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Mathai DS, Hilbert S, Sepeda ND, Strickland JC, Griffiths RR, Garcia-Romeu A. Double-Blind Comparison of the Two Hallucinogens Dextromethorphan and Psilocybin: Experience-Dependent and Enduring Psychological Effects in Healthy Volunteers. PSYCHEDELIC MEDICINE (NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.) 2023; 1:241-252. [PMID: 38152462 PMCID: PMC10750378 DOI: 10.1089/psymed.2023.0035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Rationale N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated dissociatives and serotonergic hallucinogens are being increasingly used in therapeutic interventions that involve nonordinary states of consciousness and may represent a unique mental health paradigm wherein pharmacologically induced experiences are conducive to psychological well-being. Objective The aim of this study was to further understand how the phenomenological and health-promoting effects of high-dose dextromethorphan (DXM) compared to psilocybin in the same participants when administered under experimental conditions that are typical of therapeutic psychedelic trials. Methods Single, acute oral doses of DXM (400 mg/70 kg), psilocybin (10, 20, 30 mg/70 kg), and inactive placebo were administered under double-blind and psychologically supportive conditions to 20 healthy participants with histories of hallucinogen use. Ratings of personal meaning, spiritual significance, psychological challenge, and psychological insight attributed to acute drug experiences were assessed 7 h (at session end) and 1 week after each drug administration. Persisting psychological effects were assessed 1 week after each drug administration. Results High-dose DXM and psilocybin produced similar increases over placebo in ratings of drug experience that was predictive of psychological benefit at 1 week, even when expectancy effects were minimized. These effects tended to favor psilocybin in a dose-dependent manner and were limited by poor physical tolerability for DXM. Conclusions This analysis suggests the utility of exploring clinical applications of dissociatives that occur within the supportive contexts that are characteristic of psychedelic research and that prioritize the optimization of psychologically valuable drug experiences. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02033707).
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Affiliation(s)
- David S. Mathai
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Samantha Hilbert
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Nathan D. Sepeda
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education, College of Social Work, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Justin C. Strickland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Roland R. Griffiths
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Albert Garcia-Romeu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Herrmann Z, Earleywine M, De Leo J, Slabaugh S, Kenny T, Rush AJ. Scoping Review of Experiential Measures from Psychedelic Research and Clinical Trials. J Psychoactive Drugs 2023; 55:501-517. [PMID: 36127639 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2022.2125467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Subjective responses to psychoactive drugs have served as intriguing windows into consciousness as well as useful predictors. Subjective reactions to psychedelic molecules are particularly interesting given how they covary with subsequent improvements associated with psychedelic-assisted treatments. Although links between subjective reactions and decreases in treatment-resistant clinical depression, end-of-life anxiety, and maladaptive consumption of alcohol and nicotine appear in the empirical literature, the measurement of these subjective responses has proven difficult. Several scales developed over many decades show reasonable internal consistency. Studies suggest that many have a replicable factor structure and other good psychometric properties, but samples are often small and self-selected. We review the psychometric properties of some of the most widely used scales and detail their links to improvement in response to psychedelic-assisted treatments. Generally, assessments of mystical experiences or oceanic boundlessness correlate with improvements. Challenging subjective experiences, psychological insight, and emotional breakthroughs also show considerable promise, though replication would strengthen conclusions. We suggest a collaborative approach where investigators can focus on key responses to ensure that the field will eventually have data from many participants who report their subjective reactions to psychedelic molecules in a therapeutic setting. This may aid in predicting improvement amongst targeted conditions and wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Herrmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA
- New Hampshire Hospital, Concord, NH, USA
| | | | - Joseph De Leo
- Center for Compassionate Care, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sarah Slabaugh
- Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Timothy Kenny
- Library & Knowledge Services, Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME, USA
| | - A John Rush
- Emeritus, Duke - National University of Singapore (Nus); Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
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McCartney AM, McGovern HT, De Foe A. Predictors of Psychedelic Experience: A Thematic Analysis. J Psychoactive Drugs 2023; 55:411-419. [PMID: 36197103 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2022.2129885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 10/10/2022]
Abstract
