psychosis – mycolab.ai

Building resilience through healing communities

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This editorial reviews innovative approaches to mental health care in low- and middle-income countries that blend local healing practices with modern psychiatric treatments. Instead of imposing Western medical models, these programs work with communities to develop culturally appropriate solutions that reduce stigma and improve access to care. Examples include combining spiritual healing traditions with psychiatric care in Ethiopia, using psychedelic-assisted therapy informed by historical trauma in Jamaica, and employing creative arts and mindfulness methods as accessible treatments.

Psychotomimetic compensation versus sensitization

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This paper proposes a new way to understand why drugs that can cause psychosis-like effects (such as psilocybin, LSD, and ketamine) can also help treat depression and anxiety. The authors suggest that these drugs trigger compensatory responses in the brain that temporarily help us cope with stress, similar to how a runner’s high feels good during exercise. However, if someone uses these drugs repeatedly or experiences chronic stress, they may become sensitized and more vulnerable to developing actual psychotic symptoms over time.

Mushrooms, Microdosing, and Mental Illness: The Effect of Psilocybin on Neurotransmitters, Neuroinflammation, and Neuroplasticity

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This review examines how psilocybin, the active compound in certain mushrooms, may help treat depression and anxiety by reducing brain inflammation and promoting healthy neurotransmitter function. Both full doses under medical supervision and smaller ‘microdoses’ show promise for mental health conditions. The research suggests psilocybin works by calming the immune system’s inflammatory response while simultaneously supporting the brain’s natural healing and adaptation processes, offering a potential alternative treatment when standard medications don’t work.

Enhanced visual contrast suppression during peak psilocybin effects: Psychophysical results from a pilot randomized controlled trial

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Researchers studied how psilocybin affects the way our visual system processes contrast and surrounding visual information. Participants completed vision tests after taking psilocybin or placebo, and the results showed that psilocybin made people more influenced by surrounding visual elements when judging the brightness of objects. Interestingly, the stronger the visual effects people experienced from psilocybin, the more their perception was influenced by these surroundings. This finding might help explain how psilocybin affects mood and could help scientists better understand depression and other conditions affecting vision.

The central role of the Thalamus in psychosis, lessons from neurodegenerative diseases and psychedelics

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This paper explores how the thalamus, a key brain structure controlling attention and perception, malfunctions in Parkinson’s disease and similar neurological conditions, causing hallucinations and delusions. Interestingly, these symptoms resemble the altered mental states produced by psychedelic drugs like LSD and psilocybin. By studying both conditions together, researchers found that a common mechanism called thalamocortical dysrhythmia disrupts how the brain filters information and processes reality, offering new insights for treating psychotic symptoms.

Psychedelics action and schizophrenia

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This review examines how psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and LSD affect the brain, particularly through serotonin receptors. While these compounds can produce psychosis-like symptoms similar to schizophrenia, they also promote brain plasticity and growth of neural connections. The article discusses whether psychedelics could potentially treat negative symptoms and cognitive problems in schizophrenia patients, despite their mind-altering properties, possibly through lower doses or non-hallucinogenic alternatives.

Toxicology and Analysis of Psychoactive Tryptamines

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Tryptamines are a growing class of psychoactive drugs that can cause hallucinations and other dramatic changes in perception. These substances, including compounds like DMT and psilocybin from magic mushrooms, work by affecting serotonin receptors in the brain. While some research explores their potential medical use for treating depression and anxiety, they also carry serious risks including dangerous changes in heart rate, body temperature, and mental state. Scientists have developed new laboratory methods to detect these drugs in blood and urine samples to help doctors diagnose and treat overdoses.

The development of psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression: an update

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Psilocybin, a compound found in certain mushrooms, is being studied as a potential treatment for severe depression that doesn’t respond to standard medications. In clinical trials, patients receiving psilocybin alongside psychological support showed significant improvement in depressive symptoms within days to weeks, with benefits lasting for months. Unlike daily antidepressant pills, psilocybin therapy involves one or more carefully supervised dosing sessions in a hospital setting with therapeutic support before and after. Larger studies are underway to confirm its effectiveness and safety before it could potentially become an approved treatment.

Reconsidering evidence for psychedelic-induced psychosis: An overview of reviews, a systematic review, and meta-analysis of human studies

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This research review examined whether people with schizophrenia can safely participate in psychedelic-assisted therapy treatments. Researchers analyzed 131 studies and found that psychedelics rarely cause new psychosis in the general population (0.002%), though the risk is slightly higher in people with existing schizophrenia (3.8%). While the immediate risk appears manageable, about 13% of people who develop psychosis from psychedelics go on to develop schizophrenia, suggesting caution is still needed.

“Plants of the Gods” and their hallucinogenic powers in neuropharmacology — A review of two books

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This review examines two books about plants that have been used in religious and healing rituals across many cultures for their mind-altering properties. The author verifies that the hallucinogenic plants described in Carlos Castaneda’s popular books about a Yaqui sorcerer are accurately portrayed pharmacologically. The review explains how different sacred plants like peyote, certain mushrooms, and nightshade varieties affect the brain through various chemical pathways, while noting their dangers when misused.

Disease: psychosis