The role of modern neuroscience in the renaissance of psychedelic research
Kathryn E. Evans, Crystian I Massengill, Jonnathan Singh Alvarado
Revista Costarricense de Psicología June 30, 2025 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.22544/rcps.v44i01.10 via OpenAlex
Summary
This review emphasizes the growing importance of experimental neuroscience in understanding how classic psychedelics and other psychoactive substances work. It discusses clinical evidence supporting the therapeutic use of psychedelics for conditions like depression, anxiety, and addiction, as well as recent neuroscientific findings about their effects on brain circuits. The authors also point out that many promising psychoactive substances remain understudied, suggesting that further research could be beneficial.
Study at a glance
| Design | review |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Experimental neuroscience is crucial for understanding the mechanisms and potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics and highlights the need for more research on understudied psychoactive substances. |
Abstract
The primary objective of this review is to highlight the increasing relevance of experimental neuroscience in advancing the mechanistic understanding and translational potential of classic psychedelics and other psychoactive substances of interest. First, we review clinical evidence for the therapeutic potential of psychedelics in the context of depression, anxiety, and addiction. Second,we review recent basic neuroscientific findings regarding the molecular and neural circuit bases of psychedelic action, with a focus on contributions from systems neuroscience. We survey recent advances in experimental neuroscience techniques that are well-poised to advance our mechanistic understanding of psychedelics by identifying the specific brain circuits that contribute to distinctaspects of the psychedelic experience. We end by noting that many promising psychoactive substances are woefully understudied in comparison to the more popular psychedelics. Studying their effects on neural circuits and behavior could be a fruitful and financially feasible direction for burgeoning neuroscience research institutions.