Pub Date : 2024-07-18DOI: 10.3390/psychoactives3030022
Isaac Burt
Psychedelics, combined with talk therapy, indicate promise with challenging clients, such as those struggling with PTSD. Furthermore, groupwork, with the emphasis on social connections, can be an effective modality. There appears, however, little movement with integrating psychedelics with professional counseling and even less in groupwork. Societal perceptions of psychedelics and the concern of practicing outside one’s scope may cause practitioners to hesitate. This article provides a brief overview for the lack of progression in implementing psychedelics in group counseling. I explain what potentially inhibits the utilization of psychedelics, then offer a resolution to these issues by advocating for a psychedelic-assisted groupwork (PAG) model. The argument is that psychedelic approaches can be an innovative and transformative method for group facilitators. I conclude with an overview depicting what a PAG with an interdisciplinary team could entail, including recruitment, screening, selection, therapeutic processes, and termination.
{"title":"Integrating Psychedelics into Groupwork: A Culturally Responsive Model for the Counseling Profession","authors":"Isaac Burt","doi":"10.3390/psychoactives3030022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychoactives3030022","url":null,"abstract":"Psychedelics, combined with talk therapy, indicate promise with challenging clients, such as those struggling with PTSD. Furthermore, groupwork, with the emphasis on social connections, can be an effective modality. There appears, however, little movement with integrating psychedelics with professional counseling and even less in groupwork. Societal perceptions of psychedelics and the concern of practicing outside one’s scope may cause practitioners to hesitate. This article provides a brief overview for the lack of progression in implementing psychedelics in group counseling. I explain what potentially inhibits the utilization of psychedelics, then offer a resolution to these issues by advocating for a psychedelic-assisted groupwork (PAG) model. The argument is that psychedelic approaches can be an innovative and transformative method for group facilitators. I conclude with an overview depicting what a PAG with an interdisciplinary team could entail, including recruitment, screening, selection, therapeutic processes, and termination.","PeriodicalId":513469,"journal":{"name":"Psychoactives","volume":" 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141825433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-16DOI: 10.3390/psychoactives3020017
Christiano dos Santos, A. Bruni
Novel psychoactive substances (NPSs) are compounds plotted to modify the chemical structures of prohibited substances, offering alternatives for consumption and evading legislation. The prompt emergence of these substances presents challenges in health concerns and forensic assessment because of the lack of analytical standards. A viable alternative for establishing these standards involves leveraging in silico methods to acquire spectroscopic data. This study assesses the efficacy of utilizing infrared spectroscopy (IRS) data derived from density functional theory (DFT) for analyzing NPSs. Various functionals were employed to generate infrared spectra for five distinct NPS categories including the following: amphetamines, benzodiazepines, synthetic cannabinoids, cathinones, and fentanyls. PRISMA software was conceived to rationalize data management. Unsupervised learning techniques, including Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE), were utilized to refine the assessment process. Our findings reveal no significant disparities among the different functionals used to generate infrared spectra data. Additionally, the application of unsupervised learning demonstrated adequate segregation of NPSs within their respective groups. In conclusion, integrating theoretical data and dimension reduction techniques proves to be a powerful strategy for evaluating the spectroscopic characteristics of NPSs. This underscores the potential of this combined methodology as a diagnostic tool for distinguishing IR spectra across various NPS groups, facilitating the evaluation of newly unknown compounds.
