Hallucinogens in Mental Health: Preclinical and Clinical Studies on LSD, Psilocybin, MDMA, and Ketamine

A renewed interest in hallucinogens for treating psychiatric disorders has emerged. Preclinical and clinical studies have confirmed ketamine's efficacy for depression. Emerging evidence points to psilocybin and LSD's therapeutic properties and their ability to modulate functional brain connectivity. MDMA, an entactogen, has shown usefulness for post-traumatic stress disorder. This review summarizes the pharmacology of hallucinogenic compounds, highlighting differences between psychedelic and nonpsychedelic hallucinogens and entactogens, and describes their behavioral effects in animals and humans. Together, these data substantiate the potential of these compounds for treating mental diseases.

Study at a glance

Abstract

A revamped interest in the study of hallucinogens has recently emerged, especially with regard to their potential application in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. In the last decade, a plethora of preclinical and clinical studies have confirmed the efficacy of ketamine in the treatment of depression. More recently, emerging evidence has pointed out the potential therapeutic properties of psilocybin and LSD, as well as their ability to modulate functional brain connectivity. Moreover, MDMA, a compound belonging to the family of entactogens, has been demonstrated to be useful to treat post-traumatic stress disorders. In this review, the pharmacology of hallucinogenic compounds is summarized by underscoring the differences between psychedelic and nonpsychedelic hallucinogens as well as entactogens, and their behavioral effects in both animals and humans are described. Together, these data substantiate the potentials of these compounds in treating mental diseases.