Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
August 19, 2021
Elisabet Domínguez‐clavé, Joaquim Soler, Matilde Elices et al.
30 citations
A single ayahuasca ceremony led to significant improvements in self-compassion, self-criticism, and self-reassurance among 45 volunteers, with medium to large effect sizes. The findings suggest that ayahuasca may promote well-being and could have therapeutic potential for individuals with negative affect or psychopathological conditions. Most participants had used ayahuasca before. Large, controlled studies are needed to confirm these results.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
June 23, 2020
Edward James, Thomas L Robertshaw, Mathew Hoskins et al.
29 citations
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy shows promise for treating specific psychiatric conditions, with mystical-type experiences linked to therapeutic benefits and long-term improvements in mental outlook. This narrative review summarizes current research on quantifying such experiences and their subjective effects. Recent studies clarify some pharmacological actions of psychedelics, but neurological similarities and differences between spontaneous and drug-induced mystical experiences remain poorly understood. Applicability to modern clinical settings is assessed, and potential novel uses include positive psychology interventions in healthy individuals. Since 2006, significant progress has been made, but more work is needed on neuromechanistic processes and clinical applicability. Funding issues, legal concerns, and socio-cultural resistance counterbalance experimental evidence.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
March 1, 2012
Mark Wetherell, Katie Atherton, Jessica Grainger et al.
25 citations
Recreational use of cannabis and MDMA, beyond the period of intoxication, can negatively influence psychological responses to a multitasking stressor. In three studies, cannabis users became less alert and content after acute stress, while MDMA users became less calm. Unexpectedly, the stressor increased calmness ratings in cannabis users. Both cannabis and MDMA users reported needing more resources to complete the multitasking framework compared to controls. These findings suggest that such drug use may impair real-life situations that place high demands on cognitive resources.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
September 1, 1997
A. C. Parrott, Marta Stuart
24 citations
Twenty-one recreational polydrug users aged 17–34 reported their typical feeling states while on MDMA (Ecstasy), LSD, and amphetamine using a modified Profile of Mood States questionnaire. For three mood factors, MDMA produced intermediate effects: feelings of energy, confidence, and clearheadedness were highest under amphetamine, lowest on LSD, and intermediate after Ecstasy. However, MDMA's mood profile was more unique in other respects, with significantly higher feelings of elation, agreeableness, and composure than the other two drugs.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
July 1, 2015
Giulia Francesconi, Laura Orsolini, Duccio Papanti et al.
22 citations
Venlafaxine, a widely prescribed antidepressant, carries a risk of misuse, with users ingesting or snorting doses 10-15 times higher than clinically advised to obtain MDMA/amphetamine-like stimulant and psychedelic effects. Polydrug misuse is common, and the drug is readily available online. Physicians should assess patients for drug dependence history and monitor for signs of misuse.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
February 2, 2022
Rafael G. Dos Santos, Juliana Mendes Rocha, Giordano Novak Rossi et al.
20 citations
A post-hoc analysis of two small randomized placebo-controlled trials measured endocannabinoid (anandamide, AEA; 2-arachidonoylglycerol, 2-AG) plasma levels in healthy volunteers and in volunteers with social anxiety disorder (SAD) after a single oral dose of ayahuasca or placebo. In the SAD group, ayahuasca intake was associated with a significant difference in AEA concentrations over time, and near-significant increases in AEA were observed at 90 and 240 minutes after intake. No definitive conclusions could be drawn due to high interindividual variability and small sample sizes. Larger studies are needed to clarify ayahuasca's effects on the endocannabinoid system.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
May 1, 2017
Leigh Coney, Larissa J. Maier, Jason Ferris et al.
18 citations
Most people who use LSD analogues (AL-LAD, 1P-LSD, ETH-LAD) have also tried LSD, and in the UK and US a higher proportion reported using analogues in the past year than LSD alone. Users described the effects as psychedelic, obtained the drugs online, and took them orally. The time to peak effect (2 hours) and duration (8 hours) were similar to LSD, but ratings for pleasurable high, strength, comedown, urge to use more drugs, value for money, and risk of harm were all significantly lower for the analogues compared with LSD. The authors suggest future studies should confirm these findings with chemical testing and dose measurement.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
May 1, 2017
Barbara Loi, Mire Zloh, Maria Antonietta de Luca et al.
