Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
February 3, 2021
Bhanu Sharma, David W. Lawrence, Roland R. Griffiths et al.
37 citations
An analysis of the top-cited classic psychedelic publications found that recent highly cited work (published after 2010) focuses more on clinical trials and therapeutic applications, especially for affective and substance use disorders, while older highly cited work was dominated by basic science and preclinical studies. Psilocybin was the primary substance in recent top-cited articles, whereas LSD was more common in older ones. The recent cohort also had a much higher annual citation rate. The field is moving from foundational pharmacological understanding toward identifying clinical uses.
Psychoactives
July 1, 2025
David W. Lawrence, Alex P. Di Battista, Michael G. Hutchison
1 citation
A 22-year-old male athlete with persisting symptoms after a concussion took three 250 mg doses of dried Psilocybe cubensis (containing 2.5 mg of psilocybin) on days 42, 45, and 46 post-injury. He reported immediate relief from headache, noise sensitivity, and cognitive difficulties. His symptom severity score dropped from 25 to 11, and his emotional symptoms resolved completely, allowing a return to full activity with no adverse effects. This case suggests classic psychedelics might help treat persisting post-concussion symptoms, but more research is needed to confirm safety and effectiveness.
Discover Mental Health
March 7, 2026
Nicholas Fabiano, Brendon Stubbs, David W. Lawrence et al.
More than half of people with major depressive disorder do not respond to standard treatments, prompting interest in alternatives such as exercise and psychedelics. This commentary examines how these two approaches might work together. Biologically, psychedelics briefly boost brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling, while exercise provides sustained BDNF elevation; psychedelics enhance neuroplasticity mainly in the cortex, whereas exercise promotes hippocampal neurogenesis; both increase serotonin release. Psychologically, psychedelics may help people adopt exercise habits, and exercise may improve emotional resilience, potentially deepening the psychedelic experience. The authors suggest that these complementary mechanisms warrant future research on their combined efficacy, tolerability, safety, and neurobiology.