Psychedelic therapy in the treatment of addiction: the past, present and future
Rayyan Zafar, Maxim Siegel, Rebecca Harding, Tommaso Barba, Claudio Agnorelli, Shayam Suseelan, Leor Roseman, Matthew B. Wall, David Nutt, David Erritzøe
Frontiers in Psychiatry June 12, 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1183740 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPsychedelic therapy is regaining scientific and medical interest, with growing evidence for its safety and efficacy in treating psychiatric disorders, including addiction. This review charts research on these interventions for addiction, starting with the socioeconomic impact of addiction and current treatment options. It examines historical studies from the mid-late 1900s, real-world evidence from naturalistic and survey-based studies, and modern clinical trials from first-in-human to phase II. The review also covers translational neuropsychopharmacology techniques like fMRI and PET that help explain therapeutic mechanisms. A better understanding of these treatment effects can optimize psychedelic therapy development and improve patient outcomes.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Psychedelic therapy |
| Topics | Addiction |
| Keywords | Neuropsychopharmacology Clinical trial Psychological intervention Observational study |
| Citations | 95 |
| Key finding | Psychedelic therapy shows promise for treating addiction, with evidence from historical studies, real-world observations, and modern clinical trials supporting its safety and efficacy. |
Abstract
Psychedelic therapy has witnessed a resurgence in interest in the last decade from the scientific and medical communities with evidence now building for its safety and efficacy in treating a range of psychiatric disorders including addiction. In this review we will chart the research investigating the role of these interventions in individuals with addiction beginning with an overview of the current socioeconomic impact of addiction, treatment options, and outcomes. We will start by examining historical studies from the first psychedelic research era of the mid-late 1900s, followed by an overview of the available real-world evidence gathered from naturalistic, observational, and survey-based studies. We will then cover modern-day clinical trials of psychedelic therapies in addiction from first-in-human to phase II clinical trials. Finally, we will provide an overview of the different translational human neuropsychopharmacology techniques, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET), that can be applied to foster a mechanistic understanding of therapeutic mechanisms. A more granular understanding of the treatment effects of psychedelics will facilitate the optimisation of the psychedelic therapy drug development landscape, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.