Research on the therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances is expanding. A limitation within this field is the unpredictability of individual responses to psychedelics. Better understanding of factors predicting psychedelic experience is essential to clinical progress and wider harm reduction frameworks. Ketamine, MDMA, LSD and psilocybin were selected for comparison due to their promising therapeutic effects and different mechanisms of action. This study aimed to (a) identify factors that produce positive and adverse psychedelic experience, and (b) compare these potential predictors across four psychedelic substances. A thematic analysis was conducted on twenty-two first-person reports of psychedelic use (six per substance), sourced from the Erowid database. This revealed three external predictors (nature, music, and preparation) and three internal predictors (understanding, mind-set, and motivation). Each factor identified contained two sub-themes that further elucidated meaning and impact. Nature and music emerged as potential tools for de-escalating adverse reactions to psychedelics. Substance-specific perceptual and sensorial effects were also examined. Finally, the importance of, and interrelationship between, preparation, mind-set, understanding, and motivation was examined as common themes that emerged. The broader clinical and sociological implications are discussed, with reference to developing harm reduction frameworks. These findings constitute an early step in developing a more nuanced understanding of factors shaping psychedelic experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M McCartney
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
| | - H T McGovern
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - A De Foe
- School of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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4
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Lawrence DW, DiBattista AP, Timmermann C. N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT)-Occasioned Familiarity and the Sense of Familiarity Questionnaire (SOF-Q). J Psychoactive Drugs 2023:1-13. [PMID: 37428989 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2023.2230568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the sense of familiarity attributed to N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) experiences. 227 naturalistic inhaled-DMT experiences reporting a sense of familiarity were included. No experiences referenced a previous DMT or psychedelic experience as the source of the familiarity. A high prevalence of concomitant features discordant from ordinary consciousness were identified: features of a mystical experience (97.4%), ego-dissolution (16.3%), and a "profound experience of death" (11.0%). The Sense of Familiarity Questionnaire (SOF-Q) was developed assessing 19 features of familiarity across 5 themes: (1) Familiarity with the Feeling, Emotion, or Knowledge Gained; (2) Familiarity with the Place, Space, State, or Environment; (3) Familiarity with the Act of Going Through the Experience; (4) Familiarity with Transcendent Features; and (5) Familiarity Imparted by an Entity Encounter. Bayesian latent class modeling yielded two stable classes of participants who shared similar SOF-Q responses. Class 1 participants responded, "yes" more often for items within "Familiarity Imparted by an Entity Encounter" and "Familiarity with the Feeling, Emotion, or Knowledge Gained." Results catalogued features of the sense of familiarity imparted by DMT, which appears to be non-referential to a previous psychedelic experience. Findings provide insights into the unique and enigmatic familiarity reported during DMT experiences and offer a foundation for further exploration into this intriguing phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Wyndham Lawrence
- Department of Family & Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Mount Sinai Hospital, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Canada
- Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Alex P DiBattista
- Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Christopher Timmermann
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Reconsidering "dissociation" as a predictor of antidepressant efficacy for esketamine. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:827-836. [PMID: 36729145 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06324-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The relationship between subjective drug experience and antidepressant outcomes for ketamine derivatives is poorly understood but of high clinical relevance. Esketamine is the patented (S)-enantiomer of ketamine and has regulatory approval for psychiatric applications. OBJECTIVES We examined the relationship between acute dissociation, as measured by the Clinician-Administered Dissociative States Scale (CADSS), and antidepressant efficacy, as measured by the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), for esketamine across the 4-week induction phase of treatment. METHODS This post hoc analysis combined data (N = 576) from the TRANSFORM-1 and TRANSFORM-2 clinical trials of esketamine for treatment-resistant depression. Linear mixed models were performed using total MADRS score as the outcome variable with the following independent variables: baseline MADRS score, treatment condition × time interaction, and CADSS × time interaction. To assess whether initial dissociation predicted rapid antidepressant benefit with esketamine, a separately planned regression was performed with day 2 MADRS as the outcome variable with the following dependent variables: baseline MADRS, treatment condition, and day 1 CADSS. RESULTS The linear mixed model did not show any effect of a CADSS × time interaction (p = 0.7). Looking solely at the effect of day 1 CADSS on day 2 MADRS revealed that each additional CADSS point was associated with a - .04 [95% CI - .08, - .002] (p = .04) decrease in MADRS score. CONCLUSIONS We found no evidence of a clinically significant positive or negative association between dissociation and antidepressant effect for esketamine. Our findings suggest that subsequent inquiry in this area will benefit from improved characterization of drug experiences relevant to therapeutic outcomes.
