Improved Social Interaction, Recognition and Working Memory with Cannabidiol Treatment in a Prenatal Infection (poly I:C) Rat Model Ashleigh L. Osborne, Nadia Solowij, Ilijana Babic, Xu-Feng Huang and Katrina Weston-Green Neuropsychopharmacology, 2017, 42, 1447–1457 0893-133X/17 www.neuropsychopharmacology.org doi:10.1038/npp.2017.40 Neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia are associated with cognitive impairment, including learning, memory and attention deficits. Antipsychotic drugs are limited in their efficacy to improve cognition; therefore, new therapeutic agents are required. Cannabidiol (CBD), the non-intoxicating component of cannabis, has anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and antipsychotic-like properties; however, its ability to improve the cognitive deficits of schizophrenia remains unclear. Using a prenatal infection model, we examined the effect of chronic CBD [...]
Lire la suitePurified Cannabidiol, the main non-psychotropic component of Cannabis sativa, alone, counteracts neuronal apoptosis in experimental multiple sclerosis S. GIACOPPO, T. SOUNDARA RAJAN, M. GALUPPO, F. POLLASTRO, G. GRASSI, P. BRAMANTI, E. MAZZON European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, 2015, 19, 4906-4919. Abstract. – OBJECTIVE : Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a global concern disease leading to a progressive, chronic and demyelinating condition, affecting the central nervous system (CNS). The pathology has an inflammatory/autoimmune origin; nevertheless, neuronal cell death mechanisms are not to be underestimated. The present study was designed to test the effects of intraperitoneal administration of cannabidiol (CBD), the main non-psychotropic cannabinoid of [...]
Lire la suitePsychedelic-assisted therapy for anxiety and depression in the face of death: A critical review with an anthropological lens Jenna VARLEY Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 2019, 3, (1), 14–18. DOI: 10.1556/2054.2019.005 Psychedelics have been investigated for their therapeutic applications in end-of-life care as early as 1960. Recently, there have been four main groups conducting clinical trials for either lysergic acid diethylamide or psilocybin for the treatment of anxiety and depression in patients with terminal illnesses. The recent trials have higher methodological quality and demonstrate the profound impact of psychedelics for this particular patient presentation. However, a number of gaps, including understanding the meaning of death [...]
Lire la suiteCannabidiol (CBD) as an Adjunctive Therapy in Schizophrenia : A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial Philip McGuire, F.R.C.Psych., F.Med.Sci., Philip Robson, M.R.C.P., F.R.C.Psych., Wieslaw Jerzy Cubala, M.D., Ph.D., Daniel Vasile, M.D., Ph.D., Paul Dugald Morrison, Ph.D., M.R.C.Psych., Rachel Barron, B.Vet.Med., M.R.C.V.S., Adam Taylor, Ph.D., Stephen Wright, F.R.C.P.(Edin), F.F.P.M. American Journal of Psychiatry, 2018, 175, 225–231. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17030325 Objective : Research in both animals and humans indicates that cannabidiol (CBD) has antipsychotic properties. The authors assessed the safety and effectiveness of CBD in patients with schizophrenia. Method : In an exploratory double-blind parallel-group trial, patients with schizophrenia were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive CBD (1000 [...]
Lire la suiteCannabidiol as a Potential New Type of an Antipsychotic. A Critical Review of the Evidence Cathrin Rohleder, Juliane K. Müller, Bettina Lange and F. M. Leweke Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2016, Volume 7, Article 422. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00422 There is urgent need for the development of mechanistically different and less side-effect prone antipsychotic compounds. The endocannabinoid system has been suggested to represent a potential new target in this indication. While the chronic use of cannabis itself has been considered a risk factor contributing to the development of schizophrenia, triggered by the phytocannabinoid delta-9-tetra-hydro-cannabinol (19-THC), cannabidiol, the second most important phytocannabinoid, appears to have no psychotomimetic potential. [...]
Lire la suiteIntercultural, intermolecular : An ethnobotanical examination of the potential therapeutic value of LSD for the treatment of depression Karsten FATUR Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 2019, 3, (1), 32–34. DOI: 10.1556/2054.2019.002 Lysergic acid diethylamide holds great therapeutic potential in the treatment of depression, although currently illegal in many parts of the world and seen as a recreational drug. An intercultural ethnobotanical examination of plant substances with similar chemical profiles and effects displays the true potential value of this substance and justifies an increased focus on clinical trials and studies involving it. Keywords : psychedelic, LSD, ayahuasca, depression, serotonin Despite its current status as an illegal substance, lysergic [...]
Lire la suiteLong-lasting analgesic effect of the psychedelic drug changa : A case report Genis ONA and Sebastian TRONCOSO Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 2019, 3, (1), 7–13. DOI: 10.1556/2054.2019.001 Background and aims : Pain is the most prevalent symptom of a health condition, and it is inappropriately treated in many cases. Here, we present a case report in which we observe a long-lasting analgesic effect produced by changa, a psychedelic drug that contains the psychoactive N,N-dimethyltryptamine and ground seeds of Peganum harmala, which are rich in β-carbolines. Methods : We describe the case and offer a brief review of supportive findings. Results : A long-lasting analgesic effect after [...]
Lire la suiteA single inhalation of vapor from dried toad secretion containing 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) in a naturalistic setting is related to sustained enhancement of satisfaction with life, mindfulness-related capacities, and a decrement of psychopathological symptoms M. V. Uthaug, R. Lancelotta, K. van Oorsouw, K. P. C. Kuypers, N. Mason, J. Rak, A. Šuláková, R. Jurok, M. Maryška, M. Kuchař, T. Páleníček, J. Riba, J. G. Ramaekers Psychopharmacology, 2019 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-019-05236-w Abstract Background : 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (hereinafter referred to as 5-MeO-DMT) is a psychedelic substance found in the secretion from the parotoid glands of the Bufo alvarius toad. Inhalation of vapor from toad secretion containing 5-MeO-DMT has become popular in [...]
Lire la suitePsilocybin and Mental Health–Don’t Lose Control (Opinion) Joseph M. Barnby and Mitul A. Mehta Frontiers in Psychiatry, published: 03 July 2018 | Volume 9 | Article 293 doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00293 Keywords : psychedelics, psilocybin, depression, clinical trials, methodology Psilocybin—the hallucinogenic pro-drug in magic mushrooms—has recently dominated the popular narrative on new approaches to treating depression. For example, recent papers from John’s Hopkins (1) and Imperial College (2, 3) demonstrate the potential for psilocybin to promote positive lifestyle changes, and as an intervention for treatment-resistant depression, respectively. They also provide an opportunity to highlight two recurrent issues with psychedelic research which we place in the context of more [...]
Lire la suiteTherapeutic Potential of Cannabinoids in Psychosis. Leweke F.M., Mueller J.K., Lange B., Rohleder C. Biological Psychiatry, 2016, 79, (7) 604-612. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.11.018. Abstract Over recent years, the interest in the endocannabinoid system (ECS) as a new target for the treatment of schizophrenia has evolved. The ECS represents one of the most relevant neurotransmitter systems in the brain and mainly fulfills a homeostatic role in terms of neurotransmission but also with respect to inflammatory processes. Two main approaches to the modulation of endocannabinoid functioning have been chosen so far. First, the selective blockade or inverse agonism of the type 1 cannabinoid receptor has been tested for [...]
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