Psychedelics Flashcards
classes of serotonin hallucinogens, derivatives, natural derivates (4)
- tryptamine
a. psilocybin and psilocyin -> magic mushrooms
b. DMT -> ayahuasca - lysergamine
a. LSD -> ergot - phenethylamine
a. mescaline -> peyote
current clinical trials associated with serotonin hallucinogens (4)
psilocybin and psilocyn -> MDD and AUD
DMT -> MDD
LSD -> GAD
mescaline -> ?
which receptor do most psychedelics mimic
5HT2A serotonin receptors (agonists)
which psychedelic is not a classical psychedelic (synthetic psychedelic)
MDMA or ecstasy
what effects are related to MDMA use + terms used to describe them (2)
pro-empathy effect -> empathogenic
socialising effect -> entactogenic
what causes decreased anxiety
one dose of LSD
what causes decreased percentage of heavy drinking days
psilocybin in combination with psychotherapy
which medication is comparable to psilocybin
escitalopram
psilocybin + psychotherapy vs escitalopram (3)
- similar results (not significantly different)
- BUT, psilocybin = 2 doses over 3 weeks and escitalopram = 1 dose every day
- psilocybin needs to be combined with psychotherapy
why does psilocybin need to be combined with psychotherapy
psilocybin can induce intense introspection and experiences (thinking about past and stuff) and can experience bad trips that a therapist can help guide through
advantages of psilocybin + psychotherapy in MDD compared to antidepressants (3)
- similar effects to classical SSRIs
- need to take it less often
- has been shown to treat people with MDD resistant to other antidepressants
which disorder can potentially be treated with MDMA + psychotherapy
PTSD (results were able to be reproduced)
receptors (a) psylocin (b) DMT (c) LSD have the most affinity for
(a) 5HT7, 5HT2B
(b) 5HT1D
(c) 5HT1A, 5HT2A, 5HT1B
effect of low and high doses of LSD in VTA and DRN + conclusions
VTA: low doses = no effect; high doses = decreased DA neurons
DRN: low doses = decreased 5HT neurons; high doses: none?
conclusion -> LSD in low doses only works on serotonin receptors, but at high doses also influences DA receptors (why at high doses get risk of psychosis)
neuroplastic effects of low doses of LSD
6 elements
- spinogenesis (more synapses, more connections)
- prevents loss of spines after stress
- regulation of receptor mediated endocytosis
- regulation of synaptic plasticity
- NT receptor internalization
- hyper- or hypomethylates different genes
genes + proteins methylated and expressed + transcription increased with low dose of LSD (4)
- Coro7
- Pef1
- Rps24
- Abhd6
general conclusions on LSD (3)
- LSD has anti-anxiety properties only in stressed animals
- LSD (similar to SSRIs), restores 5HT firing activity after stress through a 5HT1A autoreceptor desensitization
- LSD has neuroplastic effects mediated by methylation of genes corresponding to proteins implicated in neurogenesis and plasticity
psychedelics: low vs high doses effects (3)
low doses : social behavior, anxiety, antidepressants, AUD (via neuroplasticity and epigenetics)
high doses:
1. same as low doses
2. brain circuits, mind altering -> activation of circuits via 5HT2A
3. transcendental, thinking, meaning -> psychedelics-assisted therapy, reappraisal + integration
DA pathways (2)
VTA -> PFC, NAcc
substantia nigra -> striatum
5HT pathway
raphe nucleus -> hippocampus (related to DA pathways)
functions of 5HT pathways (4)
- mood
- memory processing
- sleep
- cognition
functions of DA pathways (5)
- reward (motivation)
- pleasure, euphoria
- motor function (fine tuning)
- compulsion
- perseveration