Table of Contents
EDITORIAL
Psychedelics, Yes—but Not Only: Redefining the boundaries of consciousness research as part of humanity’s ongoing attempt to transcend our incompleteness 1
Julio Licinio
INNOVATORS & IDEAS: RISING STAR
Michael A. Wheeler: Psychedelics and neuroimmune circuits—what a strange trip, indeed 3
Michael A. Wheeler
Katarina Leão: Links between the auditory and limbic systems, with a focus on the effects of unconventional novel treatment options, such as psychedelics and cannabis extract 7
Katarina Leão
INNOVATORS & IDEAS: RESEARCH LEADERS
Stephen Ross: Psychedelic-assisted therapies for difficult-to-treat psychiatric and medical disorders 10
Stephen Ross
VIEWPOINT
Psychedelics in the context of stress and psychiatric disorders: A new horizon in mental health treatment 14
Sha Jin, Hongshuang Wang … Xiaohui Wang
THOUGHT LEADERS INVITED REVIEW
MDMA in Psychiatry: From PTSD to emerging indications, safety, and future directions 18
Ming-Ming Zhao, Jian-Jun Yang … Kenji Hashimoto
RESEARCH REPORT
Single-dose psychedelic enhances cognitive flexibility and reversal learning in mice weeks after administration 29
Elizabeth J. Brouns, Tyler G. Ekins … Omar J. Ahmed
Cover Art
Cover Image: A laboratory mouse reaches toward an illuminated lightbulb in a vibrant, psychedelic-inspired setting, symbolizing the enhancement of cognitive flexibility following psychedelic treatment. The architectural columns frame a scene where traditional neuroscience meets the transformative potential of psychedelic research, while rainbow-hued patterns evoke the neural plasticity changes induced by serotonin 2A receptor activation. This artistic representation captures the key finding by Brouns et al. that a single dose of the psychedelic 25CN-NBOH produces sustained improvements in reversal learning and cognitive adaptability lasting weeks after administration, as demonstrated through automated behavioral paradigms (pages [29–35]). The imagery reflects the emerging understanding of how psychedelics may restore cognitive flexibility impaired in depression, PTSD, and neurodegenerative conditions through promotion of structural remodeling in the prefrontal cortex.
Provided by Omar J. Ahmed, CC BY 4.0
The final cover is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This cover may be reproduced without permission under the terms of this license, provided appropriate credit is given to the authors and to Genomic Press and the content is not modified or used for commercial purposes.
Copyright © 2025 Genomic Press. All rights reserved.
This issue is now available at https://url.genomicpress.com/6rarafbd.