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Prevalence of symptoms of HPPD among psychedelic substance users
Psárska, Simona ; Mravčík, Viktor (advisor) ; Koutská, Kateřina Olga (referee)
Background: Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) is a rare and understudied disorder affecting users of hallucinogenic substances. There is limited information on its pathogenesis, prevalence, course, and treatment options. With the increasing interest of both the professional and general public in the topic of psychedelics, it is appropriate to pay more attention to the issue of adverse effects of psychedelics, including HPPD. Aims: The aim of this thesis was to describe the prevalence of HPPD symptoms in psychedelic substance users, specifically their prevalence, course, and possible association with specific substances and psychedelic experiences. The aim was also to determine users' awareness of the risk of developing HPPD. Methods: Data were collected using an online cross-sectional survey posted on social media in groups of psychoactive substance users in February and March 2023. The study sample consisted of 158 adults with experience of using one or more psychedelic substances. Selection was non-random, with respondents entering the study on the basis of self-nomination. Results: 41,8% of respondents experienced abnormal visual phenomena. Of these, 4.5% reported limitations in daily functioning and 6.1% said they had considered seeking professional help. The proportion of...
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Minimalizace rizik užívání psychedelik za účelem podpory veřejného zdraví v regionu
Ocetková, Tereza
This diploma thesis, first of all, design a typology of users of psychedelics with regard to their motivation and patterns of use, in order to minimize risks, support the regulated clinical administration of psychedelics for therapeutic purposes and improve public health. In the second place, it also collect current data on the use of psychedelics in the EU and European legislation on the use of narcotics and psychotropic substances. Data were collected from structured questionnaires from 2019, which were filled by 890 users of psychedelics in the Czech Republic. For the analysis of the answers, a cluster analysis of the data performed using the Ward method was used, exclusively on the basis of questions concerning the frequency of use in the previous year. In accordance with the results of the cluster analysis, a typology of users of psychoactive substances is subsequently proposed, which consist of 6 groups. It was found that the motivation of use is most influenced by level of information, setting and possibility of processing the experience. On this basis, 4 recommendations are formulated for minimizing the risks of psychedelic substance use – sufficient education, providing a protected and controlled environment for therapeutic use, decriminalizing the use of psychedelic substances and reviewing the pharmacological classification of substances.
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Vzestup a pád Incké říše: prostředky tradiční incké medicíny v boji proti infekčním a neinfekčním onemocněním v tehdejší společnosti
Jenišová, Natálie
The Bachelor Thesis analyzes the social and geographical distribution of the Inca Empire, as well as eating and hygiene habits within the development of this empire. It points to the different social strata and way of life of the Incas. It covers the extensive history of the rise and fall of the Inca Empire as well. The practical part deals with the topic of tradi-tional Inca medicine. The effects and use of plants and animals for the prevention, diagno-sis, and treatment of infectious and non-infectious diseases in the Inca society are dis-cussed here. It points to the use of psychedelic substances. It also focuses on the possible use of traditional Inca medicine today.
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Prospects of PTSD treatment in war veterans with psychadelic-assisted psychotherapy
Štefánik, Timotej ; Kazharski, Aliaksei (advisor) ; Kučera, Tomáš (referee)
The work examines the prospects of the treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in veterans of war with the use of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. At the moment, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is only partially legal. The term encompasses many substances - currently the only widely-used psychedelic dissociative administered in therapy is ketamine. The substance which is most likely to be the next in the implementation queue is MDMA and psilocybin. This work examines the history of psychedelics and the sources of stigma this term carries. It also examines a number of compelling studies that are pointing to the fact MDMA-assisted psychotherapy might be a useful tool in dealing with veteran PTSD. The empirical part of this research is of qualitative nature. With the use of in-depth interviews, the author gathered data on the state of affairs of the psychedelic research in the Czech Republic and was searching for the obstacles to the implementation of psychedelic therapy. The main conclusion is that psychedelic-assisted therapy faces obstacles in implementation in the form of lack of scientific knowledge on the subject on part of the public, and also faces legal and financial hurdles. The legal hurdles might be lifted in the coming years due to the movement forward in this regard. The...
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Antidepressant potential of serotonergic psychedelics in preclinical research
Dušková, Valentýna ; Vejmola, Čestmír (advisor) ; Skálová, Kateřina (referee)
The treatments for depression available in contemporary medicine have a number of drawbacks. Modern antidepressants, despite fewer side effects than conventional ones, have a slow onset of action and their effectiveness is often individual. Recent studies of psychedelics have indicated their promising to extraordinary potential in the treatment of depression. Clinical research has made significant progress in this direction, as have a growing number of preclinical studies. Psychedelics potentiate signaling pathways and protein expression related to neurogenesis and cell viability and induce an increase in dendritic spines and dendritic branching. At the behavioural level, psychedelics have been shown to attenuate depressive behavioural changes, suppressing anxiety and anhedonia. This paper summarizes the effects of psychedelics in preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies, taking into account the neurobiology of depression, i.e., mainly at the level of neuroplasticity and observed behavioural changes. The first part of the thesis is devoted to the general characteristics of depression and psychedelics, followed by an introduction to preclinical experimental approaches. The central part then describes and discusses individual studies. Keywords: depression; animal models; psychedelics; LSD;...
