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Journal of the Neurological Sciences

ISSN 0022-510X

3 papers in the library · 196 citations · publishing 1970-2020

Papers

A review of emerging therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs in the treatment of psychiatric illnesses

Journal of the Neurological Sciences January 31, 2020 Tingying Chi, Jessica A. Gold 95 citations

After early promise, research on psychedelic drugs for psychiatric treatment was halted by the 1970 Substance Act classifying them as Schedule I. Recently, interest has revived. This review highlights contemporary human studies of psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and ayahuasca for conditions like treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, end-of-life anxiety, and substance use disorders. Safety and efficacy from human and animal studies are discussed. Accumulated research suggests psychedelics could become breakthrough therapies for psychiatric conditions that do not respond to conventional treatments. However, their history and high potential for misuse require careful safeguards to ensure they are used as medical treatments rather than drugs of abuse.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2020.116715 Psilocybin Anxiety MDMA Psychiatry +5

Aetiologies of altered states of consciousness: A prospective hospital-based study in a series of 464 patients of northern Tanzania

Journal of the Neurological Sciences January 15, 2011

Altered states of consciousness are common in sub-Saharan Africa, but prevalence studies are scarce. Among 768 neurological/psychiatric patients at a rural Tanzanian hospital, 464 (60.4%) had altered consciousness: 159 with acute confusional states (ACS) and 447 with impairment of consciousness (IOC). Non-infectious causes were most frequent. In ACS, non-infectious encephalopathy (13.8%), psychiatric disorder (7.6%), and dementia (6.9%) were common; 25.2% of ACS cases had unknown cause. In IOC, leading causes were epileptic seizures (febrile 20.6%, epilepsy 13.9%) and head trauma (13.9%). Both ACS and IOC had high in-hospital mortality (26% and 27%). Non-infectious etiologies predominated, though HIV testing was unavailable.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2010.10.004 Full text