relevant for you has been published this month.

• Atypical longitudinal self-inflicted incised wounds as a cause of death in an ecstasy user (n=1, suicide by cuts linked to MDMA by authors)

• The upregulation of Nur77 decreases ketamine-induced hippocampal neurons toxicity in rats (in rats, “The mechanism of Nur77 involved antioxidation, apoptosis signaling pathway and inflammation signaling pathway.“)

• Preclinical Behavioral Assessment of Chronic, Intermittent Low-Dose Psilocybin in Rodent Models of Depression and Anxiety (dissertation, in rats, microdose every 3 days (over 48 days, 16x), no antidepressant or anti-anxiety effects found)

• Diversification of ergot alkaloids and heritable fungal symbionts in morning glories (preprint, ergot alkaloids are concentrated in four morning glory clades exhibiting differences in alkaloid profiles)

• Wastewater-based epidemiology for illicit drugs: A critical review on global data (drug consumption in the various continents assessed using wastewater-based epidemiology)

• A potential effect of psilocybin on anxiety in neurotic personality structures in adolescents (case study, subjective report of a 16 year old’s experience using psilocybin to self-medicate)

• Associations between discrimination and substance use among college students in the United States from 2015 to 2019 (how does discrimination effect patterns of substance use in college students)

• Harmine impairs memory performance of treated rats and nontreated cagemates (β-carboline harmine, an Ayahuasca component, impaired memory rodents)

• Dosing Psychedelics and MDMA (book chapter discussing different aspects of dosing psychedelics)

• Social, psychological, and substance use characteristics of U.S. adults who use kratom: Initial findings from an online, crowdsourced study (survey exploring the effects of kratom on a number of variables)

• Foundations for Training Psychedelic Therapists (book chapter presenting a model for training psychedelic therapists)

• The potential role of lysergic acid diethylamide for psychological assisted therapy: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials in healthy volunteers (meta-analysis, the effects of LSD in healthy volunteers)

• Potential processes of change in MDMA-Assisted therapy for social anxiety disorder: Enhanced memory reconsolidation, self-transcendence, and therapeutic relationships (narrative review, how may MDMA treat social anxiety disorder)

• Participant Experiences on a Medicinal Plant Diet at Takiwasi Center: An In-Depth Small-Scale Survey (interviews of participants undergoing the medicinal plant diet used in traditional Amazonia medicine)

• Molecular targets of psychedelic-induced plasticity (review, how psychedelics may induce plasticity)

• (2-Aminopropyl)benzo[β]thiophenes (APBTs) are novel monoamine transporter ligands that lack stimulant effects but display psychedelic-like activity in mice (in vitro and in vivo study of novel psychoactive compounds; APBTs)

• Developmental exposure to MDMA (ecstasy) in zebrafish embryos reproduces the neurotoxicity adverse outcome ‘lower motor activity’ described in humans (“…we have established the experimental conditions leading to the adverse outcome “lower motor activity” in zebrafish without producing general developmental delay or general toxicity.”)

• Integrative Ketamine Therapy May Enhance Mental Health Collaborations with Traditional Indigenous Healing in Canadian Health Care (thesis, how ketamine may help Indegenous heal in Canada)

• Severe epileptic seizures after accidental MDMA exposure in a 14-month-old child

• Is one or two infusions better in the first week of low-dose ketamine treatment for medication-resistant depression? A post hoc pooled analysis of randomized placebo-controlled and open-label trials (“Repeated low-dose ketamine infusions improved the antidepressant effect, but not the antisuicidal effect, compared with a single infusion. However, repeated ketamine infusions may exert a lesser anti-inflammatory effect than a single infusion.“)

• Psychedelic-Inspired Medium-Throughput Assays for the Development of Next-Generation Neurotherapeutics (thesis, under supervision of David Olson)

• Couple Therapy With MDMA—Proposed Pathways of Action (theory paper exploring MDMA-assisted therapy for couples)

• Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy for Social Adaptability in Autistic Adults (explores the history and future of psychedelics and autism)

• Ayahuasca for the Treatment of Depression (review of the antidepressant effects of ayahuasca)

• Novel Treatment Approaches for Substance Use Disorders: Therapeutic Use of Psychedelics and the Role of Psychotherapy (review of the use of psychedelics to treat substance use disorders)

• Ayahuasca and the traveller: A scoping review of risks and possible benefits (review exploring the use of ayahuasca to treat mental health disorders)

• How Psychoactive Drugs and the Circadian Clock Are Enlightening One Another (book chapter, explore the link between psychoactive drugs and the circadian rhythm)

• Protective effects of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin on 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-induced spatial learning and memory impairment (rodent study, investigating the neuroprotective effects of Statins on MDMA-induced neurotoxicity)

• New iboga-type alkaloids from Ervatamia officinalis and their anti-inflammatory activity (four new ibogaine-alkaloids identified and their anti-inflammatory properties investigated)

• Natural Products for the Treatment of Pain: Chemistry and Pharmacology of Salvinorin A, Mitragynine, and Collybolide (a review of the phytochemistry and medicinal chemistry of the opioid receptor agonists)

