Scientists Discover Psychedelic-Like Drug that Doesn't Cause Hallucinations
upstart writes:
Scientists Discover Psychedelic-Like Drug That Doesn't Cause Hallucinations:
Scientists have discovered a psychedelic-like drug that can produce rapid, long-lasting antidepressant effects in mice without the effect of hallucinations.
The molecule, called AAZ-A-154, acts on the same serotonin receptors in the brain as antipsychotic drugs (like clozapine) and psychedelics (like LSD), promoting neuronal growth and producing beneficial behaviors in rodents for weeks after a single dose.
Researchers say the treatment is comparable to the fast-acting nature of ketamine, which has recently emerged as a promising drug for conditions like depression, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
However, some psychedelic drugs that are being investigated for their medical effects, such as psilocybin, routinely trigger hallucinations, which means they should only really be used as a treatment under the guidance and supervision of experts.
Finding a safe alternative without the risk of hallucinations would be extremely useful clinically, but the thing is, we still don't know if these hallucinogenic effects are needed to actually reshape the brain.
[...] When this compound was administered to mice, it produced antidepressant-like effects within 30 minutes and failed to cause any head-twitches, an indicator in mice suggesting the compound would cause hallucinations in humans. Even at relatively high doses, the results appeared to be the same, with cognitive benefits lasting for over a week.
Related:
Non-Hallucinogenic Psychedelic Analog Rapidly Reverses Effects of Stress on the Brain.
Journal Reference:
Chunyang Dong. Psychedelic-inspired drug discovery using an engineered biosensor, Cell (DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.03.043)
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