Could Psychedelics Treat Neuropathic Chronic Pain?
Neurological Sciences and Neurosurgery January 1, 2023 2 citations
Chronic pain conditions are a major health problem, and new treatments are needed. Classical psychedelics such as psilocybin may be one such treatment. The authors introduce the pharmacology of psychedelics and existing human data on their side effects, safety, and abuse liability. They systematically review the existing data on using psychedelics to treat pain, predominantly chronic and neuropathic pain. They discuss psychological and psychiatric aspects of chronic pain and the effects of psychedelics, culminating in an integrated hypothesis that psychedelics affect high-level priors that compound chronic pain, alongside possible direct nociceptive effects. A clinical trial is proposed to test this hypothesis.