Back to the future: Brain Scientists say Psychedelic Drugs may Revolutionize Psychiatric Treatment

Brain Science: How many remember Timothy O'Leary? Probably only people my age. He came up with the idea of "Magic Mushrooms". President Nixon called him the most dangerous man in America. He contended that certain drugs could and did alter the brain. He was , as I remember in the 60s, the most publicized figure of the psychedelic age. Perhaps he went a bit to far for that time period but today scientists are saying that drugs like psilocybin and MDMA ( modern versions of psychedelic drugs) can alter individual brain cells, can help rewire the brain, and may offer a new way to treat disorders ranging from depression to chronic pain. Alex Kwan, described in a speech noted on NPR on December 27,2022 that in his work with psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, the drug seems to help the brain rewire by generating new connections between neurons. New connections are a critical part of the rewiring process known as brain plasticity ( see blog )To this point his work has been with mice. His work has been with mice others like Dr. Gitte Knudsen from the University of Copenhagen have worked with humans. Scientists are finding a single dose of a psychedelic drug can have a long lasting impact on disorders like anxiety, depression and PTSD. In contrast , most existing psychiatric drugs need to be taken every day. Knudsen notes that a single treatment in humans can last for months or years..." It's a stunning effect". These drugs have also been used successfully in cancer patients. Researchers have discovered that a single treatment has reduced or eliminated anxiety and depression.

Brain Facts:

• Psychedelic research was popular in the 1950s but pretty much ended after the mid 1960s when the drugs were made illegal in the U.S. and Europe.

• In the 1990s , a few researchers cautiously studying drugs like LSD, MDMA, and psilocybin found that they might help with psychiatric conditions. Two studies in 2016 ramped up interest in the drugs by publishing results indicating psilocybin reduces anxiety and depression.

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder affects 6.8 million adults or 3.1% of the U.S. population, yet only 43.2% are receiving treatment. Women are twice as likely to be affected as men. GAD often occurs with major depression.

• Generalized Panic Disorder - PD affects 6 million adults or 2.7% of the U.S. population. - Women are twice as likely to be affected as men.

• Social Anxiety Disorder- SAD affects 15 million adults or 7.1% of the U.S. population. NIMH: Social Anxiety Disorder.

• - SAD is equally common among men and women and typically begins around age 13. According to a 2007 ADAA survey, 36% of people with social anxiety disorder report - experiencing symptoms for 10 or more years before seeking help.

• Stress- Everyone experiences stress and anxiety at one time or another. The difference between them is that stress is a response to a threat in a situation. Anxiety is a reaction to stress.

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)- OCD affects 2.5 million adults or 1.2% of the U.S. population. NIMH: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Women are 3x more likely to be affected than men. The average age of onset is 19, with 25% of cases occurring by age 14. One-third of affected adults first experienced symptoms in childhood.

• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)- PTSD affects 7.7 million adults or 3.6% of the U.S. population. Women are 5x more likely to be affected than men. Childhood sexual abuse is a strong predictor of the lifetime likelihood of developing PTSD.

• Around 20% of the U.S. population suffers from depression.

• More recent large scale studies have found psilocybin can help people with major depression who hadn't been helped by other treatments.

So What:

It appears we are about to see the recurrence of Psychedelic drugs on the immediate health horizon. I have known several people on psychiatric drugs. One major issue has been that once they get better they quit taking their medication. No one wants to think they have to take a drug every day to be normal. What is so interesting to me is the possibility of a "one and done" approach. This could be a dramatic positive change of lifestyle for people suffering from psychiatric disorders.

There are side effects. They can cause nausea or produce hallucinations. Researchers indicate that even when patients are well prepared for a session they indicate it as a fantastic experience when asked if they would like to come back next week most "no thank you".

This comment illustrates the major issue yet to be addressed. What can be done to reduce the anxiety of the anxiety drug? Add to this the biases from the 60s it may be a while before these drugs come into common use. However as stated on the NPR commentary, " There is a lot of hype and a lot of hope". As stated by my minister, "hope is based on confident expectation, a wish has no such expectation."