Guiding Through Challenging Psychedelic Experiences and "Bad Trips".

Psychedelic substances have gained recognition for their therapeutic potential, but they also present challenges, with individuals occasionally experiencing distressing episodes referred to as challenging experiences or, in the recreational setting, "bad trips". Trial therapists and physicians, but also healthcare professionals in emergency rooms, need a comprehensive strategy to effectively manage these cases. Three case reports are presented to underline the problem and propose strategies for handling these situations.

LSD-assisted therapy in patients with anxiety: open-label prospective 12-month follow-up.

Background: Anxiety disorders are a major public health burden with limited treatment options.

Aims: We investigated the long-term safety and efficacy of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)-assisted therapy in patients with anxiety with or without life-threatening illness.

Method: This study was an -planned long-term follow-up of an investigator-initiated, two-centre trial that used a double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-period, random-order, crossover design with two sessions with either oral LSD (200 μg) or placebo per period.

All the brain's a stage for serotonin: the forgotten story of serotonin diffusion across cell membranes.

In the conventional model of serotonin neurotransmission, serotonin released by neurons in the midbrain raphe nuclei exerts its actions on forebrain neurons by interacting with a large family of post-synaptic receptors. The actions of serotonin are terminated by active transport of serotonin back into the releasing neuron, which is mediated by the serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT). Because SERT is expressed pre-synaptically and is widely thought to be the only serotonin transporter in the forebrain, the conventional model does not include serotonin transport into post-synaptic neurons.

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-Assisted Therapy in Patients With Anxiety With and Without a Life-Threatening Illness: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase II Study.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)-assisted therapy in patients who experienced anxiety with or without association with a life-threatening illness.

Methods: The study is an investigator-initiated 2-center trial that used a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2-period, random-order, crossover design with 2 sessions with either oral LSD (200 μg) or placebo per period. The primary end point was anxiety symptoms 16 weeks after the last treatment session, assessed by the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Global score in 42 patients.

Norepinephrine activates β -adrenergic receptors at the inner nuclear membrane in astrocytes.

Norepinephrine exerts powerful influences on the metabolic, neuroprotective and immunoregulatory functions of astrocytes. Until recently, all effects of norepinephrine were believed to be mediated by receptors localized exclusively to the plasma membrane. However, recent studies in cardiomyocytes have identified adrenergic receptors localized to intracellular membranes, including Golgi and inner nuclear membranes, and have shown that norepinephrine can access these receptors via transporter-mediated uptake.