Fortschritte der Neurologie · Psychiatrie
May 29, 2008
Leopold Hermle, K.‐a. Kovar, Walter Hewer et al.
24 citations
Acute psychotic syndromes in adolescents are rarely due to intoxications with hallucinogenic drugs, but the clinical relevance of flashback phenomena as a post-hallucinogenic psychiatric disorder remains disputed. Because biogenic hallucinogens and LSD are increasingly popular among adolescents and young adults, knowledge of intoxications, resulting psychiatric disorders, medical complications, and therapeutic approaches is clinically important. Intoxications with drugs of herbal origin, such as tropane alkaloids, play an important role in emergency situations.
Fortschritte der Neurologie · Psychiatrie
September 30, 2015
Leopold Hermle, Martin Ruchsow, Kerstin Täschner
20 citations
Flashbacks are brief visual, mood, and consciousness changes that resemble the effects of hallucinogens, often considered benign or pleasant by users. Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) is a visual perceptual disorder that can persist for months or years and cause severe distress. The prevalence of both flashbacks and HPPD is unknown, but few case reports have been published despite millions of hallucinogen users since the 1960s and 1970s. The exact causes of HPPD remain unclear, and it is considered a puzzling disorder. Different consequences and new therapeutic approaches are discussed in clinical context.
Fortschritte der Neurologie · Psychiatrie
July 1, 2017
Tomislav Majić, Henrik Jungaberle, Timo Torsten Schmidt et al.
10 citations
The use of serotonergic hallucinogens (psychedelics) such as LSD and psilocybin, and entactogens such as MDMA, in psychotherapy has recently gained increasing scientific interest. This review summarizes current evidence on substance-assisted psychotherapy with serotonergic psychoactive substances. A selective literature search in PubMed and the Cochrane Library identified studies since 2000 examining these substances in psychotherapy. Indications studied include alcohol dependence (LSD and psilocybin), nicotine dependence (psilocybin), anxiety and depression in life-threatening physical illness (LSD and psilocybin), obsessive-compulsive disorder (psilocybin), treatment-resistant major depression (psilocybin), and post-traumatic stress disorder (MDMA). Dependence disorders, PTSD, and anxiety and depression in life-threatening physical illness are the best-evaluated indications. Evidence suggests efficacy with relatively good tolerability, but further studies are needed to assess these substances as future options for certain treatment-resistant mental disorders.
Fortschritte der Neurologie · Psychiatrie
June 20, 2022
Christopher W. Schmidt, Max Wolff, Gerhard Gründer et al.
5 citations
A survey of 530 psychiatrists and psychotherapists found divided opinions about psilocybin and psilocybin-assisted therapies. Many respondents considered psilocybin promising for treating mental disorders, with a majority viewing it as promising for depression. Greater knowledge about psilocybin was linked to more optimistic views about its therapeutic use. Providing additional scientific information about current research partly led to more favorable attitudes. As scientific and public discourse on psilocybin grows, shifts in psychotherapists' and psychiatrists' attitudes are expected.
Fortschritte der Neurologie · Psychiatrie
December 1, 2001
Tillmann Supprian, U. Frey, R. Supprian et al.
4 citations
Psychoactive mushrooms have been used in northern Europe since the 1970s and have recently regained popularity among young people. In autumn, these fungi can be foraged from natural habitats across Europe, while some species are cultivated in the Netherlands and sold in smart-shops or online. In Germany, dried specimens are marketed as aroma pads. This review describes common psychoactive species and outlines the medical risks associated with their use.
Fortschritte der Neurologie · Psychiatrie
May 19, 2023
Anna Lasch, Timo Schweikert, Eva Dora et al.
1 citation
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy shows promise as an alternative or complementary treatment for mental disorders when standard pharmaceutical and psychotherapeutic approaches do not lead to the desired improvement. Psilocybin, a psychedelic, influences psychological experience and is administered in controlled doses under medical supervision. Studies have demonstrated long-term positive effects after just one or a few administrations. This article reviews findings on psilocybin's neurobiological and psychological mechanisms and analyzes clinical studies to assess its potential for various disorders.
Fortschritte der Neurologie · Psychiatrie
June 16, 2020
Peter Neu
1 citation
Ayahuasca, a psychoactive beverage used for centuries by indigenous Amazonian cultures as medicine and in religious rituals, has spread to the Western world through backpacker tourism. A clinical case report outlines its use, pharmacology, legal status, and adverse effects.
Fortschritte der Neurologie · Psychiatrie
January 1, 2026
Mood disorders are common in people with Parkinson's disease and are a major predictor of functional decline, but current treatment is challenging and there is a high need for novel interventions. Psilocybin has shown promise for treating depression and anxiety, but its potential in Parkinson's patients is unknown because people with neurodegenerative diseases have been excluded from studies due to safety concerns.
Fortschritte der Neurologie · Psychiatrie
November 1, 2025
A meta-analysis by Polish researchers evaluated psilocybin's effectiveness and safety for treating major depressive disorder (MDD), aiming to identify optimal dosing and timing for clinical trials. The analysis synthesizes existing evidence to guide future research on psilocybin's therapeutic potential in MDD.
Fortschritte der Neurologie · Psychiatrie
April 1, 2024
Psilocybin, a tryptamine indole alkaloid, is being studied for treatment-resistant depression. Because antidepressants can alter psilocybin's psychedelic effects, they are typically tapered before studies. Goodwin and colleagues, however, tested whether psilocybin could enhance SSRI therapy and reported a positive result.
Fortschritte der Neurologie · Psychiatrie
April 1, 2024
Stefan Borgwardt, Tomislav Majić, Mihai Avram et al.
Classic psychedelics such as psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, and 5-MeO-DMT are attracting renewed psychiatric, psychotherapeutic, and neuroscientific interest, driven by recent clinical trials suggesting therapeutic benefits for treatment-resistant depression, substance use disorders, anxiety disorders, and existential distress in life-threatening physical illness. Despite these promising effects, the substances carry unique risks due to the phenomenology of their central nervous system effects, the temporal dynamics of their psychological impacts, and their biological action profile, distinguishing them from many other psychoactive drugs.
Fortschritte der Neurologie · Psychiatrie
February 1, 1997
Rainer Thomasius, Margit Schmolke, Dana Kraus
Use of MDMA ('Ecstasy') has sharply increased, with changes in the drug scene inside and outside Europe. For some users, Ecstasy leads to abuse of other illegal substances. Since the mid-1980s, at least 48 cases of psychiatric complications have been reported, including acute complications that resolve with intoxication, toxic psychoses, and long-term conditions such as atypical and paranoid psychoses, depression, panic disorders, depersonalization, and behavioral disorders. Convulsive seizures are common central nervous system problems; cerebrovascular accidents and intracranial hemorrhages have also occurred. At least 53 cases of medical complications in MDMA abusers have been reported, 14 of them fatal. Large-scale prospective epidemiological and clinical studies are still lacking.