Psychedelics Substances as a cure

Context: Psychedelic,
often linked with counter culture and spiritual experiences, come with risks of
dependence and misuse. However, there is growing scientific evidence that these
drugs may hold promise in treating anxiety and depression, offering new hope to
patients who have struggled with traditional therapies. A new study led by India’s
top neuroscientist, Vidita A Vaidya, may offer some answers. Conducted at the
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, in collaboration with
researchers from Cornell, Yale, and Columbia, the findings were recently
published in the prestigious journal Neuron.

Key
points

·       Overview: Driven by
surge in global trials and low success rate of current medications in treating
mental health problems, researchers call for home-grown clinical trials of
psychedelic drugs.

·      
Psychedelic
drugs: These are drugs that induce minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">states
of altered perception, behaviour, consciousness and thought,
often with increased awareness of the senses. These are categorised into mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">two broad categories- minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;
font-weight:normal">

minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">Classical psychedelics- These are
thought to trigger hallucinations by activating a mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">receptor called serotonin 5-HT,
which is widely present in the human body, from the gastrointestinal tract to
platelets to the nervous system. Examples: LSD, psilocybin and DMT.

minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">Nonclassical psychedelics- These
psychedelics bind to varied receptors. Examples: ketamine and MDMA.

Globally,
about five psychedelics are the subject of clinical research for use in
treating mental health problems: psilocybin; lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD);
3, 4-methylenedioxy-N-methamphetamine (MDMA); ketamine and N,
N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT).

·       Narcotics drugs & Psychotropic
Substance Act, 1985: It was enacted in 1985 and deals mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">with drugs and their trafficking
in the country.

Objective- The Act prohibits the production,
manufacture, sale, purchase, transportation & consumption of many mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances,
including cannabis, heroin, opium etc.

Provisions- minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">Section
20 of the NDPS Act lays out the punishment for the mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">production, manufacture, sale, purchase, import
and inter-state export of cannabis, as defined in the Act. The
prescribed punishment is based on the number of drugs seized. It also provides
for the death penalty in some cases mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">where a person is a repeat
offender.

·       On-going research: In their
research, the team used the serotonergic psychedelic 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine
(DOI), a substance commonly employed in medical research. The brain consists of
interconnected regions, each responsible for specific functions, such as
controlling emotions, memory, and thought processes. One critical area involved
in emotional regulation is the ventral hippocampus (vHpc). This region contains
various types of brain cells, including parvalbumin (PV)- positive interneurons,
which help regulate signals related to anxiety and stress. These cells have
little locks on their surface — the 5-HT2A receptors. When DOI was administered,
the researchers found that it specifically targeted “fast-firing” PV-positive interneurons.
The drug also unlocked these receptors, thereby boosting the activity of these
PV-positive neurons, making them fire more rapidly. This sent calming signals to
other parts of the brain, effectively quieting the overactive circuits associated
with anxiety. The result was a reduction in anxiety-like symptoms.