Psychedelic drugs like lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and mescaline have a long, sordid history when it comes to legitimate research. There have been hints and suggestions that such drugs can be used to treat alcoholism, schizophrenia, depression, cancer and other conditions. For much of the past 40 years, however, research on them has been shunned, both for some questionable clinical trial designs in the past, and for their reputation as recreational drugs of abuse or party drugs.
Scientists have been regularly interested in re-evaluating the therapeutic potential of such drugs. In a recent perspective article for Nature Reviews Neuroscience Franz Vollenweider of the University Hospital of Psychiatry, Zurich, Switzerland and Michael Kometer of the University of Zurich argue that the drugs ketamine and psilocybin may drive neuroplasticity in ways that doctors could harness to treat a variety of disorders (free online for one month, registration required). This follows nicely on recent findings from Science about a potential mechanism for the quick response of depressed patients to the drug ketamine – many widely prescribed antidepressants take several days to weeks before they start working.
In the interest of bringing more conversation to the table, Noah Gray, Nature’s neuroscience editor invited four well known neurosci bloggers to weigh in on the topic in a blog focus.
Moheb Costandi at Neurophilosophy recounts some history of the psychedelics, including suspected CIA experiments in post-war France.
The Neuroskeptic looks at the drugs’ effects on serotonin and the rationale for why drugs that seem to induce a psychotic state might actually resolve psychosis.
Vaughan Bell at Mindhacks takes a vomitous journey convulsing and hallucinating with a ritualistic hallucinogenic beverage.
And The Neurocritic looks at the future of ketamine and newer compounds for depression and palliative care.
Go ahead and join the discussion.
(Correction appended 9:02 ET: number of neurobloggers and spelling of Vaughan Bell and Moheb Costandi)
Image: ‘moved’ from Pixel Addict via Flickr under creative commons.