PLoS ONE
September 10, 2013
Niklaus Denier, Hana Gerber, Marc Vogel et al.
32 citations
In 15 heroin-dependent patients receiving stable heroin-assisted treatment, heroin reduced blood flow in the left anterior cingulate cortex, left medial prefrontal cortex, and insula compared to placebo. These brain areas are involved in self-regulation and emotional processing. The findings suggest that heroin's effects on these regions may contribute to its ability to reduce craving and produce relaxation in maintenance therapy.
JAMA network open
January 2, 2026
Gianluca Andri Florineth, Isabell Klima, Anna Laura Boeker et al.
5 citations
In a systematic review and meta-analysis of 12 controlled clinical trials involving 733 adults with depressive symptoms, psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) with psilocybin or LSD produced a large overall reduction in depressive symptoms compared to control conditions. More hours of preparation therapy before the psychedelic session were significantly linked to greater symptom reduction. However, the number of post-dosing integration therapy hours, total therapy sessions, and longer follow-up periods were not associated with better outcomes. Most studies had high risk of bias due to ineffective blinding. The findings suggest that preparation therapy may be a key component in optimizing PAT outcomes, but further research is needed.
Therapeutische Umschau. Revue therapeutique
April 1, 2025
Tobias Bracht, Daniela Hubl, Kristina Adorjan et al.
1 citation
For patients with difficult-to-treat depression who do not respond to at least two antidepressant trials, remission rates are significantly lower than the 67% seen with initial or secondary pharmacological treatment. Brain stimulation procedures and novel substances offer innovative and effective options to complement standard therapies. This overview covers repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy, ketamine/esketamine, transcranial direct current stimulation, deep brain stimulation, and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, with an outlook on individualized, procedure-specific indications.