Drugs
July 1, 2023
Kamyar Keramatian, Trisha Chakrabarty, Anais DuBow et al.
19 citations
Depression is the most common and disabling mood state in bipolar disorder, yet few effective treatments exist. This review covers emerging therapies, including new atypical antipsychotics lumateperone and cariprazine, which have shown efficacy in large placebo-controlled trials. Non-racemic amisulpride showed potential in one trial needing replication. Intravenous ketamine demonstrated rapid antidepressant and anti-suicidal effects after a single infusion in three small trials. Anti-inflammatory and mitochondrial modulators have inconsistent evidence. Zuranolone, psilocybin, and cannabidiol lack adequately powered trials. While novel agents are on the horizon, further validation and study of patient subgroups are needed.
Drugs
November 1, 2024
Manoj K Doss, Annamarie Demarco, Joseph E Dunsmoor et al.
14 citations
PTSD involves abnormalities in memory, and psychedelics may help treat it by affecting multiple memory systems. Most research has focused on fear conditioning and extinction, which are limited models. A review of 25 studies found that the acute effects of psychedelics can enhance extinction learning, which is impaired in PTSD, though they may also enhance fear conditioning. Post-acute effects may also boost extinction learning. PTSD and psychedelics both impair hippocampal-dependent episodic memory formation, but psychedelics may enhance cortical-dependent semantic learning, potentially helping integrate trauma memories and disrupt maladaptive beliefs. More research is needed on episodic memory consolidation, retrieval, and reconsolidation, and on post-acute effects across all memory phases.
Drugs
February 1, 2024
Michael A Norred, Zachary D Zuschlag, Mark B Hamner
11 citations
PTSD is a debilitating disorder with complex underlying pathophysiology involving neurotransmitters, neurocircuitry, and neuroanatomical pathways. Only two SSRIs are currently FDA-approved for its treatment. The authors review novel and emerging treatments targeting non-serotonergic pathways, including drugs in development (BI 1358894, BNC-210, PRAX-114, JZP-150, LU AG06466, NYV-783, PH-94B, SRX246, TNX-102), established agents being investigated for PTSD (brexpiprazole, cannabidiol, doxasoin, ganaxolone, intranasal neuropeptide Y, intranasal oxytocin, tianeptine oxalate, verucerfont), and emerging psychedelic interventions (ketamine, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy). The aim is to integrate these agents into pathophysiological frameworks of trauma-related disorders.
Drugs
May 1, 2025
Sharmin Ghaznavi, Sarah G Richter
6 citations
Recent research has revived interest in psychedelics as treatments for depression. This review examines studies on psilocybin, ayahuasca, DMT, and 5-Me-O DMT for treatment-resistant and major depression. It discusses the potential to expand depression treatment options based on available data, while also highlighting the difficulties and limitations of psychedelic research that complicate assessment of that potential.
Drugs
June 4, 2026
Kevin F Boehnke, Niloufar Pouyan, Jacob S Aday
Chronic pain is common, costly, and often poorly treated by existing therapies. Classic serotonergic psychedelics—psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, DMT, and mescaline—have re-emerged as potential tools for chronic pain, administered alone or within psychedelic-assisted therapy. This review examines mechanisms relevant to pain, including effects on neuroplasticity, inflammation, brain network dynamics, and psychological processes like pain acceptance and cognitive flexibility. Observational studies and early-phase clinical trials show preliminary signals of benefit for fibromyalgia, migraine, cluster headache, and other chronic pain syndromes. The field is limited by small sample sizes, functional unblinding, and a lack of large, well-controlled randomized trials. The authors outline methodological priorities and future research directions needed to rigorously evaluate these compounds for chronic pain.