Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
January 1, 2020
A. Bahji, Ashleigh Forsyth, D. Groll et al.
85 citations
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy shows promise as a safe and effective treatment for chronic, treatment-refractory posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A systematic review and meta-analysis of five randomized trials involving 106 participants (average age 35–40 years, 70% female) found that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy produced a high rate of clinical response and remission, with a large effect size in reducing PTSD symptoms. The treatment was well-tolerated, with few serious adverse events. However, larger studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm these findings.
Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
September 1, 2025
Safaa K Aref, Mohamed Z. Habib, Dalia M. Eid et al.
7 citations
In a rat model of depression, both short-term and long-term ketamine treatment alleviated depressive-like behaviors and normalized stress hormone activity. However, long-term use impaired object recognition memory and increased stereotypic behaviors, indicating potential cognitive and psychotic side effects. Ketamine boosted brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and related signaling pathways (TrkB, Akt, GSK-3β, mTOR) while reducing markers of autophagy, tau pathology, and oxidative stress, suggesting enhanced neuronal survival and synaptogenesis. The findings indicate that ketamine's antidepressant benefits come with risks of cognitive decline and psychotic-like effects when used chronically.
Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
May 1, 2025
D. Behzad, S. Patel, R. Besa et al.
Inhaled cannabis routes (smoking, vaping) produce higher peak blood THC levels, while edible cannabis has a longer duration of action. Few differences between methods were found for cognitive performance, though two studies indicated worse attention after vaping versus edibles or smoking, and one study found worse memory with high-potency flower containing cannabidiol compared to concentrates. One study reported an inverse correlation between blood THC and cognition. Because THC levels are used to detect impairment, detection may be more challenging with edibles.
Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
September 2, 2020
K. Gicas, Alex Y T Cheng, W. Panenka et al.
In a sample of 437 adults recruited from single-room occupancy hotels in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, early cannabis exposure (by age 15) was associated with a slightly increased risk of developing substance-induced psychosis, while later first use (after age 15) was linked to a higher risk of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. No differences in neurocognitive function were found between groups, though brain structure differences appeared in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex and white matter tracts. The findings suggest that early cannabis exposure in this high-risk population may contribute to drug-associated psychoses, possibly through altered brain development.
Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
March 1, 2019
J. Soler, B. Arias, J. Moya et al.
Both the ZNF804A gene and cannabis use are risk factors for psychosis, and this study examined their relationship with schizotypal personality traits in 385 healthy Spanish adults. People with the AA genotype of the rs1344706 variant scored higher on interpersonal schizotypy. An interaction between the AA genotype and lifetime cannabis use was found for cognitive-perceptual schizotypy, showing a dose-effect pattern: among AA carriers, schizotypy scores increased with more frequent cannabis use, from sporadic to intense use. These results suggest that cannabis use may modulate the effect of ZNF804A on psychosis proneness.