Scientists come up with psychedelics that don’t cause hallucinations

2023-06-07 00:15:00

Recently, a team of European scientists led by University of Helsinki, in Finland, showed that separate mechanisms drive the hallucinogenic and antidepressant effects of psychedelics such as psilocin and LSD. The study also presented the potential of “party drugs” for treatments that do not cause psychedelic trips in users.

In an article published in the scientific journal Nature Neuroscience, the researchers said, “The antidepressant and plasticity-promoting effects of psychedelics may be dissociable from their hallucinogenic effects.” Psychedelics have shown promise as an alternative treatment for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in some preliminary medical trials. The purpose of search is to turn off the hallucinogenic effects of drugs.

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How was the research carried out?

Picture of Trnava University already Unsplash | reproduction

In the laboratory, scientists discovered that LSD and psilocin strongly bind to the TrkB receptor (known as neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase). They found that this binding was a thousand times stronger than that of other antidepressants such as ketamine and fluoxetine. As a result, a protein (BDNF) that controls plasticity and learning in the brain was stimulated.

During tests on mice, the scientists observed that, by increasing the level of BDNF, psychedelics made it easier for rodents to create new neural pathways and unlearn a conditioned fear response. Still in the article, the researchers state that “these data (…) open a way for the structure-based design of selective high-affinity TrkB ligands with rapid and long-lasting antidepressant action, but potentially devoid of hallucinogenic-like activity”.

In recent years, several clinical trials on psychedelic drugs applied in the treatment of psychiatric disorders such as anorexia, post-traumatic stress and depression have been presented. Experts say these drugs have the potential to boost neuroplasticity and help patients unlearn unhelpful behaviors — and develop new ways of seeing the world.

The full article was published in the scientific journal Nature Neuroscience.

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