Frontier mental health research: psychedelics & drug studies

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6 papers

Post-Psychedelic Reductions in Experiential Avoidance Are Associated With Decreases in Depression Severity and Suicidal Ideation

Richard J. Zeifman, Anne Catherine Wagner, Ros Watts, Hannes Kettner, Lea J. Mertens, Robin Carhart‐Harris
Frontiers in Psychiatry Summary & key facts 2020 101 citations

Researchers followed two groups of people who planned to use a psychedelic. They gave questionnaires before the trip, then about two weeks and four weeks after. On average, people reported less avoidance of painful thoughts and feelings, lower depression scores, and less thinking about suicide after using a psychedelic. The…

Chemical synthesis and alkaloids Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies Other

Examining the Potential Synergistic Effects Between Mindfulness Training and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

Maria Eleni Eleftheriou, Emily M Thomas
Frontiers in Psychiatry Summary & key facts 2021 37 citations

Researchers looked at studies on mindfulness training and psychedelic-assisted therapy. They found both can reduce mental-health symptoms and boost well-being. Early results also show that psychedelics can make people more mindful. Combining the two might give stronger benefits, but the evidence is still early. Bigger and better studies are needed…

Chemical synthesis and alkaloids Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies Psychedelics and Drug Studies Other

On Perception and Consciousness in HPPD: A Systematic Review

Pieter J. Vis, Anna E. Goudriaan, Bastiaan C. ter Meulen, Jan Dirk Blom
Frontiers in Neuroscience Summary & key facts 2021 37 citations

Researchers read through 66 published case reports and case series about a condition called hallucinogen‑persisting perception disorder, or HPPD. Together the reports described about 100 people and 64 different perceptual problems. The review found that HPPD often involves many kinds of symptoms, not just the classic visual "flashbacks," and that…

Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies Other

Indigenous-Amazonian Traditional Medicine’s Usage of the Tobacco Plant: A Transdisciplinary Ethnopsychological Mixed-Methods Case Study

Ilana Berlowitz, Ernesto García Torres, Caroline Maake, Ursula Wolf, Chantal Martin‐Soelch
Plants Summary & key facts 2023 13 citations

Researchers reported a single case where a traditional Amazonian healer gave a weeklong, ritual treatment that included drinking a liquid made from the native tobacco plant. The patient was a 37-year-old woman with diagnosed low mood, anxiety, and attention problems plus a long-term physical health issue. The team used both…

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies Medicinal Plant Extracts Effects Psychedelics and Drug Studies Other

The potential of 5‐methoxy‐N,N‐dimethyltryptamine in the treatment of alcohol use disorder: A first look at therapeutic mechanisms of action

Stephan Tap
Addiction Biology Summary & key facts 2024 11 citations

This paper is a first look at whether the fast-acting psychedelic 5‑MeO‑DMT might help people with alcohol use disorder. The authors reviewed existing studies in humans and animals and found early signs that 5‑MeO‑DMT can cause intense mystical feelings and a loss of self-boundaries, and that it changes brain rhythms…

Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies LSD Other

Ayahuasca and Its Main Component N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) for the Treatment of Mental Disorders: Mechanisms of Action, Clinical Studies, and Tools to Explore the Human Mind

Alice Melani, Giorgia Papini, Marco Bonaso, Letizia Biso, Shivakumar Kolachalam, Nicola Luigi Bragazzi, et al.
Biomedicines Summary & key facts 2026 0 citations

This paper reviews research on ayahuasca and its main ingredient, DMT, and how they might help with mental health. Ayahuasca is a plant brew that makes DMT work when you drink it because it also contains chemicals that stop the body from breaking DMT down. Lab studies and a small…

Alkaloids: synthesis and pharmacology Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis Psychedelics and Drug Studies Ayahuasca MDMA
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