Classic Psychedelic Drugs: Update on Biological Mechanisms
Pharmacopsychiatry January 25, 2022 W Smallridge, John, X Vollenweider, Franz 107 citations
Psychedelics primarily affect serotonergic receptor subtypes in cortico-thalamic and cortico-cortical feedback circuits, modulating excitatory-inhibitory balance and promoting neuroplasticity in brain structures critical for sensation, cognition, emotions, and self-narrative. Neuroimaging studies link subjective psychedelic experiences and alterations in self-referential processing and emotion regulation to distinct changes in brain activity and connectivity across multiple systems. These findings suggest that changes in self-experience, emotional processing, and social cognition may contribute to the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for psychiatric disorders.