Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy and Psychedelic Science: A Review and Perspective on Opportunities in Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology
Neurosurgery December 8, 2022 Akanksha Sharma, Shanthi Gowrinathan, Karina Sergi et al. 13 citations
After a long pause, psychedelics are again being studied for treating depression, anxiety, addiction, PTSD, anorexia, and chronic pain. Classic serotonergic psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD, along with nonclassic ones like MDMA and ketamine, are recognized as neuroplastogens that can alter mood and behavior beyond the drug's presence. Imaging studies are advancing understanding of neural networks. This review examines recent clinical trials, the set and setting model, risks, and mechanisms of action, and suggests psychedelics could benefit patients with brain tumors, pain, ruminative disorders, stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, and movement disorders, potentially through subpsychedelic doses that do not require mind-altering effects.