Brain imaging study reveals how psilocybin eases depression

“For the first time we find that psilocybin works differently from conventional antidepressants — making the brain more flexible and fluid, and less entrenched in the negative thinking patterns associated with depression,” says Imperial College London researcher David Nutt.

A new brain imaging study found that psilocybin increases brain network integration, whereas a common antidepressant, escitalopram, had no impact on brain network organization. 

fMRI scans showed that psilocybin reduces activity in the default mode network (DMN), a region associated with introspection that’s often overactive in patients with depression, causing negative fixations about one’s self and the future. 

The DMN became more connected with other regions like the salience network and the executive network, which are often impaired in patients with depression (as well as autism and OCD).

Essentially, this helps “open up” the brain, breaking rigid and restrictive patterns.

These findings may explain why psilocybin outperformed escitalopram in treating depression.

The most intense psychedelic could be perfect for new moms!

Field Trip Health (FTRP) was granted a US patent for its formulation of 4-HO-DiPT (aka Isoprocin Glutarate), an extremely intense psychedelic lasting 2-3 hours. 

Field Trip will begin a Phase I safety trial within 3 months with hopes that it will lead to Phase II trials on treatment-resistant depression and postpartum depression.

MDMA treats PTSD + eating disorders simultaneously

Patients with PTSD often have eating disorders too. MDMA is known to improve self acceptance and emotional processing, so it may be the perfect treatment for both!

In MAPS’ Phase 3 trial on MDMA for PTSD, 42%* of patients scored in the “clinical” or “at-risk” range on an eating disorder scale prior to the treatment.

MDMA therapy was found to significantly reduce eating disorder symptoms in comparison to a placebo.

MAPS is commencing a multi-site Phase 2 trial this May to further examine MDMA therapy on both anorexia and binge eating.

*Patients with active purging were excluded as a precaution to avoid cardiac arrhythmias.

Psychedelic block the rewarding effects of alcohol

A common model of addiction involves conditioning rats to associate a drug with a certain area. The amount of time the rat spends in that area indicates how addictive the stimuli is.

In a recent study, rats showed a preference to the area associated with ethanol (alcohol) over the placebo area, which was expected since alcohol is addictive. 

After a dose of ibogaine, they no longer expressed a preference for alcohol.

Additionally, rats showed no preference between an area associated with ibogaine and the placebo area, suggesting that ibogaine is non-addictive.

“We found that ibogaine did not have rewarding effects itself, but it did block the expression of ethanol reward in a model that can commonly be referred to as a pre-clinical model of relapse,” explains the study author, Lais F. Berro.

Is psilocybin the only beneficial compound in magic mushrooms?

If synthetic psilocybin is cheaper to produce, why are many psychedelic companies sticking with the natural route?

Some believe that consumers would rather take a naturally grown mushroom than something formulated in a lab. 

Other researchers, like those at Filament Health (FH), think the other unknown compounds in the mushroom could provide additional benefits that complement psilocybin. 

This theory, called “the entourage effect”, is popular in the cannabis industry too.

Filament Health is committed to all-natural psilocybin and has developed a way to produce it at a low cost. They just received a second patent for the extraction and standardization of natural psilocybin.

Ketamine + Parkinson’s meds

The most common Parkinson’s medication, Levodopa, causes involuntary muscle movements in most patients who take it long-term.

PharmaTher (PHRM) found that a low dose of ketamine reduces these muscle spams in 100% of Parkinson’s patients — but it’s unclear by how much or for how long 🤔

However, a separate study from 2016 found that low doses of ketamine reduced this side effect for up to one month and also eased depression.

PharmaTher is confident that the results will pave the way for a Phase 3 trial. 

Microdosing reverses the effects of stress on the brain

A study published yesterday suggests that microdosing LSD reduces stress-induced anxiety and promotes neuroplasticity.

McGill University researchers found that when rats were exposed to chronic stress conditions, those that were given microdoses 7 days in a row did not show anxiety-like behaviour. A single dose had no behavioural effect.

Repeated microdoses also prevented two neurobiological changes that occur with stress:

1. The loss of dendritic spines (the branches on neurons that conduct electrical signals)
2. A decrease in serotonin transmission.

“We have shown that LSD can rebuild these branches that are ‘dismantled’ due to stress. This is a sign of brain plasticity,” explains researcher Danilo De Gregorio.

Interestingly, a single microdose actually decreased serotonin neurotransmission – it was only the repeated regimen that increased the firing of serotonin neurons.

So if you’re going to microdose, you may want to try it multiple days in a row 😉

If you’re looking to start microdosing, follow @chloedeutscher on TikTok for advice from an industry expert.

Treat pain and mental health simultaneously

About 60% of patients with chronic pain also suffer from a second condition like depression or anxiety.

A University of Tasmania researcher predicts that ketamine therapy will have a “dual beneficial effect” on both pain and mental health.

Other chronic pain experts share this belief. “The domains of pain, anxiety and depression are all connected. If you treat one, another often gets better,” according to researcher Dr. David Borsook.

The hypothesis will be put to the test in an upcoming study of 30 chronic pain patients, which received a $80K grant from the Clifford Craig Foundation.