17 citations
4,4'-DMAR ("Serotoni") is a potent stimulant recently linked to multiple fatalities in Europe. Online drug-forum discussions provide technical knowledge about its use, including routes of administration, doses, desired and adverse effects, comparisons with other drugs, combinations, medications used to reverse its action, and harm-reduction advice. A critical review of evidence-based literature together with qualitative data from six website fora reveals that while netnography (social-network web monitoring) has methodological limitations, it can help clarify clinical and psychopharmacological issues for novel psychoactive substances like 4,4'-DMAR, for which scientific knowledge is extremely scarce.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
January 1, 2000
Sean P. Barrett, Jennifer Archambault, Marla Engelberg et al.
11 citations
In a retrospective study of 22 people who used lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) or psilocybin, most reported that hallucinogens blocked or reduced the subjective effects of alcohol. Among those who combined LSD with alcohol, 86.7% reported a complete blockade of alcohol effects, and the rest reported a diminished response. For psilocybin combined with alcohol, 60% reported a partial antagonism of alcohol effects. LSD's antagonism was significantly greater than psilocybin's. The authors suggest LSD's effect on alcohol intoxication may involve interactions with serotonergic and/or dopaminergic receptor systems.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
September 1, 1994
Gordon Claridge
11 citations
LSD was once considered a potential chemical key to understanding schizophrenia but was rejected as a drug model for human psychosis, while the amphetamine model gained preference. The rejection was influenced not only by scientific factors but also by psychiatry's and society's growing disaffection with existentialist interpretations of schizophrenia, which LSD was associated with as a recreational drug. The proscription of LSD and a shift toward an organic view of schizophrenia made the simpler amphetamine (dopamine) model more acceptable. Flaws in the dopamine model and challenges from a more psychobiological approach suggest a need for a more elaborated neurochemical account, including central serotonergic influences, which could restore LSD's utility in schizophrenia research.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
October 25, 2018
Patrick C. Dolder, Elizabeth B. de Sousa Fernandes Perna, Natasha L. Mason et al.
6 citations
4-Fluoroamphetamine (4-FA), a novel psychoactive substance with effects between MDMA and amphetamine, reduced cognitive empathy while leaving emotional empathy unaffected in healthy poly-drug users. Plasma oxytocin levels increased one hour after a 100 mg dose compared with placebo, but this hormonal change was unrelated to the behavioral effects on empathy. The findings indicate that 4-FA affects empathy differently from MDMA and amphetamine, and confirm that drug-induced changes in peripheral oxytocin are not associated with empathy.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
December 20, 2023
Sam Friedman, Galen Ballentine
5 citations
Machine learning models trained on 11,816 publicly available testimonials about 52 different drugs can predict and quantify subjective experiences. The models identified 11 statistically significant latent factors linking drug receptor affinities to word usage, which mapped to brain regions. A pervasive distinction emerged between universal psychedelic experiences of heightened feeling and the grim, mundane experiences of addiction and mental illness. MDMA was linked to “Love”, DMT and 5-MeO-DMT to “Mystical Experiences” and “Entities and Beings”, and other tryptamines to “Surprise”, “Curiosity”, and “Realization”. The methods show potential for characterizing psychoactivity through data-driven sentiment analysis.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
March 17, 2022
Rafael Lancelotta
2 citations
The author confirms that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and/or its supplementary materials.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
May 1, 2026
María Arqueros, J L Fayos Soler, Ausiàs Cebolla et al.
Ego dissolution, a temporary state of reduced self-referential processing and increased unity with the environment, can be modulated by both psychedelics like ayahuasca and contemplative practices like meditation. In a comparison of 37 ayahuasca users and 137 meditators, meditators scored significantly higher on the 'Delusion of Me' index, which measures acceptance, decentering, and non-attachment. While meditation practice showed a significant non-linear association with cumulative practice and higher scores, repeated ayahuasca exposure showed no evidence of a cumulative association with the index in this sample.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
January 1, 2026
Brunno Freitas Da Costa, Paula Hartmann, Daniel Pagnin
Anxiety is common and harmful for people receiving end-of-life care, but treating it with drugs is difficult. A systematic review of five studies found that both benzodiazepine-opioid combinations and psilocybin reduced anxiety symptoms. Psilocybin provided rapid and lasting relief, with about 60% to 80% of participants showing meaningful improvement. Both types of treatment were well tolerated and caused no serious side effects. However, the evidence is limited by small studies and narrow contexts, highlighting a need for more robust clinical trials.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
March 17, 2022
Edward James, Joachim Keppler, Thomas L. Robertshaw et al.
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