Psychedelics: A new era of treatment?
European Psychiatry April 1, 2021 S. Torres 2 citations
Psychedelics such as LSD, psilocybin, DMT, ayahuasca, and mescaline have a long history of use across civilizations and briefly entered psychiatry after LSD's discovery in 1950 before being prohibited due to recreational use in the mid-1960s. Renewed scientific interest over the last decade, termed the 'Psychedelic Renaissance', has led to a review of their pharmacology and therapeutic potential. These drugs act as agonists on 5-HT2A receptors in brain regions involved in mood and emotion, increasing glutamatergic tone and neuroplasticity while reducing amygdala activity. Experimental, open-label, and randomized controlled trials show anxiolytic, antidepressive, and antiaddictive effects, including reduced anxiety and depression in cancer patients and reduced alcohol and tobacco dependence. Evidence remains preliminary, pending larger long-term studies.