This oft-cited (457+) opinion/review article by Vollenweider & Kometer gives an overview of the neurobiology of psychedelics and where research stood in 2010.
Abstract of The neurobiology of psychedelic drugs
“After a pause of nearly 40 years in research into the effects of psychedelic drugs, recent advances in our understanding of the neurobiology of psychedelics, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin and ketamine have led to renewed interest in the clinical potential of psychedelics in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders. Recent behavioural and neuroimaging data show that psychedelics modulate neural circuits that have been implicated in mood and affective disorders, and can reduce the clinical symptoms of these disorders. These findings raise the possibility that research into psychedelics might identify novel therapeutic mechanisms and approaches that are based on glutamate-driven neuroplasticity.”
Authors: Franz X. Vollenweider & Michael Kometer
Summary of The neurobiology of psychedelic drugs
Psychedelic drugs have been used by indigenous cultures for centuries, but research into them began in the 1950s after the discovery of LSD. Dissociative anaesthetics such as ketamine and PCP also produce psychedelic-like effects.
Psychedelic drugs produce a wide range of experiential states, from feelings of boundlessness, unity and bliss to anxiety-inducing experiences of loss of ego-control and panic. These experiences have been used as research tools for unravelling the neuronal basis of psychotic disorders.
LSD was observed to enhance self-awareness and facilitate the recollection of emotionally loaded memories. This property appealed to psychiatrists, but LSD was placed in Schedule i in many western countries in the 1960s and 1970s, leaving many avenues of inquiry unexplored.
Find this paper
The neurobiology of psychedelic drugs: implications for the treatment of mood disorders
https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2884
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Cite this paper (APA)
Vollenweider, F. X., & Kometer, M. (2010). The neurobiology of psychedelic drugs: implications for the treatment of mood disorders. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 11(9), 642-651.