Mdedge Psychcast

Charles L. Raison, MD, returns to the Psychcast to conduct a Masterclass on psychedelics for patients with major depressive disorder. Dr. Raison, professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, previously conducted a Masterclass on the risks and benefits of antidepressants. He disclosed that he is director of translational research at the Usona Institute, also in Madison. Later, Renee Kohanski, MD, raises questions about the felony child abuse case of pediatric emergency department doctor John Cox. Takeaway points Psychedelics are a range of compounds that share a common mechanism as agonists at the postsynaptic 5-HT2A serotonin receptor. Psychedelic agents have a novel therapeutic quality. Studies suggest that a few or even one exposure to a psychedelic compound, which has a short-term biological effect, leads to long-lasting therapeutic effect, such as remission of mood disorder or change in personality characteristics. The clinical outcomes are mediated by the intensity of the psychede