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Mushrooms / Psilocybin

Psychedelic Medicine: Is it a False Dawn or a Renaissance?

January 1, 2016 / Ketamine, LSD, MDMA, Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Papers, Publications / By /

Abstract

Aim: There has been renewed interest in “psychedelics” in the last 10 years and their usefulness in Psychiatric treatment explored. The aim of the article is to highlight current controversies surrounding psychedelics medicinal uses and address imminent international legislation changes and the effects these will have in the face of new evidence showing their efficacy in some resistant mental health diagnoses.
Conclusion: Possession and use of drugs that fall under the category of psychedelics is criminalized universally. They are considered to have no medical use and high potential for abuse. The dissensus about their use in treatment of mental disorders continues and there is a lack of compelling evidence proving their efficacy. Their use has far been limited to a handful of research centers, due to their criminalization, but the evidence is building and becoming very hard to ignore.
Ali, A. Y. (2016). Psychedelic Medicine: Is it a False Dawn or a Renaissance?. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience, 2016.
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Indoleamine Hallucinogens in Cluster Headache: Results of the Clusterbusters Medication Use Survey

November 23, 2015 / Headache Pain and Neurological Disorders, LSD, Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Papers, Psychiatry & Medicine, Publications / By / , , , , ,

Abstract

Cluster headache is one of the most debilitating pain syndromes. A significant number of patients are refractory to conventional therapies. The Clusterbusters.org medication use survey sought to characterize the effects of both conventional and alternative medications used in cluster headache. Participants were recruited from cluster headache websites and headache clinics. The final analysis included responses from 496 participants. The survey was modeled after previously published surveys and was available online. Most responses were chosen from a list, though others were free-texted. Conventional abortive and preventative medications were identified and their efficacies agreed with those previously published. The indoleamine hallucinogens, psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, and lysergic acid amide, were comparable to or more efficacious than most conventional medications. These agents were also perceived to shorten/abort a cluster period and bring chronic cluster headache into remission more so than conventional medications. Furthermore, infrequent and non-hallucinogenic doses were reported to be efficacious. Findings provide additional evidence that several indoleamine hallucinogens are rated as effective in treating cluster headache. These data reinforce the need for further investigation of the effects of these and related compounds in cluster headache under experimentally controlled settings.

Schindler, E. A., Gottschalk, C. H., Weil, M. J., Shapiro, R. E., Wright, D. A., & Sewell, R. A. (2015). Indoleamine Hallucinogens in Cluster Headache: Results of the Clusterbusters Medication Use Survey. Journal of psychoactive drugs, 1-10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2015.1107664

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Plant and Fungal Hallucinogens as Toxic and Therapeutic Agents

November 9, 2015 / Biology & Ethnobotany, DMT, Mescaline / Cacti, Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Papers, Psychology, Publications, Salvia / Salvinorin A / By / ,

Abstract

This chapter aimed to provide an overview of the large number of hallucinogens of natural origin. Following a literature review, the following hallucinogens were selected for a detailed description that considered their essential chemical groups: indoleamines (N,N-dimethyltryptamine, 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, bufotenine, psilocybin, and ibogaine), phenylethylamines (mescaline), tropane alkaloids (atropine and scopolamine), cannabinoids (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol), and a neoclerodane diterpenoid (salvinorin A). The following species were included as representative of each drug class: Mimosa tenuiflora, Psychotria viridis, Banisteriopsis caapi, Virola spp., Psilocybe spp., Tabernanthe iboga, Tabernaemontana spp., Lophophora spp., Trichocereus spp., Atropa belladonna, Brugmansia spp., Cannabis sativa, and Salvia divinorum, among others. In addition to psychopharmacological effects, this chapter aims to address the sociocultural and historical use of these hallucinogenic plants and mushrooms, along with the importance of both the set and the setting factors that affect the profound consciousness-altering effects of these compounds. Moreover, the use of animal models to predict the hallucinogenic properties of psychoactive plants and compounds and to investigate the mechanisms of action of psychodysleptic drugs is discussed. This chapter also attempts to establish a parallel between hallucinogens and endogenous neurotransmitters in humans, to compare the pharmacological and psychic action of these compounds, to evaluate hallucinogens’ ability to produce symptoms typical of certain mental disorders during their use, and to investigate the role of these compounds as therapeutic agents in several psychopathological conditions.