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Wießner I, Falchi M, Daldegan-Bueno D, Palhano-Fontes F, Olivieri R, Feilding A, B Araujo D, Ribeiro S, Bezerra Mota N, Tófoli LF. LSD and language: Decreased structural connectivity, increased semantic similarity, changed vocabulary in healthy individuals. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 68:89-104. [PMID: 36669231 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Language has been explored as a window into the mind. Psychedelics, known to affect perception and cognition, seem to change language, but a systematic, time-dependent exploration is lacking. Therefore, we aimed at mapping the psychedelic effects on language over the time course of the acute and sub-acute effects in an explorative manner. For this, 24 healthy volunteers (age [mean±SD, range]: 35±11, 25-61 years; 33% women) received 50 μg lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) or inactive placebo in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. We assessed different language productions (experience reporting, storytelling), components (structure, semantics, vocabulary) and time points (+0 h to +24 h). Language productions included 5-min experience reporting (+1.5 h, +6.5 h) and 1-min storytelling (+0 h, +2 h, +4 h, +6 h, +24 h). Language structure was assessed by computing speech topology (SpeechGraphs), semantics by semantic distances (FastText), vocabulary by word categories (LIWC). LSD, compared to placebo, changed language structure, including decreased verbosity, lexicon, global and local connectivity (+1.5 h to +4 h); decreased semantic distances between neighbouring words and overall words (+2 h to +24 h); and changed vocabulary related to grammar, persons, time, space and biological processes (+1.5 h to +24 h). In conclusion, low to moderate LSD doses changed language over diverse production types, components and time points. While simpler and disconnected structure and semantic similarity might reflect cognitive impairments, changed vocabulary might reflect subjective perceptions. Therefore, language under LSD might provide a window into the psychedelic mind and automated language quantifications should be better explored as valuable tools to yield more unconstrained insights into psychedelic perception and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Wießner
- Interdisciplinary Cooperation for Ayahuasca Research and Outreach (ICARO), School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Rua Tessália Vieira de Camargo 126, Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, 13083-887, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil; Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Av. Senador Salgado Filho 3000, Lagoa Nova, 59078-900, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
| | - Marcelo Falchi
- Interdisciplinary Cooperation for Ayahuasca Research and Outreach (ICARO), School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Rua Tessália Vieira de Camargo 126, Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, 13083-887, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil; Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Av. Senador Salgado Filho 3000, Lagoa Nova, 59078-900, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno
- Interdisciplinary Cooperation for Ayahuasca Research and Outreach (ICARO), School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Rua Tessália Vieira de Camargo 126, Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, 13083-887, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil; Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Fernanda Palhano-Fontes
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Av. Senador Salgado Filho 3000, Lagoa Nova, 59078-900, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Rodolfo Olivieri
- Interdisciplinary Cooperation for Ayahuasca Research and Outreach (ICARO), School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Rua Tessália Vieira de Camargo 126, Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, 13083-887, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Amanda Feilding
- The Beckley Foundation, Beckley Park, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Draulio B Araujo
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Av. Senador Salgado Filho 3000, Lagoa Nova, 59078-900, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Sidarta Ribeiro
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Av. Senador Salgado Filho 3000, Lagoa Nova, 59078-900, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Natália Bezerra Mota
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luís Fernando Tófoli
- Interdisciplinary Cooperation for Ayahuasca Research and Outreach (ICARO), School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Rua Tessália Vieira de Camargo 126, Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, 13083-887, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
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7
