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McIntyre RS. Is the psychedelic experience an essential aspect of the therapeutic effect of serotonergic psychedelics? Conceptual, discovery, development and implementation implications for psilocybin and related agents. Expert Opin Drug Saf 2023; 22:885-889. [PMID: 37635320 DOI: 10.1080/14740338.2023.2253144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Roger S McIntyre
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Ragnhildstveit A, Kaiyo M, Snyder MB, Jackson LK, Lopez A, Mayo C, Miranda AC, August RJ, Seli P, Robison R, Averill LA. Cannabis-assisted psychotherapy for complex dissociative posttraumatic stress disorder: A case report. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1051542. [PMID: 36846226 PMCID: PMC9947284 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1051542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A dissociative subtype of posttraumatic stress disorder, known as "D-PTSD", has been included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. In addition to meeting criteria for PTSD, patients endorse prominent dissociative symptoms, namely depersonalization and derealization, or detachment from one's self and surroundings. At present, this population is supported by a highly heterogeneous and undeveloped literature. Targeted interventions are therefore lacking, and those indicated for PTSD are limited by poor efficacy, delayed onset of action, and low patient engagement. Here, we introduce cannabis-assisted psychotherapy (CAP) as a novel treatment for D-PTSD, drawing parallels to psychedelic therapy. CASE PRESENTATION A 28-year-old female presented with complex D-PTSD. In a naturalistic setting, she underwent 10 sessions of CAP, scheduled twice monthly over 5 months, coupled with integrative cognitive behavioral therapy. An autonomic and relational approach to CAP was leveraged, specifically psychedelic somatic interactional psychotherapy. Acute effects included oceanic boundlessness, ego dissolution, and emotional breakthrough. From baseline to post-treatment, the patient showed a 98.5% reduction in pathological dissociation, as measured by the Multidimensional Inventory of Dissociation, no longer meeting criteria for D-PTSD. This was accompanied by decreased cognitive distractibility and emotional suffering, as well as increased psychosocial functioning. Anecdotally, the patient has sustained improvements for over 2 years to date. CONCLUSIONS There is urgency to identify treatments for D-PTSD. The present case, while inherently limited, underscores the potential of CAP as a therapeutic option, leading to robust and sustained improvement. Subjective effects were comparable to those produced by classic and non-classic psychedelics, such as psilocybin and ketamine. Further research is warranted to explore, establish, and optimize CAP in D-PTSD, and to characterize its role in the pharmacological landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anya Ragnhildstveit
- Integrated Research Literacy Group, Draper, UT, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Miriam Kaiyo
- Integrated Research Literacy Group, Draper, UT, United States.,Department of Family and Consumer Studies, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | | | | | - Alex Lopez
- Integrated Research Literacy Group, Draper, UT, United States
| | - Chasity Mayo
- Integrated Research Literacy Group, Draper, UT, United States
| | - Alyssa Claire Miranda
- Integrated Research Literacy Group, Draper, UT, United States.,Consciousness and Transformative Studies, National University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - River Jude August
- Integrated Research Literacy Group, Draper, UT, United States.,Department of Family and Consumer Studies, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Paul Seli
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Reid Robison
- Numinus Wellness, Draper, UT, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Lynnette Astrid Averill
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Veterans Affairs, Clinical Neuroscience Division, National Center for PTSD, West Haven, CT, United States
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Choi KY. Valproate Adjuvant Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Panic Disorder Patients With Comorbid Bipolar Disorder: Case Series and Review of the Literature. Psychiatry Investig 2022; 19:614-625. [PMID: 36059050 PMCID: PMC9441465 DOI: 10.30773/pi.2022.0113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are the most common comorbid psychiatric disorders in patients with bipolar disorder. Managing anxiety symptoms in comorbid conditions is challenging and has received little research interest. The findings from preclinical research on fear conditioning, an animal model of anxiety disorder, have suggested that memory reconsolidation updating (exposure-based therapy) combined with valproate might facilitate the amelioration of fear memories. Here, three cases of successful amelioration of agoraphobia and panic symptoms through valproate adjuvant therapy for cognitive behavioral therapy in patients who failed to respond to two to three consecutive standard pharmacotherapy trials over several years are described. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first attempt to combine CBT with valproate in patients with panic disorder, agoraphobia, and comorbid bipolar disorder. Additionally, the background preclinical research on this combination therapy based on the reconsolidation-updating mechanism, the inhibition of histone deacetylase 2, and critical period reopening, off-label use of valproate in panic disorder, plasticity-augmented psychotherapy, and how to combine valproate with CBT is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwang-Yeon Choi
- Department of Psychiatry, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.,Department of Psychiatry, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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