Journal of psychopharmacology
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J. Psychopharmacol. (Oxford) · Feb 2020
Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for psychiatric and existential distress in patients with life-threatening cancer.
A recently published randomized controlled trial compared single-dose psilocybin with single-dose niacin in conjunction with psychotherapy in participants with cancer-related psychiatric distress. Results suggested that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy facilitated improvements in psychiatric and existential distress, quality of life, and spiritual well-being up to seven weeks prior to the crossover. At the 6.5-month follow-up, after the crossover, 60-80% of participants continued to meet criteria for clinically significant antidepressant or anxiolytic responses. ⋯ These findings suggest that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy holds promise in promoting long-term relief from cancer-related psychiatric distress. Limited conclusions, however, can be drawn regarding the efficacy of this therapy due to the crossover design of the parent study. Nonetheless, the present study adds to the emerging literature base suggesting that psilocybin-facilitated therapy may enhance the psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being of patients with life-threatening cancer.
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J. Psychopharmacol. (Oxford) · Feb 2020
Does cannabis use modify the effect of post-traumatic stress disorder on severe depression and suicidal ideation? Evidence from a population-based cross-sectional study of Canadians.
Post-traumatic stress disorder sharply increases the risk of depression and suicide. Individuals living with post-traumatic stress disorder frequently use cannabis to treat associated symptoms. We sought to investigate whether cannabis use modifies the association between post-traumatic stress disorder and experiencing a major depressive episode or suicidal ideation. ⋯ This study provides preliminary epidemiological evidence that cannabis use may contribute to reducing the association between post-traumatic stress disorder and severe depressive and suicidal states. There is an emerging need for high-quality experimental investigation of the efficacy of cannabis/cannabinoids for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.
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J. Psychopharmacol. (Oxford) · Feb 2020
Nitrous oxide causes peripheral neuropathy in a dose dependent manner among recreational users.
Nitrous oxide (N2O) has been used in clinical and recreational settings for over 150 years. Through inactivation of the Vitamin B12 dependent enzyme, methionine synthase, N2O can lead to the development of peripheral neuropathy. This study sought to determine the relationship between the exposure and risk of neurological symptoms in the largest ever sample of users. ⋯ While infrequent, episodic users are not at risk, a minority of heavy users are at dose-dependent risk of developing serious neurological consequences. Better education and raised awareness of early symptoms are required.