A review of emerging therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs in the treatment of psychiatric illnesses
Journal of the Neurological Sciences January 31, 2020 Tingying Chi, Jessica A. Gold 95 citations
After early promise, research on psychedelic drugs for psychiatric treatment was halted by the 1970 Substance Act classifying them as Schedule I. Recently, interest has revived. This review highlights contemporary human studies of psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and ayahuasca for conditions like treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, end-of-life anxiety, and substance use disorders. Safety and efficacy from human and animal studies are discussed. Accumulated research suggests psychedelics could become breakthrough therapies for psychiatric conditions that do not respond to conventional treatments. However, their history and high potential for misuse require careful safeguards to ensure they are used as medical treatments rather than drugs of abuse.