{"title":"Evaluation of Density Functional Theory-Generated Data for Infrared Spectroscopy of Novel Psychoactive Substances Using Unsupervised Learning","authors":"Christiano dos Santos, A. Bruni","doi":"10.3390/psychoactives3020017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychoactives3020017","url":null,"abstract":"Novel psychoactive substances (NPSs) are compounds plotted to modify the chemical structures of prohibited substances, offering alternatives for consumption and evading legislation. The prompt emergence of these substances presents challenges in health concerns and forensic assessment because of the lack of analytical standards. A viable alternative for establishing these standards involves leveraging in silico methods to acquire spectroscopic data. This study assesses the efficacy of utilizing infrared spectroscopy (IRS) data derived from density functional theory (DFT) for analyzing NPSs. Various functionals were employed to generate infrared spectra for five distinct NPS categories including the following: amphetamines, benzodiazepines, synthetic cannabinoids, cathinones, and fentanyls. PRISMA software was conceived to rationalize data management. Unsupervised learning techniques, including Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE), were utilized to refine the assessment process. Our findings reveal no significant disparities among the different functionals used to generate infrared spectra data. Additionally, the application of unsupervised learning demonstrated adequate segregation of NPSs within their respective groups. In conclusion, integrating theoretical data and dimension reduction techniques proves to be a powerful strategy for evaluating the spectroscopic characteristics of NPSs. This underscores the potential of this combined methodology as a diagnostic tool for distinguishing IR spectra across various NPS groups, facilitating the evaluation of newly unknown compounds.","PeriodicalId":513469,"journal":{"name":"Psychoactives","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140968816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-14DOI: 10.3390/psychoactives3020016
Laurencia Bonsu, T. Grigsby, Christopher Johansen, A. Awan, Sidath Kapukotuwa, Manoj Sharma
College students are a primary population for risky alcohol use behaviors, with one of every eleven students grappling with severe alcohol-related issues. The objective of this scoping review was to synthesize the existing literature to identify factors influencing the prevalence of drinking and driving (DAD) behaviors among college students. A scoping review was conducted using Medline (PubMed), ERIC, The American Journal on Addictions, and the NCHA databases. Criteria for article selection included being published in English and focused on DAD behaviors among college students. Articles excluded from the review were systematic reviews and discussion pieces without empirical findings related to college DAD. Of the included studies (n = 23), most identified a range of factors as being influential in college students’ DAD behavior including a family history of alcohol misuse, the use of other substances such as marijuana, age of initial alcohol consumption, place of residence, propensity for sensation seeking, affiliation with sorority/fraternity groups, and the perception of associated risks. Effective strategies may include education on the risks of combined alcohol and substance use, screening and brief interventions tailored to at-risk students, and the implementation of campus policies that promote responsible alcohol consumption and deter DAD.
大学生是高危饮酒行为的主要人群，每 11 名学生中就有 1 人面临严重的酒精相关问题。本范围综述旨在综合现有文献，找出影响大学生酒后驾车（DAD）行为发生率的因素。我们使用 Medline (PubMed)、ERIC、《美国成瘾期刊》和 NCHA 数据库进行了范围界定综述。文章的选择标准包括：以英文发表，关注大学生的酒后驾车行为。综述中不包括系统综述和讨论文章，这些文章没有与大学生 DAD 相关的实证研究结果。在收录的研究（n = 23）中，大多数研究认为有一系列因素对大学生的 DAD 行为有影响，包括酒精滥用的家族史、使用其他物质（如大麻）、初次饮酒的年龄、居住地、寻求感觉的倾向、与联谊会/兄弟会团体的从属关系以及对相关风险的认知。有效的策略可能包括开展有关酒精和药物混合使用风险的教育、针对高风险学生的筛查和简短干预，以及实施促进负责任饮酒和阻止 DAD 的校园政策。
{"title":"A Scoping Review of Determinants of Drinking and Driving Behavior among Young Adult College Students in the US","authors":"Laurencia Bonsu, T. Grigsby, Christopher Johansen, A. Awan, Sidath Kapukotuwa, Manoj Sharma","doi":"10.3390/psychoactives3020016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychoactives3020016","url":null,"abstract":"College students are a primary population for risky alcohol use behaviors, with one of every eleven students grappling with severe alcohol-related issues. The objective of this scoping review was to synthesize the existing literature to identify factors influencing the prevalence of drinking and driving (DAD) behaviors among college students. A scoping review was conducted using Medline (PubMed), ERIC, The American Journal on Addictions, and the NCHA databases. Criteria for article selection included being published in English and focused on DAD behaviors among college students. Articles excluded from the review were systematic reviews and discussion pieces without empirical findings related to college DAD. Of the included studies (n = 23), most identified a range of factors as being influential in college students’ DAD behavior including a family history of alcohol misuse, the use of other substances such as marijuana, age of initial alcohol consumption, place of residence, propensity for sensation seeking, affiliation with sorority/fraternity groups, and the perception of associated risks. Effective strategies may include education on the risks of combined alcohol and substance use, screening and brief interventions tailored to at-risk students, and the implementation of campus policies that promote responsible alcohol consumption and deter DAD.","PeriodicalId":513469,"journal":{"name":"Psychoactives","volume":"9 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140982026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-06DOI: 10.3390/psychoactives3020015
