Elsevier eBooks
January 1, 2026
Antonio Inserra, Jared VanderZwaag, Antonella Campanale et al.
Microglia, the brain's immune cells, play a crucial role in neuroinflammation linked to cognitive decline. In a study involving 200 participants, those with higher levels of specific alkaloids showed a 30% reduction in neurodegeneration markers. The findings highlight how psychedelics could enhance neuroprotection by modulating histone activity and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. This intersection of neuroscience and psychology suggests that epigenetics may offer new avenues for addressing neuroinflammation and improving cognitive health, paving the way for innovative drug studies in treating age-related disorders.
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 1, 2025
Martha Lopez Canul, Vivienne Nguyen, Antonio Inserra et al.
Acute administration of psilocybin reduced mechanical allodynia in a rat model of neuropathic pain but had no effect on acute thermal pain in mice. In the neuropathic pain model, psilocybin at 3 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg significantly increased mechanical withdrawal thresholds at 0.5, 1, and 2 hours after administration compared to vehicle, with no difference between the two doses. In the hot plate test, psilocybin did not raise the thermal withdrawal threshold. These preliminary findings suggest psilocybin's pain-reducing action may specifically target neuropathic pain rather than generalized acute nociception, indicating potential for treating neuropathic pain.
Frontiers in neuroscience
January 1, 2025
Antonio Inserra, Colin J Murray, Antonella Campanale et al.
Rapid-acting antidepressants, such as ketamine and serotonergic psychedelics, may affect myelin homeostasis. A systematic review of 41 studies (12 in humans, 21 in animals, 7 in vitro, and 1 computational) found that these drugs modulate myelination in a dose- and exposure-dependent manner: therapeutic doses generally promote myelin integrity and oligodendrocyte maturation, while high or repeated doses, or neonatal exposure, can disrupt myelin structure, impair oligodendrocyte viability, and produce cognitive, affective, and neurotoxic side effects. Myelin regulation may be a component of antidepressant action, but further research is needed to clarify mechanisms and implications for therapy.