Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry
September 1, 2011
Mark W. Mahowald, Michel A. Cramer Bornemann, Carlos H. Schenck
81 citations
Sleep is not only a whole-brain phenomenon but can also be local, meaning the primary states of wakefulness, NREM sleep, and REM sleep are not always mutually exclusive. Components of these states can combine, producing conditions such as sleep inertia, narcolepsy, sleep paralysis, lucid dreaming, REM sleep behavior disorder, sleepwalking, sleep terrors, out-of-body experiences, and reports of alien abduction. These incomplete state declarations affect consciousness, which has fluid boundaries. Fluctuations in consciousness may stem from abnormalities in a spatial and temporal binding rhythm that normally creates unified experience. Dysfunctional binding might play a role in anesthetic states, autism, schizophrenia, and neurodegenerative disorders. Further study of dissociated sleep-wake states by neuroscientists, clinicians, and legal professionals could yield scientific, clinical, and forensic insights.
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry
December 2, 2021
Teresa Reynolds de Sousa, João Rema, Sérgio Machado et al.
7 citations
Psychedelics and hallucinogens such as ayahuasca, LSD, and psilocybin show promise for treating several psychiatric disorders. Evidence supports their use in depression, including treatment-resistant depression, with psilocybin and ayahuasca showing good results. In randomized controlled trials, psilocybin and LSD improved symptoms in anxious patients, and psilocybin reduced obsessive-compulsive symptoms in a small sample. Evidence for substance use disorders is less robust but suggests a possible role for LSD and psilocybin in alcohol use disorders and for psilocybin in tobacco addiction. These substances appear safe and well-tolerated in clinical settings. Their mechanisms involve 5-HT2A receptor agonism and changes in brain connectivity, though not fully understood. However, studies have small samples and heterogeneous methods, so more research is needed.
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry
July 6, 2023
Udoka C. Ezeaka, Hye Ji J. Kim, Robert B. Laprairie
1 citation
LSD, psilocybin, and psilocin are being evaluated as potential treatments for depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, and other psychiatric conditions. Pre-clinical research in rodents is key to their drug development. This review summarizes evidence on these compounds in rodent models of the psychedelic experience, behavior, substance use, alcohol consumption, drug discrimination, anxiety, depression-like behavior, stress response, and pharmacokinetics. The authors identify three knowledge gaps for future research: sex differences, oral dosing instead of injection, and chronic dosing regimens. A thorough understanding of the in vivo pharmacology of these compounds may aid their clinical use and serve as controls for developing novel psychedelic therapeutics.