Natural Psychoplastogens As Antidepressant Agents
Molecules March 5, 2020 J Benko, Stanislava Vranková 18 citations
Major depressive disorder is increasingly prevalent and burdensome, posing a challenge for psychiatry. Existing antidepressants take weeks to work, have serious side effects, and fail in one-third of patients. Recent advances have identified psychoplastogens—compounds that rapidly restructure neural networks by targeting mechanisms linked to depression. Evidence suggests they produce both acute and long-term positive effects that extend beyond psychiatric diseases. Several are naturally occurring, including psilocybin, N,N-dimethyltryptamine, and 7,8-dihydroxyflavone. This article discusses their pharmacology and effects in animal and human studies.