Review article

Treating depression with psychedelics

Kamelija Horvatović ; Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Depression is recognized as a substantial mental health problem in the general population. The symptomatology of this disease may vary, presenting a challenge for timely clinical diagnosis. Despite the variety of available therapeutic choices, a many do not respond to the prescribed treatment, and a significant number of patients develops chronic depression or even treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Such circumstances left limited treatment alternatives available, urging scientists to reconsider the usage of psychedelics. They have been used as a tool for shamanic healing, and after being criminalized in the second part of the twentieth century, they are slowly regaining recognition for their therapeutic potential. Their apparent molecular mechanism of action involves direct agonism of the serotonergic receptors, which have a high expression in the association cortex, responsible for cortical information integration and induced plasticity. Psilocybin, which has already passed phase II of clinical trials, is one of the most promising in TRD treatment. Several studies and meta-analyses have demonstrated strong evidence of TRD symptom relief when combined with psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. This method has the potential to be a game-changer in the treatment of depression and TRD in neuropsychiatry. However, more multidisciplinary studies are needed to develop a deeper understanding of both treatment issues and future treatment options.

Keywords

depressive disorder; neuropsychiatry; psilocybin; psychedelics; serotonin receptor; treatment-resistant depression

Hrčak ID:

353445

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/353445

Publication date:

20.12.2024.

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