V. Bellman
Meldonium, a promising pharmacological agent initially developed for cardiovascular indications, has sparked considerable interest in recent years due to its potential performance-enhancing effects. This review manuscript delves into the multifaceted roles of meldonium, examining its pharmacological mechanisms, therapeutic applications, and controversial implications in medicine. Beyond its cardiovascular applications, emerging research has shed light on meldonium’s neuroprotective properties and its potential for mitigating various psychiatric conditions. Moreover, recent investigations have explored meldonium’s potential in treating neurodegenerative disorders, alcohol use disorder, and even enhancing cognitive function. However, meldonium’s journey extends beyond the realm of medicine, as its use among athletes has stirred debates surrounding performance enhancement and fair competition. The substance’s inclusion in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) prohibited list has intensified scrutiny and raised ethical considerations regarding its use in sports. This manuscript aims to provide a comprehensive resource for researchers, clinicians, and enthusiasts alike, fostering a deeper understanding of meldonium’s complex biological interactions and its potential contributions to psychiatry.
{"title":"Unlocking the Potential of Meldonium: From Performance Enhancement to Therapeutic Insights","authors":"V. Bellman","doi":"10.3390/psychoactives3020015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychoactives3020015","url":null,"abstract":"Meldonium, a promising pharmacological agent initially developed for cardiovascular indications, has sparked considerable interest in recent years due to its potential performance-enhancing effects. This review manuscript delves into the multifaceted roles of meldonium, examining its pharmacological mechanisms, therapeutic applications, and controversial implications in medicine. Beyond its cardiovascular applications, emerging research has shed light on meldonium’s neuroprotective properties and its potential for mitigating various psychiatric conditions. Moreover, recent investigations have explored meldonium’s potential in treating neurodegenerative disorders, alcohol use disorder, and even enhancing cognitive function. However, meldonium’s journey extends beyond the realm of medicine, as its use among athletes has stirred debates surrounding performance enhancement and fair competition. The substance’s inclusion in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) prohibited list has intensified scrutiny and raised ethical considerations regarding its use in sports. This manuscript aims to provide a comprehensive resource for researchers, clinicians, and enthusiasts alike, fostering a deeper understanding of meldonium’s complex biological interactions and its potential contributions to psychiatry.","PeriodicalId":513469,"journal":{"name":"Psychoactives","volume":"13 s3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141009579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-25DOI: 10.3390/psychoactives3020010
Agnieszka D. Sekula, P. Puspanathan, Luke Downey, Paul Liknaitzky
A set of interventions that can produce altered states of consciousness (ASC) have shown utility in the treatment of substance misuse. In this review, we examine addiction-related outcomes associated with three common interventions that produce ASCs: psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PP), Transcendental Meditation (TM) and hypnotherapy (HT). While procedurally distinct, all three interventions are associated with some common phenomenological, psychological, and neurobiological features, indicating some possible convergent mechanisms of action. Along with addiction and mental health outcomes, these common features are reviewed, and their impact on substance misuse is discussed. While our review highlights some mixed findings and methodological issues, results indicate that PP and TM are associated with significant improvements in substance misuse, alongside improvements in emotional, cognitive and social functioning, behavior-change motivation, sense of self-identity, and meaning. In contrast, and despite its broader acceptance, HT has been associated with mixed and minimal results with respect to substance misuse treatment. Authors identify key research gaps in the role of ASC interventions in addiction and outline a set of promising future research directions.
