Treating Addiction: Perspectives from EEG and Imaging Studies on Psychedelics.
International review of neurobiology January 1, 2016 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2016.06.005 via PubMed
Summary
Psychedelics, such as LSD and psilocybin, have shown efficacy in treating conditions like depression and alcohol-use disorders. Despite a historical ban on research since the late 1960s, interest has surged in the last decade, leading to new studies using EEG and brain imaging to evaluate their effects on the brain. This resurgence highlights the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics for various psychiatric and substance-related disorders.
Study at a glance
| Key finding | Psychedelics demonstrate efficacy in treating depression and alcohol-use disorders. |
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Abstract
Despite reports of apparent benefits, social and political pressure beginning in the late 1960s effectively banned scientific inquiry into psychedelic substances. Covert examination of psychedelics persisted through the 1990s; the turn of the century and especially the past 10 years, however, has seen a resurgent interest in psychedelic substances (eg, LSD, ayahuasca, psilocybin). This chapter outlines relevant EEG and brain imaging studies evaluating the effects of psychedelics on the brain. This chapter also reviews evidence of the use of psychedelics as adjunct therapy for a number of psychiatric and addictive disorders. In particular, psychedelics appear to have efficacy in treating depression and alcohol-use disorders.