Frontier mental health research: psychedelics & drug studies

Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.

4 papers

The effect of five day dosing with THCV on THC-induced cognitive, psychological and physiological effects in healthy male human volunteers: A placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover pilot trial

Amir Englund, Zerrin Atakan, Aleksandra Kralj, Nigel Tunstall, Robin Murray, Paul Morrison
Journal of Psychopharmacology Summary & key facts 2015 84 citations

In this small, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, 10 healthy male, infrequent cannabis users took 10 mg oral THCV daily for five days and then received 1 mg IV THC on day five. THCV was safe and felt like placebo. Compared with placebo, THCV reduced some effects of THC (for example…

Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

Therapeutic (Sub)stance: Current practice and therapeutic conduct in preparatory sessions in substance-assisted psychotherapy—A systematized review

Sascha Thal, Michelle Wieberneit, Jason M. Sharbanee, Petra Skeffington, Paris Baker, Raimondo Bruno, et al.
Journal of Psychopharmacology Summary & key facts 2022 23 citations

The authors reviewed 83 papers and guides about how therapists prepare people for substance-assisted psychotherapy — therapy that uses drugs like psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, or ketamine together with psychological support. They found clear agreement that good preparation before a drug session is important for safety and for helping people get…

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

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine is a connectogen with empathogenic, entactogenic, and still further connective properties: It is time to reconcile “the great entactogen—empathogen debate”

Kurt Stocker, Matthias E. Liechti
Journal of Psychopharmacology Summary & key facts 2024 13 citations

The paper reviews how people use two different names for MDMA’s mind effects—"empathogen" (being open and connected to others) and "entactogen" (being connected to oneself). It finds evidence that MDMA produces both kinds of effects, that researchers use the two terms inconsistently, and that a single name—"connectogen"—better captures MDMA’s core…

Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies

The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ibogaine in opioid use disorder patients

Thomas Knuijver, Rob ter Heine, Arnt Schellekens, Paniz Heydari, Luc Lucas, Sjoerd Westra, et al.
Journal of Psychopharmacology Summary & key facts 2024 8 citations

In 14 people with opioid use disorder who each received a single 10 mg/kg dose of ibogaine, researchers measured blood levels of ibogaine and its metabolites over 24 hours and linked those levels to side effects. They found large differences between people in how fast ibogaine was cleared, and that…

Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies Treatment of Major Depression
Summaries and links are for general information and education only. They are not a substitute for reading the original publication or for professional medical, legal, or other advice. Always refer to the linked source for the full study.