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The potential of psychedelics in the treatment of drug addiction in animal models.
Mallarino, Barbara ; Šíchová, Klára (advisor) ; Honc, Ondřej (referee)
Psychedelics are mind-altering and perception-changing psychoactive compounds that can produce some significant changes in the ordinary wiring of the brain. Substantial attention is paid to some of the most promising compounds for addiction and mental health research: LSD, tryptamines (psilocybin, DMT) and ibogaine. The underlying neurobiological basis of the development of addiction and relevant animal models and methods are described in the first part. Following, changes in brain regions connectivity induced by psychedelics and molecular mechanisms of action are discussed, emphasising the potential anti-addictive properties. The last part of the thesis focuses on data acquired from preclinical animal studies, which helps to further understand some of the mechanisms underlying their effectiveness in the clinical treatment of drug addiction.
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The effect of psychedelics on sleep
Šachová, Pavla ; Kopřivová, Jana (advisor) ; Spišská, Veronika (referee)
Recently, psychedelic drugs gain attention thanks to their potential to cure depressive disorders, anxious states or addiction. They are not causing addiction, they are not toxic and they trigger neuroplastic changes in tens of minutes or hours, which are essential for therapeutic purposes and positively correlates with an onset of antidepressant effect. Neuroplastic changes are simultaneously the connecting link between psychedelic state and sleep. In sleep the higher rate of neuroplasticity is markable during slow-wave sleep (SWS), which duration is getting shorter in patients with mental illness. The marker o neuroplasticity is slow-wave activity (SWA), which is getting higher not only in SWS, but also after intoxication with psychedelics or after long-time using of antidepressants. So the effect of psychedelics on sleep can be described as positive and inciting its therapeutical potential. The thesis is focused on ketamine which is the most recent one as for the topic of neuroplasticity and sleep.
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Unusual Spiritual Experiences in the context of Occulture
Horská, Kateřina ; Nešpor, Zdeněk (advisor) ; Pokorný, Vít (referee) ; Václavík, David (referee)
This work studies the environment of contemporary alternative spirituality in the Czech Republic, specifically unusual spiritual experiences and techniques for inducing them. It is based on long-term field research utilizing the method of participant observation carried out primarily in the environment of neo-shamanism, but also the use of psychedelics, dark therapy, and other movements and practices. I perceive and analyze these practices both as psychotechnologies - i.e. techniques through which their users strive to alter their thinking - as well as spiritual techniques aimed at establishing and cultivating a relationship with the spiritual world. The focus of this study is a comparison of neo-shamanism and other practices in three main aspects: the induction of experiences, the connection between spiritual experiences and the actor's life as a whole, and the changes in the perception of reality brought about by long- term practicing. I point out that in all these areas, techniques traditionally thought of as closely related exhibit fundamental differences. A non-negligible part of this study consists of methodological and theoretical considerations. I show that the field of alternative spirituality has many specifics compared to other religious environments, and that mainstream methodological...
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Possibilities and limits of alternative treatment and recovery from addiction by the psychedelic experience
Césarová, Eva ; Kalina, Kamil (advisor) ; Mravčík, Viktor (referee)
Backgroud: Current research suggests that psychedelics might have a significant therapeutic potential for the treatment of addictions, as well as the treatment of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental illnesses. The current renaissance of psychedelic research, as well as changes in the approach towards these substances we see in some countries, suggest that it is only a matter of time until psychedelics are officially used as a therapeutic tool in treatment. The progressive field of addictology in the Czech Republic could be one of the pioneers of psychedelic research in the treatment of addictions. Aim: The theoretical part of this work provides insights into the current events in the field of psychedelic research in the Czech Republic and in the world. The research part maps the perspectives and attitudes of Czech experts and representatives of leading institutions (areas of addictology, research on psychedelics and mental health and state administration) on the use of psychedelics in the treatment of addictions. The aim of this work was to find out how these experts approach this issue and what possibilities and limits of implementation of research on psychedelics in the treatment of addictions they perceive. Methods: Twelve respondents took part in a qualitative...
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A comparison of transpersonal theories of consciousness development with regard to the psychedelic experience
Koubková, Daniela ; Chrz, Vladimír (advisor) ; Adámková, Jana (referee)
This theoretical thesis is focused on mapping and comparing the leading psychological transpersonal approaches to the conception of development of consciousness of an individual. This research is exploring the theory of Ken Wilber, Michael Washburn and Stanislav Grof also paying attention to the main disagreement among them regarding the confusion of prepersonal and transpersonal spheres of consciousness. This disagreement is further elaborated in an effort to find a conclusion and to seek for an integrative theory. The theories are compared with regard to the findings about psychedelic experience. The psychedelic experience is psychologically elaborated with emphasis on the current scientific knowledge in the field and their embedding in the context of the developmental theories of consciousness taking the effort of unravelling the pre/trans fallacy and the clinical implications into account. KEYWORDS Developmental theory, consciousness, transpersonal, psychedelics, pre/trans fallacy
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