Editorial: Psychedelic substances and neurological diseases: from basics to clinical application
Frontiers in Pharmacology March 16, 2026 Alessandra Linardi, Ariadiny Lima Caetano, Rodrigo Portes Ureshino
Scientific interest in psychedelic substances has revived, offering new perspectives on treating neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. Psychedelics induce neuroplasticity and alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. A review of six abused recreational drugs—methamphetamine, cocaine, synthetic cathinones, ketamine, nitrous oxide, and heroin—shows they share convergent neurotoxic mechanisms involving oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, excitotoxicity, and neuroinflammation. Original research demonstrates that social hierarchy modulates methamphetamine reinforcement in rats and is associated with distinct phosphoproteomic signatures in the nucleus accumbens, with HDAC4 phosphorylation differing between dominant and subordinate rats. A mini-review discusses trace amine-associated receptors, particularly TAAR1, as potential therapeutic targets for anxiety and depression.