{"title":"Producing Altered States of Consciousness, Reducing Substance Misuse: A Review of Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy, Transcendental Meditation and Hypnotherapy","authors":"Agnieszka D. Sekula, P. Puspanathan, Luke Downey, Paul Liknaitzky","doi":"10.3390/psychoactives3020010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychoactives3020010","url":null,"abstract":"A set of interventions that can produce altered states of consciousness (ASC) have shown utility in the treatment of substance misuse. In this review, we examine addiction-related outcomes associated with three common interventions that produce ASCs: psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PP), Transcendental Meditation (TM) and hypnotherapy (HT). While procedurally distinct, all three interventions are associated with some common phenomenological, psychological, and neurobiological features, indicating some possible convergent mechanisms of action. Along with addiction and mental health outcomes, these common features are reviewed, and their impact on substance misuse is discussed. While our review highlights some mixed findings and methodological issues, results indicate that PP and TM are associated with significant improvements in substance misuse, alongside improvements in emotional, cognitive and social functioning, behavior-change motivation, sense of self-identity, and meaning. In contrast, and despite its broader acceptance, HT has been associated with mixed and minimal results with respect to substance misuse treatment. Authors identify key research gaps in the role of ASC interventions in addiction and outline a set of promising future research directions.","PeriodicalId":513469,"journal":{"name":"Psychoactives","volume":"9 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140381368","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-15DOI: 10.3390/psychoactives3010009
R. Dinis-Oliveira
The world of drugs of abuse is a complex clinical and forensic topic since their misuse can lead to devastating consequences [...]
滥用药物是一个复杂的临床和法医学课题，因为滥用药物可能导致毁灭性的后果 [...]
{"title":"New Choking Epidemic Trends in Psychoactive Drugs: The Zombifying Combination of Fentanyl and Xylazine Cause Overdoses and Little Hope in Rehabilitation","authors":"R. Dinis-Oliveira","doi":"10.3390/psychoactives3010009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychoactives3010009","url":null,"abstract":"The world of drugs of abuse is a complex clinical and forensic topic since their misuse can lead to devastating consequences [...]","PeriodicalId":513469,"journal":{"name":"Psychoactives","volume":"14 13","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140239085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-15DOI: 10.3390/psychoactives3010008
Chandni Sakthi, Amanda Adolfo, Umme Warda, Asmaa Khaled, M. Brecht, M. Rezk-Hanna
Heavily advertised as a harmless tobacco alternative, hookah (i.e., waterpipe)-flavored tobacco smoking has contributed to the wider epidemic of smoking, especially amongst marginalized sexual minority (SM) populations. Evidence regarding the concurrent use of substances and other drugs, among SM current hookah smokers, is scarce. We utilized nationally representative data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study (2016–2019) to examine patterns of the concurrent use of substances (i.e., marijuana, painkillers, sedatives, tranquilizers, cocaine, stimulants (specifically methamphetamines), and others), in SM adult hookah smokers and their heterosexual counterparts. Current hookah smoking is higher among SM adults (Wave 4: 4.22% [95% CI = 2.94–5.94] and Wave 5: 2.65% [95% CI = 1.81–3.48]) than heterosexuals (Wave 4: 1.31% [95% CI = 1.13–1.50] and Wave 5: 1.07% [95% CI = 0.89–1.25]). Among current SM hookah users, the co-use of substances, including alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine, is comparable to heterosexuals (p = ns). Adjusting for gender alone and all covariates, including age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, and education, no differences in concurrent substance use were observed between SM and heterosexual hookah users. While the co-use of substances is comparable between SM and heterosexual hookah smoker adults, the prevalence of current hookah use more than doubled among SM individuals than heterosexual individuals during 2018–2019. Our findings highlight the critical value of prevention efforts directed to increase education and awareness about hookah smoking use and known health effects, particularly tailored towards sexual minorities.