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Wang H, Wang Y. Matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization-mass spectrometric imaging of psilocybin and its analogues in psychedelic mushrooms using a cesium chloride-coated target plate. Anal Bioanal Chem 2023; 415:735-745. [PMID: 36459169 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-022-04467-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Fungi with hallucinogenic properties and neurotoxicity have been listed as prohibited drugs in recent years, but there is a lack of in situ quantification of psilocybin and analogues in these samples to avoid the decomposition of these psychoactive tryptamines in time-consuming sample preparation. In this study, matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization (MALDI)-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT ICR) mass spectrometric imaging (MSI) was used to analyze the distribution of psilocybin and its analogues in hallucinogenic Psilocybe mushrooms. A cesium chloride (CsCl)-coated target plate was prepared to improve the detection sensitivity and reduce the interference of other compounds or decomposition products with very similar m/z values in MALDI-FT ICR MS analysis. Psilocybin and other tryptamines with structurally similar compounds, including psilocin, baeocystin, tryptophan, tryptamine, and aeruginascin, were identified and imaged in the psilocybe tissue section; the semiquantitative analysis of the distribution of psilocybin was also investigated using a homemade 75-well CsCl-coated plate; and the target plate can be placed on the mass spectrometry target carrier along with the indium-tin oxide (ITO) conductive slide, which can simultaneously carry out matrix vapor deposition, thus ensuring the parallelism between the standards and samples in the pretreatment experiment and MSI. The contents of psilocybin and its analogues in the psilocybe tissue section can be evaluated from the color changes corresponding to different concentration standard curves. Furthermore, a comprehensive comparison between MALDI-FT ICR MS and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF MS) analysis was performed for quantification and validation. This study reduces the decomposition in time-consuming sample pretreatment and provides a powerful tool for drug abuse control and forensic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai, 200063, People's Republic of China. .,Instrumental Analysis Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Dongchuan Road 800, Shanghai, 200240, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ying Wang
- Narcotics Control Commission, Nanjing Municipal Public Security Bureau, Nanjing, 210012, People's Republic of China
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8
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Natural language signatures of psilocybin microdosing. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:2841-2852. [PMID: 35676541 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06170-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Serotonergic psychedelics are being studied as novel treatments for mental health disorders and as facilitators of improved well-being, mental function, and creativity. Recent studies have found mixed results concerning the effects of low doses of psychedelics ("microdosing") on these domains. However, microdosing is generally investigated using instruments designed to assess larger doses of psychedelics, which might lack sensitivity and specificity for this purpose. OBJECTIVES Determine whether unconstrained speech contains signatures capable of identifying the acute effects of psilocybin microdoses. METHODS Natural speech under psilocybin microdoses (0.5 g of psilocybin mushrooms) was acquired from thirty-four healthy adult volunteers (11 females: 32.09 ± 3.53 years; 23 males: 30.87 ± 4.64 years) following a double-blind and placebo-controlled experimental design with two measurement weeks per participant. On Wednesdays and Fridays of each week, participants consumed either the active dose (psilocybin) or the placebo (edible mushrooms). Features of interest were defined based on variables known to be affected by higher doses: verbosity, semantic variability, and sentiment scores. Machine learning models were used to discriminate between conditions. Classifiers were trained and tested using stratified cross-validation to compute the AUC and p-values. RESULTS Except for semantic variability, these metrics presented significant differences between a typical active microdose and the inactive placebo condition. Machine learning classifiers were capable of distinguishing between conditions with high accuracy (AUC [Formula: see text] 0.8). CONCLUSIONS These results constitute first evidence that low doses of serotonergic psychedelics can be identified from unconstrained natural speech, with potential for widely applicable, affordable, and ecologically valid monitoring of microdosing schedules.
