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Utah's Foremost Platform for Undergraduate Research Presentation
2020 Abstracts

Serotonergic Hallucinogens' Antidepressant Potential: A Comparative Review of Serotonergic Hallucinogens and Ketamine

Ouzts, Ethan (Brigham Young University)

Faculty Advisor: Matheson, Rebekka (BYU Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Psychology)

Ketamine was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a therapeutic approach to treat individuals with treatment-resistant depression. This approval opens the door for other hallucinogens to be approved for psychiatric use. This review compares the antidepressant efficacy and safety of ketamine to serotonergic hallucinogens, such as lysergic diethylamide acid (LSD). Ketamine acts as the standard of comparison in this review. Serotonergic hallucinogens demonstrate similar short to mid-term responses in patients with depression and compares well to ketamine's safety. Researchers should conduct additional randomized, controlled experiments to better establish serotonergic hallucinogens' antidepressant potential. Despite this limitation, serotonergic hallucinogens warrant serious consideration for potential antidepressant treatment.