作为一种无害的烟草替代品，水烟（即水烟）口味的烟草烟雾被大肆宣传，助长了更广泛的吸烟流行，尤其是在边缘化的性少数群体（SM）中。目前，有关性少数群体水烟吸食者同时使用药物和其他毒品的证据还很少。我们利用烟草与健康人群评估（PATH）研究（2016-2019年）中具有全国代表性的数据，研究了性少数群体成年水烟吸食者及其异性恋吸食者同时使用药物（即大麻、止痛药、镇静剂、镇定剂、可卡因、兴奋剂（特别是甲基苯丙胺）和其他药物）的模式。目前吸食水烟的SM成人（第四波：4.22% [95% CI = 2.94-5.94]，第五波：2.65% [95% CI = 1.81-3.48]）高于异性恋者（第四波：1.31% [95% CI = 1.13-1.50]，第五波：1.07% [95% CI = 0.89-1.25]）。在目前的 SM 水烟吸食者中，同时吸食酒精、大麻和可卡因等物质的比例与异性恋者相当（P = ns）。仅对性别和所有协变量（包括年龄、性别、种族/民族、教育程度、收入和教育程度）进行调整后，SM 和异性恋水烟吸食者在同时使用药物方面没有发现差异。虽然SM和异性恋水烟吸食者成人之间同时使用药物的情况相当，但在2018-2019年期间，SM个体当前使用水烟的流行率比异性恋个体高出一倍多。我们的研究结果凸显了预防工作的重要价值，这些工作旨在提高关于水烟使用和已知健康影响的教育和认识，特别是针对性少数群体。
{"title":"Disparities in Substance Co-Use among Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Adult Hookah Smokers: Findings from Wave 4 (2016–2018) and Wave 5 (2018–2019) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study","authors":"Chandni Sakthi, Amanda Adolfo, Umme Warda, Asmaa Khaled, M. Brecht, M. Rezk-Hanna","doi":"10.3390/psychoactives3010008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychoactives3010008","url":null,"abstract":"Heavily advertised as a harmless tobacco alternative, hookah (i.e., waterpipe)-flavored tobacco smoking has contributed to the wider epidemic of smoking, especially amongst marginalized sexual minority (SM) populations. Evidence regarding the concurrent use of substances and other drugs, among SM current hookah smokers, is scarce. We utilized nationally representative data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study (2016–2019) to examine patterns of the concurrent use of substances (i.e., marijuana, painkillers, sedatives, tranquilizers, cocaine, stimulants (specifically methamphetamines), and others), in SM adult hookah smokers and their heterosexual counterparts. Current hookah smoking is higher among SM adults (Wave 4: 4.22% [95% CI = 2.94–5.94] and Wave 5: 2.65% [95% CI = 1.81–3.48]) than heterosexuals (Wave 4: 1.31% [95% CI = 1.13–1.50] and Wave 5: 1.07% [95% CI = 0.89–1.25]). Among current SM hookah users, the co-use of substances, including alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine, is comparable to heterosexuals (p = ns). Adjusting for gender alone and all covariates, including age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, and education, no differences in concurrent substance use were observed between SM and heterosexual hookah users. While the co-use of substances is comparable between SM and heterosexual hookah smoker adults, the prevalence of current hookah use more than doubled among SM individuals than heterosexual individuals during 2018–2019. Our findings highlight the critical value of prevention efforts directed to increase education and awareness about hookah smoking use and known health effects, particularly tailored towards sexual minorities.","PeriodicalId":513469,"journal":{"name":"Psychoactives","volume":"15 26","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140240623","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-26DOI: 10.3390/psychoactives3010007
Frankie A. Colosimo, Philip Borsellino, Reese I. Krider, Raul E. Marquez, Thomas A Vida
The human brain is an extraordinarily complex organ responsible for all aspects of cognition and control. Billions of neurons form connections with thousands of other neurons, resulting in trillions of synapses that create a vast and intricate network. This network is subjected to continuous remodeling that adapts to environmental and developmental changes. The resulting neuroplasticity is crucial to both healthy states and many forms of mental illness and neurodegeneration. This narrative review comprehensively examines N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a naturally occurring hallucinogen and psychedelic compound, focusing on its implications in promoting neuroplasticity via neuritogenesis. We examine DMT’s pharmacology, including its interaction with serotonergic, sigma-1, and trace amine-associated receptors and their associated signaling pathways. The therapeutic potential of DMT in both animal models and clinical trials is discussed with impacts on perception, cognition, emotion, and consciousness. We uniquely focus on current directions centered on unveiling the direct mechanisms of DMT’s therapeutic effects that demonstrate transformative effects on mental well-being, particularly for conditions like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. We discuss the connection between DMT and neuroplasticity, offering the potential for forming new neural connections, improving learning, memory, and aiding recovery from brain injuries, including neurorehabilitation and neuroregeneration. The ultimate potential of DMT’s therapeutic efficacy to enhance neurogenesis, especially for neurodegenerative conditions, is also discussed.
