Psychedelics – News and Features

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rejected the use of MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to an announcement from the therapy’s drugmaker, Lykos Therapeutics.

Researchers from Zhejiang University have uncovered the mechanistic basis behind ketamine’s rapid antidepressant effects. Published in Science, this study holds significant promise for developing more effective antidepressant treatments.

Neuron-tagging method developed by researchers at UC Davis reveals how psychedelic compounds impact individual neurons in the brain.

In a new study, researchers report that psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, temporarily scrambles a critical network of brain areas involved in introspective thinking such as daydreaming and remembering.

Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) have found that inflammation in an immune cell may be responsible in part for some severe symptoms in a group of rare genetic conditions called lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs).

Fungi aficionados have reason to rejoice, as two new species of Psilocybe mushrooms – best known for their psychoactive properties – have been discovered in South Africa.

The use of the active ingredient 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as "ecstasy", to support psychotherapy for mental illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder is being discussed worldwide.

Research has found that a new tablet form of ketamine has shown promise in treating severe depression, offering a potential alternative to existing clinic-based treatments that can be expensive and lacking in convenience for some patients.

Older individuals who self-reported using psychedelics had fewer depressive symptoms and higher cognitive performance, a new study, published in Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, has found.

Lifetime LSD use is associated with a higher likelihood of severe psychological distress after losing one’s job. The new work used data from the 2008-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health on the United States civilian, non-institutionalized population.