Mind over matter: the microbial mindscapes of psychedelics and the gut-brain axis
Mind over matter: the microbial mindscapes of psychedelics and the gut-brain axis
Psychedelics have emerged as promising therapeutics for several psychiatric disorders. Hypotheses around their mechanisms have revolved around their partial agonism at the serotonin 2 A receptor, leading to enhanced neuroplasticity and brain connectivity changes that underlie positive mindset shifts. However, these accounts fail to recognise that the gut microbiota, acting via the gut-brain axis, may also have a role in mediating the positive effects of psychedelics on behaviour. In this review, we present existing evidence that the composition of the gut microbiota may be responsive to psychedelic drugs, and in turn, that the effect of psychedelics could be modulated by microbial metabolism. We discuss various alternative mechanistic models and emphasize the importance of incorporating hypotheses that address the contributions of the microbiome in future research. Awareness of the microbial contribution to psychedelic action has the potential to significantly shape clinical practice, for example, by allowing personalised psychedelic therapies based on the heterogeneity of the gut microbiota.
2, 3, 4-Methyl enedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA), 5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI), 5-methoxy-N, ayahuasca, Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), DMT, Gut microbiota, Gut-brain axis, Ketamine, Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT), Personalised medicine, Precision medicine, Psilocin, Psilocybin, Psychedelics, Serotonin
Caspani, Giorgia
ca711d7a-4d4b-4b99-8550-db8ed3ad612e
Ruffell, Simon G.D.
7ffd40f6-ce3e-4005-9271-a98355f5c44c
Tsang, Wai Fung
525e6a4b-3e85-47d8-8f46-ee76ddd7310a
Netzband, Nigel
0207c5aa-279e-4f72-9e20-562f9974db3c
Rohani-Shukla, Cyrus
63f6f80d-ce9c-4e4e-95ac-78476c336c95
Swann, Jonathan R.
7c11a66b-f4b8-4dbf-aa17-ad8b0561b85c
Jefferies, Wilfred A.
32daa7c9-16de-4c19-b38d-45097f81f2a4
1 September 2024
Caspani, Giorgia
ca711d7a-4d4b-4b99-8550-db8ed3ad612e
Ruffell, Simon G.D.
7ffd40f6-ce3e-4005-9271-a98355f5c44c
Tsang, Wai Fung
525e6a4b-3e85-47d8-8f46-ee76ddd7310a
Netzband, Nigel
0207c5aa-279e-4f72-9e20-562f9974db3c
Rohani-Shukla, Cyrus
63f6f80d-ce9c-4e4e-95ac-78476c336c95
Swann, Jonathan R.
7c11a66b-f4b8-4dbf-aa17-ad8b0561b85c
Jefferies, Wilfred A.
32daa7c9-16de-4c19-b38d-45097f81f2a4
Caspani, Giorgia, Ruffell, Simon G.D., Tsang, Wai Fung, Netzband, Nigel, Rohani-Shukla, Cyrus, Swann, Jonathan R. and Jefferies, Wilfred A.
(2024)
Mind over matter: the microbial mindscapes of psychedelics and the gut-brain axis.
Pharmacological Research, 207, [107338].
(doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107338).
Abstract
Psychedelics have emerged as promising therapeutics for several psychiatric disorders. Hypotheses around their mechanisms have revolved around their partial agonism at the serotonin 2 A receptor, leading to enhanced neuroplasticity and brain connectivity changes that underlie positive mindset shifts. However, these accounts fail to recognise that the gut microbiota, acting via the gut-brain axis, may also have a role in mediating the positive effects of psychedelics on behaviour. In this review, we present existing evidence that the composition of the gut microbiota may be responsive to psychedelic drugs, and in turn, that the effect of psychedelics could be modulated by microbial metabolism. We discuss various alternative mechanistic models and emphasize the importance of incorporating hypotheses that address the contributions of the microbiome in future research. Awareness of the microbial contribution to psychedelic action has the potential to significantly shape clinical practice, for example, by allowing personalised psychedelic therapies based on the heterogeneity of the gut microbiota.
Text
1-s2.0-S1043661824002834-main
- Version of Record
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 31 July 2024
e-pub ahead of print date: 5 August 2024
Published date: 1 September 2024
Additional Information:
Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors
Keywords:
2, 3, 4-Methyl enedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA), 5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI), 5-methoxy-N, ayahuasca, Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), DMT, Gut microbiota, Gut-brain axis, Ketamine, Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT), Personalised medicine, Precision medicine, Psilocin, Psilocybin, Psychedelics, Serotonin
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 494321
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/494321
ISSN: 1043-6618
PURE UUID: e1ef4c9c-b1a3-4527-9912-3a7737f363ce
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 03 Oct 2024 16:44
Last modified: 04 Oct 2024 01:59
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Giorgia Caspani
Author:
Simon G.D. Ruffell
Author:
Wai Fung Tsang
Author:
Nigel Netzband
Author:
Cyrus Rohani-Shukla
Author:
Wilfred A. Jefferies
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics