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Kobayashi NHC, Farias SV, Luz DA, Machado-Ferraro KM, da Conceição BC, da Silveira CCM, Fernandes LMP, Cartágenes SDC, Ferreira VMM, Fontes-Júnior EA, Maia CDSF. Ketamine plus Alcohol: What We Know and What We Can Expect about This. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147800. [PMID: 35887148 PMCID: PMC9323326 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug abuse has become a public health concern. The misuse of ketamine, a psychedelic substance, has increased worldwide. In addition, the co-abuse with alcohol is frequently identified among misusers. Considering that ketamine and alcohol share several pharmacological targets, we hypothesize that the consumption of both psychoactive substances may synergically intensify the toxicological consequences, both under the effect of drugs available in body systems and during withdrawal. The aim of this review is to examine the toxicological mechanisms related to ketamine plus ethanol co-abuse, as well the consequences on cardiorespiratory, digestive, urinary, and central nervous systems. Furthermore, we provide a comprehensive discussion about the probable sites of shared molecular mechanisms that may elicit additional hazardous effects. Finally, we highlight the gaps of knowledge in this area, which deserves further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Harumi Correa Kobayashi
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Inflammation and Behavior, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Health Science, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075110, PA, Brazil; (N.H.C.K.); (S.V.F.); (D.A.L.); (K.M.M.-F.); (B.C.d.C.); (C.C.M.d.S.); (L.M.P.F.); (S.d.C.C.); (E.A.F.-J.)
| | - Sarah Viana Farias
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Inflammation and Behavior, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Health Science, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075110, PA, Brazil; (N.H.C.K.); (S.V.F.); (D.A.L.); (K.M.M.-F.); (B.C.d.C.); (C.C.M.d.S.); (L.M.P.F.); (S.d.C.C.); (E.A.F.-J.)
| | - Diandra Araújo Luz
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Inflammation and Behavior, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Health Science, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075110, PA, Brazil; (N.H.C.K.); (S.V.F.); (D.A.L.); (K.M.M.-F.); (B.C.d.C.); (C.C.M.d.S.); (L.M.P.F.); (S.d.C.C.); (E.A.F.-J.)
| | - Kissila Márvia Machado-Ferraro
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Inflammation and Behavior, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Health Science, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075110, PA, Brazil; (N.H.C.K.); (S.V.F.); (D.A.L.); (K.M.M.-F.); (B.C.d.C.); (C.C.M.d.S.); (L.M.P.F.); (S.d.C.C.); (E.A.F.-J.)
| | - Brenda Costa da Conceição
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Inflammation and Behavior, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Health Science, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075110, PA, Brazil; (N.H.C.K.); (S.V.F.); (D.A.L.); (K.M.M.-F.); (B.C.d.C.); (C.C.M.d.S.); (L.M.P.F.); (S.d.C.C.); (E.A.F.-J.)
| | - Cinthia Cristina Menezes da Silveira
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Inflammation and Behavior, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Health Science, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075110, PA, Brazil; (N.H.C.K.); (S.V.F.); (D.A.L.); (K.M.M.-F.); (B.C.d.C.); (C.C.M.d.S.); (L.M.P.F.); (S.d.C.C.); (E.A.F.-J.)
| | - Luanna Melo Pereira Fernandes
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Inflammation and Behavior, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Health Science, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075110, PA, Brazil; (N.H.C.K.); (S.V.F.); (D.A.L.); (K.M.M.-F.); (B.C.d.C.); (C.C.M.d.S.); (L.M.P.F.); (S.d.C.C.); (E.A.F.-J.)
| | - Sabrina de Carvalho Cartágenes
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Inflammation and Behavior, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Health Science, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075110, PA, Brazil; (N.H.C.K.); (S.V.F.); (D.A.L.); (K.M.M.-F.); (B.C.d.C.); (C.C.M.d.S.); (L.M.P.F.); (S.d.C.C.); (E.A.F.-J.)
| | - Vânia Maria Moraes Ferreira
- Laboratory of Psychobiology, Psychology Institute, University of Brasília, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro—Asa Norte, Brasília 70910900, DF, Brazil;
| | - Enéas Andrade Fontes-Júnior
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Inflammation and Behavior, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Health Science, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075110, PA, Brazil; (N.H.C.K.); (S.V.F.); (D.A.L.); (K.M.M.-F.); (B.C.d.C.); (C.C.M.d.S.); (L.M.P.F.); (S.d.C.C.); (E.A.F.-J.)