Carlini, E. A., & Maia, L. O. (2015). Plant and Fungal Hallucinogens as Toxic and Therapeutic Agents.

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Comparative phenomenology of psilocybin experiences in research and non-research settings

November 1, 2015 / Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Papers, Psychology, Publications, Substance Use Disorder / By / , , ,

Abstract

This study sought to compare questionnaire ratings of subjective experiences after psilocybin when administered in controlled research settings vs. uncontrolled, non-research settings.

Carbonaro, T. M., Klinedinst, M., Johnson, M. W., & Griffiths, R. R. (2015). Comparative phenomenology of psilocybin experiences in research and non-research settings. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 156, e36-e37.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.07.1017
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Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation: Abstinence outcomes and qualitative analysis of participant accounts

November 1, 2015 / Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Papers, Psychology, Publications, Substance Use Disorder / By / , , , , , ,

Abstract

We assessed long-term (>12 months) outcomes of psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation, and qualitatively analyzed participants’ accounts to inform potential psychological mechanisms of treatment efficacy.

Garcia-Romeu, A. P., Noorani, T., Griffiths, R. R., Johnson, M. W., Garey, L., Zvolensky, M. J., & Schmidt, N. B. (2015). Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation: Abstinence outcomes and qualitative analysis of participant accounts. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 156, e78.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.07.1130
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Sex differences and serotonergic mechanisms in the behavioural effects of psilocin

October 12, 2015 / Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Neuroscience, Papers, Publications / By / , , , , ,

Abstract

Psilocybin has recently attracted a great deal of attention as a clinical research and therapeutic tool. The aim of this paper is to bridge two major knowledge gaps regarding its behavioural pharmacology – sex differences and the underlying receptor mechanisms. We used psilocin (0.25, 1 and 4 mg/kg), an active metabolite of psilocybin, in two behavioural paradigms – the open-field test and prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle reaction. Sex differences were evaluated with respect to the phase of the female cycle. The contribution of serotonin receptors in the behavioural action was tested in male rats with selective serotonin receptor antagonists: 5-HT1A receptor antagonist (WAY100635 1 mg/kg), 5-HT2A receptor antagonist (MDL100907 0.5 mg/kg), 5-HT2B receptor antagonist (SB215505 1 mg/kg) and 5-HT2C receptor antagonist (SB242084 1 mg/kg). Psilocin induced dose-dependent inhibition of locomotion and suppression of normal behaviour in rats (behavioural serotonin syndrome, impaired PPI). The effects were more pronounced in male rats than in females. The inhibition of locomotion was normalized by 5-HT1A and 5-HT2B/C antagonists; however, PPI was not affected significantly by these antagonists. Our findings highlight an important issue of sex-specific reactions to psilocin and that apart from 5-HT2A-mediated effects 5-HT1A and 5-HT2C/B receptors also play an important role. These findings have implications for recent clinical trials.

Tylš, F., Páleníček, T., Kadeřábek, L., Lipski, M., Kubešová, A., & Horáček, J. (2015). Sex differences and serotonergic mechanisms in the behavioural effects of psilocin. Behavioural pharmacology. https://dx.doi.org/10.1097/FBP.0000000000000198

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Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin

October 6, 2015 / Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Papers, Psychology, Publications / By / , ,

Abstract

The 30-item revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30) was previously developed within an online survey of mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin-containing mushrooms. The rated experiences occurred on average eight years before completion of the questionnaire. The current paper validates the MEQ30 using data from experimental studies with controlled doses of psilocybin. Data were pooled and analyzed from five laboratory experiments in which participants (n=184) received a moderate to high oral dose of psilocybin (at least 20 mg/70 kg). Results of confirmatory factor analysis demonstrate the reliability and internal validity of the MEQ30. Structural equation models demonstrate the external and convergent validity of the MEQ30 by showing that latent variable scores on the MEQ30 positively predict persisting change in attitudes, behavior, and well-being attributed to experiences with psilocybin while controlling for the contribution of the participant-rated intensity of drug effects. These findings support the use of the MEQ30 as an efficient measure of individual mystical experiences. A method to score a “complete mystical experience” that was used in previous versions of the mystical experience questionnaire is validated in the MEQ30, and a stand-alone version of the MEQ30 is provided for use in future research.

