IBRO Neuroscience Reports
October 1, 2023
Mariana Pazos, Ignacio Carrera, Giselle Prunell
1 citation
Ayahuasca, a psychedelic beverage from the Amazon rainforest traditionally used for medicinal, spiritual, and cultural purposes, is prepared by boiling the vine Banisteriopsis caapi (containing β-carboline alkaloids) and Psychotria viridis (containing N,N-dimethyltryptamine, DMT). Recent research in the context of a renewed interest in psychedelic studies suggests that ayahuasca may have therapeutic potential for treating depression and substance use disorders, among other conditions.
IBRO Neuroscience Reports
November 6, 2023
Tomáš Páleníček, Tereza Klučková, Marek Nikolič et al.
The study examined how the subjective experiences (phenomenology) induced by psilocybin, a psychedelic drug being tested as a rapid-acting antidepressant, relate to long-term changes in mood, spirituality, and relationships with self, life, and others. In healthy volunteers, positive aspects of the psychedelic experience were associated with beneficial long-term outcomes, while fearful aspects were linked to negative long-term outcomes. The findings suggest that the quality of the subjective experience during psilocybin use may influence its lasting psychological effects.
IBRO Neuroscience Reports
October 1, 2023
Čestmír Vejmola, Kateřina Syrová, Klára Šíchová et al.
GABAB receptors, which are part of the brain's inhibitory system, are modulated by accessory proteins called KCTD16. In experiments using mice lacking the KCTD16 gene, baseline pain sensitivity and nerve cell activity in the spinal cord were similar to normal mice. However, when treated with the GABAB receptor agonist baclofen, normal mice showed greater pain relief (higher thresholds for heat and touch) than mice lacking KCTD16. In a model of peripheral inflammation, KCTD16-deficient mice tended to have higher pain thresholds, and baclofen's inhibitory effect on nerve signals was reduced. The findings suggest KCTD16 may be important for pain modulation during pathological conditions when GABAB receptors are activated, but further research is needed.
IBRO Neuroscience Reports
October 1, 2023
Aneta Petrušková, Eva‐maria Weiss, Debarpan Guhathakurta et al.
Serotonergic psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, and DMT may offer new treatments for depression, PTSD, and addiction, but better understanding of their cellular and molecular mechanisms is needed. Imaging studies in humans and animal studies have shown acute changes in neuronal activity and connectivity, though findings are sometimes contradictory.