Investigating the impact of serotonergic psychedelic drugs, MDMA and ketamine on social cognition in psychiatric disorders: A scoping review.

RATIONALE: Interest in psychedelic drugs has increased rapidly because of their potential therapeutic role in psychiatric disorders. Impairments in the sociocognitive skills needed to build and maintain social relationships are prominent features of many psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Emerging evidence suggests that compounds such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and psilocybin may influence these impairments.

OBJECTIVES

This review aimed to determine whether psychedelic drugs may modulate social cognition in individuals with psychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorders associated with cognitive impairment.

METHODS

A search of the MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Scopus databases was conducted. Twenty studies were identified that evaluated the effects of ketamine, MDMA, psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca in depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

RESULTS

Findings included neural activation patterns suggesting that ketamine and psilocybin may modulate processes relevant to social perception, particularly facial emotion processing, in depressive disorders. Positive findings were also reported for MDMA in participants with PTSD, including improvements in self-reported psychosocial functioning, self-awareness, and self-compassion.

CONCLUSIONS

Current evidence suggests that psychedelic drugs may modulate processes relevant to social cognition in psychiatric disorders, although direct evidence of improved social-cognitive functioning remains limited.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.