Barrett, F. S., Johnson, M. W., & Griffiths, R. R. (2015). Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin. Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England). http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269881115609019
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Psychedelic medicine: a re-emerging therapeutic paradigm

September 8, 2015 / Ayahuasca, DMT, Humanities & Art, LSD, MDMA, Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Papers, Publications / By / ,

Introduction

In clinical research settings around the world, renewed investigations are taking place on the use of psychedelic substances for treating illnesses such as addiction, depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Since the termination of a period of research from the 1950s to the early 1970s, most psychedelic substances have been classified as “drugs of abuse” with no recognized medical value. However, controlled clinical studies have recently been conducted to assess the basic psychopharmacological properties and therapeutic efficacy of these drugs as adjuncts to existing psychotherapeutic approaches. Central to this revival is the re-emergence of a paradigm that acknowledges the importance of set (i.e., psychological expectations), setting (i.e., physical environment) and the therapeutic clinician–patient relationship as critical elements for facilitating healing experiences and realizing positive outcomes [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][…]
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Yensen, R., & Johnson, M. W. (2015). Psychedelic medicine: a re-emerging therapeutic paradigm. https://dx.doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.141124
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Psilocybin, psychological distress, and suicidality

September 1, 2015 / Depressive Disorders, Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Papers, Psychology, Publications / By / , ,

Abstract

Hendricks et al. (2015) found that having ever used any classic psychedelic substance—namely, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), ayahuasca, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), mescaline, peyote or San Pedro, or psilocybin—was associated with a significantly reduced likelihood of past month psychological distress (weighted OR = .81 (.72–.91)), past year suicidal thinking (weighted OR = .86 (.78–.94)), past year suicidal planning (weighted OR = .71 (.54–.94)), and past year suicide attempt (weighted OR = .64 (.46–.89)) in the United States adult population. Although these findings comport with an emerging literature suggesting classic psychedelics may be effective in the treatment of mental health conditions and prevention of self-harm, they do not speak to the potential risk profile or therapeutic applications of psilocybin in particular, which is the most commonly examined classic psychedelic in contemporary clinical research. Considering that psilocybin may be a candidate for future approved medical use in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other nations (Bogenschutz et al., 2015; Grob et al., 2011; Johnson et al., 2014; see also Nutt et al., 2013), an analysis of the specific relationships of psilocybin use with psychological distress and suicidality may help inform decisions by the United States Food and Drug Administration and regulatory bodies of other nations. The objectives of the current research, therefore, were to extend the analysis of Hendricks et al. (2015) by evaluating the associations of lifetime psilocybin use, per se, with past month psychological distress, past year suicidal thinking, past year suicidal planning, and past year suicide attempt in the United States adult population.

Hendricks, P. S., Johnson, M. W., & Griffiths, R. R. (2015). Psilocybin, psychological distress, and suicidality. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 29(9), 1041-1043. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269881115598338
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The mixed serotonin receptor agonist psilocybin reduces threat-induced modulation of amygdala connectivity

August 22, 2015 / Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Neuroscience, Papers, Psychology, Publications / By / , , , , ,

Abstract

Stimulation of serotonergic neurotransmission by psilocybin has been shown to shift emotional biases away from negative towards positive stimuli. We have recently shown that reduced amygdala activity during threat processing might underlie psilocybin’s effect on emotional processing. However, it is still not known whether psilocybin modulates bottom-up or top-down connectivity within the visual-limbic-prefrontal network underlying threat processing. We therefore analyzed our previous fMRI data using dynamic causal modeling and used Bayesian model selection to infer how psilocybin modulated effective connectivity within the visual–limbic–prefrontal network during threat processing. First, both placebo and psilocybin data were best explained by a model in which threat affect modulated bidirectional connections between the primary visual cortex, amygdala, and lateral prefrontal cortex. Second, psilocybin decreased the threat-induced modulation of top-down connectivity from the amygdala to primary visual cortex, speaking to a neural mechanism that might underlie putative shifts towards positive affect states after psilocybin administration. These findings may have important implications for the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders.

Kraehenmann, R., Schmidt, A., Friston, K., Preller, K. H., Seifritz, E., & Vollenweider, F. X. (2015). The mixed serotonin receptor agonist psilocybin reduces threat-induced modulation of amygdala connectivity. NeuroImage: Clinical. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2015.08.009
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