top of page
Search
Writer's pictureWorld Doctor

Psychedelic therapy in thetreatment of addiction: the past,present and future

Updated: Jul 15


Psychedelic therapy has witnessed a resurgence in interest in the last decade from the scientific and medical communities with evidence now building for its safety and efficacy in treating a range of psychiatric disorders including addiction.


In this review we will chart the research investigating the role of these interventions in individuals with addiction beginning with an overview of the current socioeconomic impact of addiction, treatment options, and outcomes.


We will start by examining historical studies from the first psychedelic research

era of the mid-late 1900s, followed by an overview of the available real-world

evidence gathered from naturalistic, observational, and survey-based studies.

We will then cover modern-day clinical trials of psychedelic therapies in addiction

from first-in-human to phase II clinical trials.


Finally, we will provide an overview of the different translational human neuropsychopharmacology techniques, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET), that can be applied to foster a mechanistic understanding of therapeutic mechanisms.


A more granular understanding of the treatment effects of psychedelics will facilitate the optimisation of the psychedelic therapy drug development landscape, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.


We have included more information in the attached pdf for your reference which you are welcome to download.



5 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page