Misc. news stories

Once stigmatized and outlawed, psychedelics are moving from the counterculture to the mainstream…Psychedelics are becoming big business. Just as private capital flooded the cannabis sector years ago, a psychedelic gold rush is underway.

A new study published in Communications Biology sheds light on how the psychedelic compound DMT changes the brain’s dynamic behavior. Researchers found that DMT reduces the amount of energy the brain needs to switch between different activity states.

A new case report published in Clinical Neurophysiology describes the first known administration of psilocybin—a psychedelic compound found in certain mushrooms—to a woman in a minimally conscious state.

Long used in Indigenous Brazilian rituals, the jurema preta plant, which contains a potent psychedelic, is gaining ground as a potential treatment for depression. The findings were published in the scientific journal Nature in April.

A recent study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders has found that chronic opioid use may interfere with the brain’s ability to generate a placebo antidepressant response, but does not seem to reduce the effectiveness of ketamine.

A small pilot study has found that psilocybin, the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms, may improve not only mood but also cognitive and motor symptoms in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. The results surprised the research team, who initially aimed only to evaluate the drug’s safety. Instead, participants experienced noticeable improvements that lasted for weeks following a single high-dose session.

Physician Sue Sisley battles to study cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms for pain, addiction and PTSD.

Mass General Brigham researchers found that interactions between immune and brain cells drive fear responses, but treatment with psychedelics like MDMA and psilocybin may reverse these effects. Results are published in Nature.

Image by Matthew W. Johnson (Wiki Commons)

Scientists have cooked up a non-hallucinogenic version of LSD, which they say has “extremely high therapeutic potential” for conditions like schizophrenia.

A new twin study published in Nature Communications provides evidence that how much people enjoy music is partly influenced by genetic factors. Researchers found that over half the variation in people’s sensitivity to musical pleasure can be traced back to genetic differences.

A new brain imaging study has revealed that lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) alters brain connectivity in ways that are notably different from methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDMA) and d-amphetamine…The research was published in Molecular Psychiatry.

Colorado regulators are issuing licenses for providing psychedelic mushrooms and are planning to authorize the state’s first “healing centers,” where the mushrooms can be ingested under supervision, in late spring or early summer.

In a recent case report published in Frontiers in Immunology, scientists in Canada described how an experimental treatment using a naturally derived substance called ibogaine appeared to improve symptoms and brain health in two individuals with multiple sclerosis.

A new study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology suggests that intravenous ketamine, when administered in a setting that mirrors psychedelic-assisted therapy, can lead to substantial and sustained reductions in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

A study conducted in Switzerland examined changes in empathy among depressed individuals following a single dose of psilocybin. Participants who received psilocybin demonstrated substantial improvements in emotional empathy compared to the control group, which received a placebo. These improvements lasted for at least two weeks after treatment. The paper was published in Molecular Psychiatry.

A study on rats found that administering 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine before giving them an opportunity to take heroin reduced their motivation to do so…The study also identified a specific type of receptor on neural cells that is crucial for this effect. The paper was published in Neuropharmacology.