{"title":"The Clinical Potential of Dimethyltryptamine: Breakthroughs into the Other Side of Mental Illness, Neurodegeneration, and Consciousness","authors":"Frankie A. Colosimo, Philip Borsellino, Reese I. Krider, Raul E. Marquez, Thomas A Vida","doi":"10.3390/psychoactives3010007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychoactives3010007","url":null,"abstract":"The human brain is an extraordinarily complex organ responsible for all aspects of cognition and control. Billions of neurons form connections with thousands of other neurons, resulting in trillions of synapses that create a vast and intricate network. This network is subjected to continuous remodeling that adapts to environmental and developmental changes. The resulting neuroplasticity is crucial to both healthy states and many forms of mental illness and neurodegeneration. This narrative review comprehensively examines N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a naturally occurring hallucinogen and psychedelic compound, focusing on its implications in promoting neuroplasticity via neuritogenesis. We examine DMT’s pharmacology, including its interaction with serotonergic, sigma-1, and trace amine-associated receptors and their associated signaling pathways. The therapeutic potential of DMT in both animal models and clinical trials is discussed with impacts on perception, cognition, emotion, and consciousness. We uniquely focus on current directions centered on unveiling the direct mechanisms of DMT’s therapeutic effects that demonstrate transformative effects on mental well-being, particularly for conditions like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. We discuss the connection between DMT and neuroplasticity, offering the potential for forming new neural connections, improving learning, memory, and aiding recovery from brain injuries, including neurorehabilitation and neuroregeneration. The ultimate potential of DMT’s therapeutic efficacy to enhance neurogenesis, especially for neurodegenerative conditions, is also discussed.","PeriodicalId":513469,"journal":{"name":"Psychoactives","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140430878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-25DOI: 10.3390/psychoactives3010006
L. Mariotto, C. Rodrigues, A. Bruni
The identification of new psychoactive substances (compounds that mimic the effects of outlawed substances) poses a significant challenge due to their rapid emergence and continuous modifications. This phenomenon results in these molecules escaping legal regulation, allowing them to circumvent legislation. The phenethylamine class has garnered attention because its molecules replicate the effects of LSD and are associated with numerous cases of intoxication. In this study, we focused on three phenethylamines—2C-H, 25H-NBOH, and 25I-NBOMe—with crystallographic structures available in the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Center (CCDC) database. We conducted a systematic conformational analysis and compared the structural information obtained. Subsequently, we compared the spectra derived from this analysis with experimental details from the ENFSI database. Structural comparisons were made based on the RMSDs between the lower energy conformations and experimental crystallographic structures. Additionally, structures obtained from direct optimization were compared. We then simulated the spectra based on the X-ray structures and compared them with those in the experimental database. Interpretation was carried out using heat maps and PCA in Pirouette software. Combining in silico methods with experimental approaches provides a more comprehensive understanding of the characterization process of new psychoactive substances (NPSs).
