A systematic review and meta-analysis of 126 articles found that psychedelics—psilocybin, ayahuasca, LSD, and MDMA—reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Psilocybin showed the strongest therapeutic effect, followed by ayahuasca, MDMA, and LSD. Limited evidence also supports benefits for tobacco addiction, eating disorders, sleep disorders, borderline personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and body dysmorphic disorder. The most common adverse event was headache; nearly a third of articles reported no lasting adverse effects. The findings suggest psychedelics have potential efficacy in substance-use disorders and PTSD.
Ketamine rapidly alleviates depression-like behaviors by restoring the balance of NR2B phosphorylation both inside and outside synapses in the medial prefrontal cortex. In mice subjected to chronic unpredictable stress, ketamine normalized abnormal levels of phosphorylated NR2B and the phosphatase STEP61 within one hour. The findings indicate that the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine depend on dynamic regulation of NR2B phosphorylation, offering a new target for developing antidepressant treatments.