• Lack of evidence for positive reinforcing and prosocial effects of MDMA in pair-housed male and female rats (rodent study, “social contact does not increase the positive reinforcing effects of MDMA in rats“)

• Molecular Mechanisms of Psilocybin and Implications for the Treatment of Depression ( Review, receptor pharmacology and neuronal mechanisms underlying the antidepressant properties of psilocybin)

• Novel Treatment Approaches for Substance Use Disorders: Therapeutic Use of Psychedelics and the Role of Psychotherapy (review, how psychedelics can promote and intensify psychotherapeutic key processes)

• Psychedelic medicines for mood disorders current evidence and clinical considerations (review, current state of psychedelic research)

• Beyond the Psychoactive Effects of Ayahuasca: Cultural and Pharmacological Relevance of Its Emetic and Purging Properties (review, the purging effects of ayahuasca)

• Molecular Insights into Psychedelic Drug Action (review, psychedelic drug action)

• Entheogen-Assisted Self-Transcendence & Psychospiritual Development: A Study of Positive Psychedelic Drug Use (thesis, examining the relationship between psychedelic experiences and positive adult development)

• Ketamine for psychotic depression: An overview of the glutamatergic system and ketamine’s mechanisms associated with antidepressant and psychotomimetic effects (review, the antidepressant effects of ketamine on the glutamatergic system)

• Ayahuasca blocks ethanol preference in an animal model of dependence and shows no acute toxicity (rodent study, ayahuasca has low-risk toxicity and could contribute to the treatment of alcohol use disorders)

• Psilocybin for the Treatment of Depression: A Promising New Pharmacotherapy Approach (book chapter, explores some evidence for using psilocybin to treat depression)

• Examining attitudes to psilocybin: Should candidates for medical psilocybin be required to pass a contextual suitability test (preprint, exploring the need for a suitability test before being prescribed psilocybin)

• Psilocybin, a Naturally Occurring Indoleamine Compound, Could Be Useful to Prevent Suicidal Behaviors (review, presents a framework to understand the basis for psilocybin use in individuals who are at risk of suicidal behaviors)

• Garcina Kola Neuroprotective effects on the Prefrontal Cortex Cyto-architecture of MDMA-induced Neuroinflammation in male Wistar Rats Model (rodent study, the neuroprotective effects of Garcina Kola on MDMA-induced neurotoxicity)

• Psychedelics for the treatment of depression, anxiety, and existential distress in patients with a terminal illness: a systematic review (review, the ability of psychedelics to treat existential distress, depression, and anxiety in terminally ill patients)

• Bibliometric Analysis of Academic Journal Articles Reporting Results of Psychedelic Clinical Studies (preprint, review of psychedelic research articles published from 1965-2018)

• Electrochemical detection of MDMA and 2C-B in ecstasy tablets using a selectivity enhancement strategy by in-situ derivatization (a method for detecting MDMA and 2-CB in ecstasy tablets)

• Restructuring insight: An integrative review of insight in problem-solving, meditation, psychotherapy, delusions and psychedelics (preprint, an integrative review providing a better understanding of insight)

• Anxiety-related Symptoms following the Sporadic Use of Ecstasy – A Case Study (case study, exploring anxiety symptoms induced by MDMA)

• Return of the lysergamides. Part VII: Analytical and behavioural characterization of 1-valeroyl-d-lysergic acid diethylamide (1V-LSD) (“the median effective dose for 1V-LSD was 373 nmol/kg, which was about a third of the potency of LSD“, it most probably serves as a prodrug for LSD)

• 2-((2-(4-Iodo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)ethylamino)methyl)phenol (25I-NBOH) and 2-(((2-(4-chloro-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl)amino)methyl)phenol (25C-NBOH) induce adverse effects on the cardiovascular system (in rats, possible adverse effects on heart)

• Remission of functional motor symptoms following esketamine administration in a patient with treatment-resistant depression: a single-case report (6 months, weekly esketamine treatment, also remission of functional movement disorders (FMD) next to successful depression treatment)

• Rapid-acting antidepressants and the circadian clock (looks specifically at ketamine and how it may mirror sleep deprivation)

• Psilocybin Conspectus: Status, Production Methods and Considerations (review)

• The place of S-ketamine in fibromyalgia treatment (ESKEFIB): study protocol for a prospective, single-center, double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, dose-escalation controlled trial (trial comparing S-ketamine to control for the treatment of fibromyalgia)

• Psychedelic Epistemology: William James and the “Noetic Quality” of Mystical Experience (exploring the epistemological category of the noetic quality)

• Consenting to consent (discusses issues of consent in research)

• Salvia divinorum increases alcohol intake and tonic immobility whilst decreasing food intake in Wistar rats (rodent study, salvia increases alcohol intake in rats)

• Novel experimental and early investigational drugs for the treatment of bipolar disorder (review, covering existing and novel treatments for bipolar disorder)

• Psychedelics and hallucinogens in Psychiatry: finding new pharmacological targets (review, psychedelics may be useful for treating some mental disorders)

• Case Report: Unexpected Remission From Extreme and Enduring Bulimia Nervosa With Repeated Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (case study, first case of bulimia treated with KAP)