Tuning to the Right Pitch
What if taking a psychedelic clinically meant a clearer, calmer mind?
This idea – that psychedelics, when appropriately clinically curated, can produce rapid-acting antidepressant effects– is illustrated in “Neuropsychopharmacology,” a music video starring Milwaukee-based multi-hyphenate Klassik. Klassik’s lyrics and beats take inspiration from the research of John McCorvy, PhD, an associate professor of cell biology, neurobiology, and anatomy at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW).
“I am in the business of activation; activating new thoughts and lighting new pathways to ideologies that may help us all attain peace and prosperity. I think that aligns magnificently with the work being done by Dr. McCorvy, so it was easy to fuse the research into my natural process to create a sonic presentation of that work.”
-Klassik
Dr. McCorvy’s lab aims to study whether the trip-inducing effects of psychedelics can retain the drugs’ known anti-depressant effects, specifically their activation of serotonin receptors in the brain. As Klassik raps, “This is not a trip like a vacay/This is how you get a grip when you need to vacate.” Throughout the music video, Klassik’s body morphs into a TV static-esque shadow while plum-colored lights shine down. The song’s main melody is his high-octave chant of "neuropsychopharmacology," defined as using pharmacological compounds, like psychedelics, to affect both neurological and psychological dimensions of the brain. Molecular renderings of these compounds also flash throughout the frames.
After psychedelics activate serotonin receptors, they turn on G protein signaling pathways to facilitate novel ways cells can communicate in the brain, much like tuning toward a different frequency. What is less known is how exactly psychedelics can produce therapeutic effects through these pathways, and how they can do so without side-effects or toxicity – questions Dr. McCorvy’s lab seeks to answer.
Psychedelics’ biological mystery might be surprising considering their long history. First used during rituals and ceremonies in ancient times, the drugs were popularized in the modern era during the counter-culture movements of the ‘60s, where recreational consumption was common. Today, psychedelics could shake the landscape of mental health medications, potentially de-crowning selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) which can have limited efficacy and several side effects like withdrawal, as a therapy of choice. “Serotonin is involved in so much of our neuropsychopharmacology,” says Dr. McCorvy. “We are trying to reverse engineer what psychedelics are doing and then fine-tune the next generation of medicines for a variety of mental health disorders and neurological diseases.”
Producer: Alex Boyes, Medical College of Wisconsin
Director and Editor: Wes Tank, TankThink
Written Piece: Gabriella Snyder, Medical College of Wisconsin
Filmed on location at Washington Park Media Center
Learn More: The Life-Changing Potential of Psychedelics - John McCorvy, PhD
Learn more about John McCorvy, PhD, and his work studying psychedelics and their potential for life-changing effects as a medicine.
Psychedelics have a long history of use across the world, including in ancient cultures for ceremonial and mind-opening purposes.
Fast forward to the 1960s, the era Dr. McCorvy’s parents grew up in, and the use of psychedelics as recreational drugs was rather common. Today, they are being looked at as medicines.
A key to continuing that momentum is harnessing the power of psychedelics as a rapid-acting antidepressant and continuing to better understand how they activate different receptors and interact with different biological targets.