Psychedelics as Medicines: An Emerging New Paradigm. Nichols, D. E., Johnson, M. W., & Nichols, C. D. Clin. Pharmacol. Ther., 101(2):209–219, 2017.
Psychedelics as Medicines: An Emerging New Paradigm [link]Paper  doi  abstract   bibtex   
Scientific interest in serotonergic psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin and LSD; 5-HT2A receptor agonists) has dramatically increasedwithin the last decade. Clinical studies administering psychedelicswith psychotherapy have shown preliminary evidence of robust efficacy in treating anxiety and depression, as well as addiction to tobacco and alcohol.Moreover, recent research has suggested that these compounds have potential efficacy against inflammatory diseases through novel mechanisms,with potential advantages over existing antiinflammatory agents.Wepropose that psychedelics exert therapeutic effects for psychiatric disorders by acutely destabilizing local brain network hubs and global network connectivity via amplification of neuronal avalanches, providing the occasion for brain network “resetting” after the acute effects have resolved. Antiinflammatory effectsmay hold promise for efficacy in treatment of inflammation-related nonpsy- chiatric as well as potentially for psychiatric disorders. Serotonergic psychedelics operate through uniquemechanisms that showpromising effects for a variety of intractable, debilitating, and lethal disorders, and should be rigorously researched.
@article{Nichols2017,
abstract = {Scientific interest in serotonergic psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin and LSD; 5-HT2A receptor agonists) has dramatically increasedwithin the last decade. Clinical studies administering psychedelicswith psychotherapy have shown preliminary evidence of robust efficacy in treating anxiety and depression, as well as addiction to tobacco and alcohol.Moreover, recent research has suggested that these compounds have potential efficacy against inflammatory diseases through novel mechanisms,with potential advantages over existing antiinflammatory agents.Wepropose that psychedelics exert therapeutic effects for psychiatric disorders by acutely destabilizing local brain network hubs and global network connectivity via amplification of neuronal avalanches, providing the occasion for brain network “resetting” after the acute effects have resolved. Antiinflammatory effectsmay hold promise for efficacy in treatment of inflammation-related nonpsy- chiatric as well as potentially for psychiatric disorders. Serotonergic psychedelics operate through uniquemechanisms that showpromising effects for a variety of intractable, debilitating, and lethal disorders, and should be rigorously researched.},
author = {Nichols, D. E. and Johnson, M. W. and Nichols, C. D.},
doi = {10.1002/cpt.557},
isbn = {2045-1253},
issn = {15326535},
journal = {Clin. Pharmacol. Ther.},
keywords = {Fb,WP},
mendeley-tags = {Fb,WP},
number = {2},
pages = {209--219},
pmid = {28019026},
title = {{Psychedelics as Medicines: An Emerging New Paradigm}},
url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/cpt.557/full},
volume = {101},
year = {2017}
}

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