A review of emerging therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs in the treatment of psychiatric illnesses

Though there was initial interest in the use of psychedelic drugs for psychiatric treatment, bad outcomes and subsequent passage of the Substance Act of 1970, which placed psychedelic drugs in the Schedule I category, significantly limited potential progress. More recently, however, there has been r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the neurological sciences 2020-04, Vol.411, p.116715-116715, Article 116715
Main Authors: Chi, Tingying, Gold, Jessica A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Anxiety
Emergent psychiatric therapy
Hallucinogens - therapeutic use
Humans
LSD
MDMA
Pharmaceutical Preparations
Psilocybin
Psilocybin - therapeutic use
Psychedelic drug research
Safety
Substance-Related Disorders - drug therapy
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Summary:Though there was initial interest in the use of psychedelic drugs for psychiatric treatment, bad outcomes and subsequent passage of the Substance Act of 1970, which placed psychedelic drugs in the Schedule I category, significantly limited potential progress. More recently, however, there has been renewal in interest and promise of psychedelic research. The purpose of this review is to highlight contemporary human studies on the use of select psychedelic drugs, such as psilocybin, LSD, MDMA and ayahuasca, in the treatment of various psychiatric illnesses, including but not limited to treatment-resistant depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, end-of-life anxiety, and substance use disorders. The safety and efficacy as reported from human and animal studies will also be discussed. Accumulated research to date has suggested the potential for psychedelics to emerge as breakthrough therapies for psychiatric conditions refractory to conventional treatments. However, given the unique history and high potential for misuse with popular distribution, special care and considerations must be undertaken to safeguard their use as viable medical treatments rather than drugs of abuse. •Psychedelics have a long, complex history in psychiatry•Research on their use was effectively stopped after the passage of Substance Act of 1970•There has been a recent renewed interest in psychedelic research•Contemporary studies have demonstrated safety and possible benefit of psychedelic drugs in multiple psychiatric illnesses•Caution must be taken to safeguard the distribution and utilization of these psychedelic substances
ISSN:0022-510X
1878-5883
DOI:10.1016/j.jns.2020.116715