| | - Cristiane do Socorro Ferraz Maia
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Inflammation and Behavior, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Health Science, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075110, PA, Brazil; (N.H.C.K.); (S.V.F.); (D.A.L.); (K.M.M.-F.); (B.C.d.C.); (C.C.M.d.S.); (L.M.P.F.); (S.d.C.C.); (E.A.F.-J.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-91-3201-7201
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10
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The altered state of consciousness induced by Δ9-THC. Conscious Cogn 2022; 102:103357. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2022.103357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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11
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Lawrence DW, Carhart-Harris R, Griffiths R, Timmermann C. Phenomenology and content of the inhaled N, N-dimethyltryptamine (N, N-DMT) experience. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8562. [PMID: 35610230 PMCID: PMC9130218 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11999-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the phenomenology and content of the inhaled N, N, dimethyltryptamine (N, N-DMT) experience is critical to facilitate and support ongoing research and therapeutic models targeting mental health conditions and central nervous system pathology. A qualitative analysis was conducted of all N, N-DMT experiences posted to the r/DMT Reddit community over a 10-year period from 2009 to 2018. A total of 3778 experiences from 3305 posts were included in this study. A median dose of N, N-DMT of 40.0 mg [interquartile range (IQR), 27.5 to 50.0] and a median experience duration of 10 min (IQR, 5.0 to 15.0) were identified. The most common somatic effects were somaesthesias (n = 1415, 37.5%) and an auditory ringing (n = 583, 15.4%). Visualizations predominantly consisted of fractals, shapes, patterns (n = 1231, 32.6%) and vivid colours (n = 953, 25.2%). Entity encounters were reported in 45.5% (n = 1719) of the experiences and involved predominantly a feminine phenotype (n = 416, 24.2%); deities (n = 293, 17.0%); aliens (n = 281, 16.3%); creature-based entities (n = 158, 9.2%, including reptilian and insectoid beings); mythological beings (n = 144, 8.4%, including machine elves); and jesters (n = 112, 6.5%). Entity interactions were predominantly positive (n = 600, 34.9% of encounters) involving benevolent, comforting, protecting, or outwardly caring interactions. A companion-type, pedagogical, or guide-type interaction was identified 32.4% of encounters (n = 557). Common typology, architecture, and structural features of the "DMT world" included descriptions of alternate or higher dimensions (n = 952, 25.2%); rooms [n = 582, 15.4%, including the "waiting room" (n = 105, 2.8%)], and a tunnel (n = 390, 10.3%). Features of mystical and ego-dissolution experiences were common. Additional rewarding aspects were identified, including a sense of familiarity and the acceptance/removal of the fear of death. Challenging and difficult responses were less frequent but also documented. Statements of profundity were identified in 232 experiences (6.1%), including pronouncing the experience or an aspect of the experience as the most "beautiful" or feeling the most "beautiful" of their life (n = 47, 1.2%). This study identified common phenomenological themes and content of naturalistic inhaled N, N-DMT experiences. Major thematic domains included (1) physical and somatic experiences; (2) visualizations and imagery; (3) entity encounters including entity phenotype, descriptors, attributes, disposition, and characteristics of the interaction; (4) typology, architectural features, structural characteristics, and scenery of the "DMT world"; (5) alerations in consciousness (including mystical experiences, out-of-body experiences, and ego-dissolution); (6) emotional responses (including positive, rewarding, difficult, and challenging); and (7) statements of profundity.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Wyndham Lawrence
- Department of Family & Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
- Mount Sinai Hospital, Sinai Health System, 600 University Avenue, Toronto, M5G 1X5, Canada.
- Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Robin Carhart-Harris
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Psychedelics Division, Neuroscape, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Roland Griffiths
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christopher Timmermann
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Hasler G. Toward the "helioscope" hypothesis of psychedelic therapy. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2022; 57:118-119. [PMID: 35227963 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gregor Hasler
- Unit of Psychiatry Research, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Cardinal-Journet 3, 1752 Villars-sur-Glâne, Fribourg, Switzerland
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