Journal of substance abuse treatment
July 1, 2022
Patrick Köck, Katharina Froelich, Marc Walter et al.
68 citations
Ibogaine and its alkaloids reduce withdrawal symptoms and craving in substance use disorders, and may also improve depression and trauma-related symptoms. However, severe medical complications and deaths have been reported, linked to neuro- and cardiotoxic effects. Two fatalities occurred among 705 individuals across 24 studies, which included two randomized controlled trials and 17 open-label studies. Ibogaine's distinct psychoactive and somatic effects set it apart from classic hallucinogens like LSD and psilocybin. Rigorous medical monitoring is needed for safe application.
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
December 30, 2015
Felix Mueller, Claudia Lenz, Markus Steiner et al.
68 citations
Moderate use of MDMA (ecstasy) shows no convincing evidence of structural or functional brain alterations in neuroimaging studies. A review of 19 studies, each involving subjects with fewer than 50 lifetime episodes or under 100 tablets consumed, found no significant harmful effects. However, the lack of results is linked to high methodological variability in dosages and co-consumption of other drugs, low study quality, and small sample sizes.
PLoS ONE
September 10, 2013
Niklaus Denier, Hana Gerber, Marc Vogel et al.
32 citations
In 15 heroin-dependent patients receiving stable heroin-assisted treatment, heroin reduced blood flow in the left anterior cingulate cortex, left medial prefrontal cortex, and insula compared to placebo. These brain areas are involved in self-regulation and emotional processing. The findings suggest that heroin's effects on these regions may contribute to its ability to reduce craving and produce relaxation in maintenance therapy.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
October 22, 2020
Felix Müller, Markus Mühlhauser, Friederike Holze et al.
31 citations
A woman with severe, treatment-resistant depression and a complex personality disorder received weekly, ascending doses of LSD in an open psychiatric ward. Despite adequate dosing confirmed by blood tests, she experienced no substantial acute subjective drug effects. However, she showed rapid and significant improvements in depressed mood, emotional instability, low energy, and suicidal thoughts. Questionnaire scores also decreased in global severity and various psychopathological subscales. Improvements lasted about 7 days after each dose. The case suggests that LSD can induce rapid but transient beneficial effects on several symptoms, and that these improvements can occur without acute drug experiences, resembling the time course of ketamine's antidepressant effects.
Current pharmaceutical design
January 1, 2012
Niklaus Denier, Marc Walter, Kerstin Bendfeldt et al.
A systematic review compared resting-state cerebral blood flow patterns in first-episode psychosis (FEP), acute cannabinoid intoxication, and acute opioid intoxication. The evidence was highly conflicting within each condition, but some consistent findings emerged: both positive symptoms of FEP and depersonalization after cannabis administration were linked to increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, a key region of the default mode network. The review included 22 studies with 279 FEP participants or controls, 315 participants receiving cannabinoids, and 113 receiving opioids.