{"title":"Does Conformation Affect the Analytical Response? A Structural and Infrared Spectral Evaluation of Phenethylamines (2C-H, 25H-NBOH, and 25I-NBOMe) Using In Silico Methodology","authors":"L. Mariotto, C. Rodrigues, A. Bruni","doi":"10.3390/psychoactives3010006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychoactives3010006","url":null,"abstract":"The identification of new psychoactive substances (compounds that mimic the effects of outlawed substances) poses a significant challenge due to their rapid emergence and continuous modifications. This phenomenon results in these molecules escaping legal regulation, allowing them to circumvent legislation. The phenethylamine class has garnered attention because its molecules replicate the effects of LSD and are associated with numerous cases of intoxication. In this study, we focused on three phenethylamines—2C-H, 25H-NBOH, and 25I-NBOMe—with crystallographic structures available in the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Center (CCDC) database. We conducted a systematic conformational analysis and compared the structural information obtained. Subsequently, we compared the spectra derived from this analysis with experimental details from the ENFSI database. Structural comparisons were made based on the RMSDs between the lower energy conformations and experimental crystallographic structures. Additionally, structures obtained from direct optimization were compared. We then simulated the spectra based on the X-ray structures and compared them with those in the experimental database. Interpretation was carried out using heat maps and PCA in Pirouette software. Combining in silico methods with experimental approaches provides a more comprehensive understanding of the characterization process of new psychoactive substances (NPSs).","PeriodicalId":513469,"journal":{"name":"Psychoactives","volume":"35 10-11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140432873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-28DOI: 10.3390/psychoactives3010004
Esmaeel Ghasemi Gojani, Bo Wang, Dongping Li, O. Kovalchuk, Igor Kovalchuk
Psilocybin, an innate compound produced by mushrooms belonging to the Psilocybe genus, is primarily known for its agonistic effects on the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. This receptor’s functioning is involved in many neurological processes. In the context of this research, our primary aim was to comprehensively investigate the influence of psilocybin as a serotonin receptor agonist on the intricate cascade of events involved in THP-1 macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). THP-1 monocyte cells were subjected to differentiation into macrophages through a controlled incubation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). The next step involved the induction of an inflammatory response by exposing THP-1 macrophages to 500 ng/mL LPS for 4 h. Subsequently, we triggered the activation of the second phase of the NLRP3 inflammasome by introducing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) immediately following LPS stimulation. Our findings have revealed a dose-dependent inverse correlation between psilocybin exposure and the production of LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokines and proteins. Our work indicates that psilocybin likely mediates these responses by influencing key signaling pathways, including NF-κB, IL-6/TYK2/STAT3, and TYK2/STAT1.
{"title":"The Effects of Psilocybin on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation in THP-1 Human Macrophages","authors":"Esmaeel Ghasemi Gojani, Bo Wang, Dongping Li, O. Kovalchuk, Igor Kovalchuk","doi":"10.3390/psychoactives3010004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/psychoactives3010004","url":null,"abstract":"Psilocybin, an innate compound produced by mushrooms belonging to the Psilocybe genus, is primarily known for its agonistic effects on the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. This receptor’s functioning is involved in many neurological processes. In the context of this research, our primary aim was to comprehensively investigate the influence of psilocybin as a serotonin receptor agonist on the intricate cascade of events involved in THP-1 macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). THP-1 monocyte cells were subjected to differentiation into macrophages through a controlled incubation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). The next step involved the induction of an inflammatory response by exposing THP-1 macrophages to 500 ng/mL LPS for 4 h. Subsequently, we triggered the activation of the second phase of the NLRP3 inflammasome by introducing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) immediately following LPS stimulation. Our findings have revealed a dose-dependent inverse correlation between psilocybin exposure and the production of LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokines and proteins. Our work indicates that psilocybin likely mediates these responses by influencing key signaling pathways, including NF-κB, IL-6/TYK2/STAT3, and TYK2/STAT1.","PeriodicalId":513469,"journal":{"name":"Psychoactives","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140491584","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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