Natural Psychoplastogens As Antidepressant Agents

A Modern Overview of the Potential Therapeutic Effects of Psilocybin in the Treatment of Depressive Disorders, Treatment-Resistant Depression, and End-of-Life Distress

The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current findings and data on the therapeutic effects of psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic alkaloid primarily found in Psilocybe mushrooms. This review covers psilocybin's efficacy and safety profile, therapeutic effects, proposed indications and contraindications, drug-drug interactions, adverse reactions, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and dosing regimens as treatment guidelines. The goal is to offer a consolidated resource containing the essential pharmaceutical information on psilocybin currently available.

Advancements in Neurotechnology: Pioneering Brain Monitoring and Stimulation for Enhanced Treatment and Understanding

This Patent Highlight explores recent innovations in neuroscience and neurotechnology, particularly in brain monitoring and stimulation. It examines four essential patents: novel psychoplastogens for neuronal growth, techniques for transferring emotional states, and advanced systems for self-guided neural diagnostics and treatment. The discussion extends to deep brain stimulation (DBS) for motor and memory disorders, enhanced brain function monitoring through electroencephalography (EEG), and the role of artificial intelligence in personalizing treatment strategies. These advancements represent a pivotal development in neurotechnology, introducing innovative methodologies for elucidating neurological mechanisms, addressing psychiatric disorders, and augmenting cognitive and neural function.

Serotonergic psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT alters plasticity-related gene expression and generates anxiolytic effects in stressed mice

Serotonergic psychedelics have potential therapeutic effects in treating anxiety and mood disorders, often after a single dose, and are suggested to have plasticity-inducing action. However, a comprehensive mechanism of action is still lacking. Here, we investigated how a single dose of the short-acting 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) acts on gene expression from microdissected brain regions (anterior cingulate cortex - ACC; basolateral amygdala - BLA; ventral hippocampus CA1 region - vCA1 and dentate gyrus-DG) of naive and stressed mice. Specifically, we compared gene expression of Arc, Zif268, BDNF, CREB, mTORC1, NR2A, TRIP8b, and NFkB in mice injected with 5-MeO-DMT or saline at different time points (1 h, 5 h, or 5 days prior). 5-MeO-DMT altered mRNA expression of immediate early genes Arc and ZiF268 in the ACC, BLA, and vCA1, while NR2A expression was decreased after 5 h in the vCA1. We also found a long-term increase in TRIP8b, a gene related to the modulation of neuronal activity, in the vCA1 after 5 days. Behaviorally, 5-MeO-DMT treated mice showed mixed anxiolytic and anxiogenic effects in the elevated plus maze and open field test 24 h or 5 days after treatment. However, pre-treated mice subjected to acute stress showed both lower corticosterone levels and robust anxiolytic effects of 5-MeO-DMT administration. Together, our findings provide insights into the molecular actions of 5-MeO-DMT in the brain related to anxiolytic effects of behavior.

Psychoplastogens: A Novel Therapeutic Approach for Neurological Diseases and Disorders

Neurological diseases often involve changes in synaptic connectivity and plasticity. Psychoplastogens, substances that stimulate neuronal growth and enhance neural structures, show promise in mitigating these changes. They activate key biological targets, including AMPA receptors, TrkB, and mTOR. Substances like ketamine, scopolamine, N,N-dimethyltryptamine, and rapastinel have psychoplastogenic properties. In clinical trials, psychedelic psychoplastogens have demonstrated antidepressant, anxiolytic, and anti-addictive effects. The research described in this Patent Highlight suggests the potential for novel therapies in neurological disorders that leverage psychoplastogens, which modulate synaptic connections and plasticity.

Mini-review: The neurobiology of treating substance use disorders with classical psychedelics

The potential of psychedelics to persistently treat substance use disorders is known since the 1960s. However, the biological mechanisms responsible for their therapeutic effects have not yet been fully elucidated. While it is known that serotonergic hallucinogens induce changes in gene expression and neuroplasticity, particularly in prefrontal regions, theories on how specifically this counteracts the alterations that occur in neuronal circuitry throughout the course of addiction are largely unknown. This narrative mini-review endeavors to synthesize well-established knowledge from addiction research with findings and theories regarding the neurobiological effects of psychedelics to give an overview of the potential mechanisms that underlie the treatment of substance use disorders with classical hallucinogenic compounds and point out gaps in the current understanding.

Optimization through a Box-Behnken Experimental Design of the Microwave-Assisted Extraction of the Psychoactive Compounds in Hallucinogenic Fungi (Psylocibe cubensis)

Hallucinogenic fungi, mainly those from the Psilocybe genus, are being increasingly consumed even though there is no control on their culture conditions. Due to the therapeutic potential as antidepressants and anxiolytics of the alkaloids that they produce (psilocin and psilocybin), some form of control on their production would be highly recommended. Prior to identifying their optimal culture condition, a methodology that allows their study is required. Microwave-assisted extraction method (MAE) is a technique that has proven its efficiency to extract different compounds from solid matrices. For this reason, this study intends to optimize a MAE method to extract the alkaloids found in Psylocibe cubensis. A surface-response Box-Behnken design has been employed to optimize such extraction method and significantly reduce time and other resources in the extraction process. Based on the Box-Behnken design, 50 °C temperature, 60% methanol as extraction solvent, 0.6 g:10 mL sample mass:solvent ratio and 5 min extraction time, were established as optimal conditions. These mild conditions, combined with a rapid and efficient UHPLC analysis result in a practical and economical methodology for the extraction of psilocin and psilocybin from Psylocibe cubensis.

