Fortschritte der Neurologie · Psychiatrie
May 29, 2008
Leopold Hermle, K.‐a. Kovar, Walter Hewer et al.
24 citations
Acute psychotic syndromes in adolescents are rarely due to intoxications with hallucinogenic drugs, but the clinical relevance of flashback phenomena as a post-hallucinogenic psychiatric disorder remains disputed. Because biogenic hallucinogens and LSD are increasingly popular among adolescents and young adults, knowledge of intoxications, resulting psychiatric disorders, medical complications, and therapeutic approaches is clinically important. Intoxications with drugs of herbal origin, such as tropane alkaloids, play an important role in emergency situations.
Fortschritte der Neurologie · Psychiatrie
September 30, 2015
Leopold Hermle, Martin Ruchsow, Kerstin Täschner
20 citations
Flashbacks are brief visual, mood, and consciousness changes that resemble the effects of hallucinogens, often considered benign or pleasant by users. Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) is a visual perceptual disorder that can persist for months or years and cause severe distress. The prevalence of both flashbacks and HPPD is unknown, but few case reports have been published despite millions of hallucinogen users since the 1960s and 1970s. The exact causes of HPPD remain unclear, and it is considered a puzzling disorder. Different consequences and new therapeutic approaches are discussed in clinical context.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
November 1, 2006
Roland W. Freudenmann, Carlos Schönfeldt-lecuona, Manfred Spitzer et al.
4 citations
Depression in people who formerly used ecstasy heavily may not improve with standard antidepressants like SSRIs, possibly because long-term ecstasy use damages serotonin pathways. A patient with MDMA-induced depression who did not respond to several antidepressants, including an SNRI and an SSRI, achieved stable remission of mood and cognitive symptoms after receiving repeated bilateral electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), with improvement lasting over 1.5 years. Add-on ECT could be a treatment option for former ecstasy users with severe depression that does not respond to antidepressants, though clinical trials are needed to confirm its usefulness.