Psychopharmacology
April 29, 2026
Anne-Fiona Griesfeller, Lotte Kooman, Lilian Kloft-Heller et al.
A scoping review of 53 sources found no coherent explanation for how psychedelics might recover repressed memories, nor consistent evidence that they do so reliably. Most publications focused on LSD, but few defined what they meant by repressed memory. Proposed mechanisms—psychoanalytical reductions of defensive memory blockades and neurobiological alterations of executive control—lacked empirical support. The review concludes that future work should provide clear definitions, test effects across multiple psychedelic substances, use placebo-controlled designs, and account for the potential occurrence of false memories.
Journal of Mental Health Disorders
April 18, 2026
Vipul Janardan, Amit Khanna, Om Prakash et al.
Psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, and DMT show therapeutic promise for mental health conditions such as treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and addiction, based on studies since 2020. This commentary synthesizes historical usage, current neuroscientific and clinical evidence, and explores ethical and regulatory challenges for future medical integration. Rigorous, ethically guided scientific validation is required.
April 17, 2026
Sara Arciniegas Ruiz, Sari Prutchi Sagiv, Hagit Eldar-Finkelman
In a mouse model of fibromyalgia, repeated very low doses of LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) that do not cause hallucinations reduced pain-related behaviors and discomfort in a sex- and route-dependent manner. Female mice receiving intraperitoneal injections showed sustained reductions in pain-related facial expressions and mechanical sensitivity. Oral dosing produced earlier but shorter-lasting effects. Male mice showed improved mechanical sensitivity and selected behavioral parameters with both administration routes. No major safety concerns were observed. The findings suggest that microdosed LSD could potentially be repositioned as a treatment for fibromyalgia by targeting both pain perception and mood-related components.
L'Encephale
April 9, 2026
Amel Bouloufa, Sarah Delcourte, Thomas Delannay et al.
Major depressive disorder affects over 350 million people worldwide, and about one-third of patients do not achieve remission with standard antidepressants, a condition known as treatment-resistant depression. Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) modulates the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor and the glutamatergic system, which are involved in neuroplasticity, and early clinical studies suggest rapid and sustained antidepressant responses. Clinical trials are underway to test LSD's safety and efficacy for major depressive disorder, though methodological challenges include creating meaningful placebos and the need for specialized therapist training. LSD-assisted therapy remains experimental, but its therapeutic potential is increasingly recognized given the limitations of current treatments for treatment-resistant depression.
Psychedelic Medicine
April 9, 2026
Alex C. Kwan
Classical psychedelics like LSD were studied soon after the midbrain raphe was identified as the brain's main source of serotonin. Early work in 1968 showed that LSD suppresses the firing of serotonergic neurons in the rat midbrain raphe. For over 15 years, researchers intensively examined the pharmacology and receptor mechanisms involved. Initial hypotheses incorrectly proposed that these serotonergic neurons directly caused hallucinogenic effects, but the framework shifted as neural activity was linked to behavior. This review traces that arc of discovery and revisits the early findings in light of current knowledge about serotonergic circuits, showing how pioneering studies laid the foundation for understanding psychedelics' neural actions.
Pharmacology research & perspectives
April 1, 2026
Jordana Kazdan, Karim S. Ladha, M. Ishrat Husain
Major Depressive Disorder and chronic pain often co-occur, worsening symptoms and prognosis, yet treatments typically address each condition separately. Serotonergic psychedelics like psilocybin, DMT, and LSD show promise for both depression and pain. This narrative review examines mechanisms—including 5-HT2A receptor modulation, anti-inflammatory effects, neuroplasticity, altered brain network dynamics, and psychological influences—that could target both conditions simultaneously. The authors argue that existing evidence supports psychedelics as a unified therapeutic approach for comorbid MDD and chronic pain, providing a rationale for future clinical trials.
Brain and behavior
April 1, 2026
Hamish Grime, Eugenia Drini
1 citation
A realist review of historical studies from 1954 to 1965 identifies features of psycholytic therapy—using LSD to enhance psychoanalytic therapy—that were associated with better outcomes and fewer adverse events. These features include a flexible, intuitive therapeutic approach, prompt correction of transference issues, continuous therapist presence, more than ten treatment sessions with extensive preparation, creative activities during integration, use of maximal tolerated doses, and avoidance of abrupt pharmacological termination. Psycholytic therapy showed potential to improve severe mental health conditions, particularly when trust in the therapist was fostered, helping address trauma-based responses resistant to psychotherapy alone.