Pharmacologic Similarities and Differences Among Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens constitute a unique class of substances that cause changes in the user's thoughts, perceptions, and mood through various mechanisms of action. Although the serotonergic hallucinogens such as lysergic acid diethylamide, psilocybin, and N,N-dimethyltryptamine have been termed the classical hallucinogens, many hallucinogens elicit their actions through other mechanisms such as N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonism, opioid receptor agonism, or inhibition of the reuptake of monoamines including serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. The aim of this article is to compare the pharmacologic similarities and differences among substances within the hallucinogen class and their impact on physical and psychiatric effects. Potential toxicities, including life-threatening and long-term effects, will be reviewed.

Traditional Chinese Medicine for Coronary Artery Disease Treatment: Clinical Evidence From Randomized Controlled Trials

Traditional Chinese medicine has a history of more than 2,000 years and has been widely used in clinical practice. However, due to the lack of a reliable scientific basis, the role of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease is not clear. At present, the existing randomized controlled trials about traditional Chinese medicine for coronary artery disease have defects, small sample sizes, and different results, so it is difficult to make a clear conclusion on the actual advantages and disadvantages of traditional Chinese medicine. In this review, the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease were systematically evaluated through randomized controlled trials, most of which were double-blind trials. We reviewed 17 randomized controlled trials that included a total of 11,726 coronary artery disease patients. The methodological quality of the trials was generally high, with nine (52.94%) having a modified Jadad score of 7 and only three (17.65%) having a modified Jadad score of <3. There are 16 trials (94.12%) reporting safety; the safety of traditional Chinese medicine seems not to be inferior to that of mimetic, placebo, or western medications. Moreover, the results from 17 randomized controlled trials (100.00%) showed that traditional Chinese medicine can be applied as a complementary and alternative method to the primary and secondary prevention of coronary artery disease, and only six trials (35.29%) described adverse cardiovascular events specifically. However, it is necessary to assess the safety and efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine in treating coronary artery disease with long-term hard endpoints.

Use of hallucinogens in Slovakia: Does it differ from global trends?

BACKGROUND

People have been using hallucinogens for thousands of years and interest in these substances has grown in recent years. The aim of this study was to determine the basic socio-demographic data, preferences, experiences, and attitudes associated with hallucinogen use in Slovakia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional research design was used whereby an online survey included participants who had had at least one experience with hallucinogens (N = 422, age M = 27.78; SD = 7.84; SE = 0.38; 35.1% females). Due to the illegal, intimate, and minority nature of the phenomena studied, data was collected using the snowball sampling method via an online social network in groups that declared a drug focus.

RESULTS

Users of hallucinogens were mostly employed (61,8%) and in some form of partnership (57,6%); they usually have a high school diploma (46,68%) or a university degree (45,41%). They most often use psilocybin mushrooms, while the age of initial use (M = 19,61; SD = 5,39) as well as lifetime frequency use (M = 18,26; SD =  24,21; Median =  10) are similar to global trends. Free use without rituals was preferred to ceremonial use. In general, our sample of hallucinogen users considered the integration of psychedelic experiences to be simple rather than challenging. Concurrently, they tended to see hallucinogens as useful to humans, but realised that they are not without risk and can be somewhat dangerous. Males used hallucinogens for the first time at a younger age (p < .05, r = -.12), used more hallucinogens during their lifetime (p <.001, r = -.23), and demanded decriminalisation and legalisation more (p <.01, r = -.13) than females.

CONCLUSION

Slovak users of hallucinogens in our sample showed similar usage trends as users abroad. Even though both males and females perceive and evaluate hallucinogens very similarly, females are significantly more careful in using these substances.

Potential safety, benefits, and influence of the placebo effect in microdosing psychedelic drugs: A systematic review

Microdosing psychedelic drugs-that is, taking sub-behavioral doses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) or psilocybin-is a growing practice in Western societies. Taken mainly for creative or mood-enhancing purposes, thousands of users are increasingly being exposed to (micro)doses of psychedelic drugs. In this systematic review, we searched the available evidence from human studies, focusing our results in terms of three main axes: efficacy, safety, and the influence of the placebo effect in microdosing practices. While the available evidence has some strengths (e.g. large sample sizes, robust methodologies) there are also remarkable limitations (e.g. gender bias, heterogeneity of dosing schedules and drugs used). Highly contradictory results have been found, showing both the benefits and detriments of microdosing in terms of mood, creative processes, and energy, among other regards. This review provides a general overview of the methods and approaches used, which could be useful for improving future studies.