Knowledge gaps in psychedelic medicalisation: Preclinical and neuroimaging mechanisms.
Neuroscience applied – January 01, 2024
Source: PubMed
Summary
Psychedelic compounds like psilocybin are intensely investigated for brain disorders. Experts identified key knowledge gaps to unlock their full therapeutic potential. Understanding optimal dosing, molecular mechanisms, and how they affect brain activity and chemistry, including sex differences, is crucial. This clarity promises to maximize their clinical benefits.
Abstract
Classical psychedelic drugs, e.g., psilocybin and LSD, stimulate the serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) and have recently been intensely investigated for their clinical effects in various brain disorders. At the ECNP "New Frontiers meeting" in March 2023, scientific experts in psychedelics met to identify key knowledge gaps in the mechanism of action of psychedelics as investigated using preclinical models and clinical neuroimaging. Key themes included the development of appropriate behavioural models for measuring acute and persisting effects, dose optimisation, molecular mechanisms of action, sex differences, and the acute and persisting effects of psychedelics on neurotransmitter release and functional brain activity.