Tag

Psychedelics

All articles tagged with #psychedelics

science14 hours ago•18 min saved

Five psychedelics converge on a common brain pattern, despite different chemistries

A multi-dataset analysis of over 500 brain scans from 267 participants shows psilocybin, LSD, mescaline, DMT, and ayahuasca produce a shared brain-state: weakened within-network connections and increased cross-network communication. This common neural signature could help standardize psychedelic research and guide future mental-health therapies, though the study used healthy adults and variations across datasets mean more work is needed.

via Earth.com|

#brain #functional-connectivity #mental-health

science23 hours ago•5 min saved

Common neural fingerprint linked to five psychedelics, study suggests

A multinational reanalysis of 11 datasets (267 participants, 519 brain scans) across five psychedelics—psilocybin, LSD, mescaline, DMT and ayahuasca—identified a shared neural fingerprint: increased cross-network communication and selective reductions within certain networks across cortical and subcortical regions, suggesting a flattening of the brain's hierarchy. The pattern was most similar for psilocybin and LSD. While promising for understanding psychedelics and potential therapies, the study emphasizes the need for standardized, larger trials and notes that existing datasets used varied methods and doses.

via ScienceAlert|

#brain-connectivity #fmri #mental-health

science2 days ago•6 min saved

Global Mega-Analysis Finds Common Brain Signature Across Psychedelics

An international mega-analysis pooling over 500 brain-imaging sessions from 267 participants across five countries shows that psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD, mescaline, DMT, ayahuasca) produce a shared brain fingerprint: weakening within-network connectivity and increasing cross-network communication, leading to a more flexible, less modular brain state. This two-part pattern explains common therapeutic and perceptual effects across diverse drugs and provides a benchmark to guide future research and regulatory considerations.

via Neuroscience News|

#brain-imaging #mental-health #meta-analysis

health22 days ago•16 min saved

Psychedelic Antidepressants Aren't Proving More Effective Than Open-Label Traditional Antidepressants, Meta-Analysis Finds

A new meta-analysis of 24 trials finds psychedelics can help treat depression but are not more effective than open-label traditional antidepressants, suggesting biases and placebo effects may have inflated earlier hype.

via Gizmodo|

#antidepressants #depression #health

psychopharmacology25 days ago•26 min saved

Magic mushrooms' effects may hinge on a multi-compound entourage, not just psilocybin

A Scientific Reports study using computational modeling suggests eight bioactive compounds in psilocybin-producing mushrooms may interact with brain targets and produce effects via an entourage effect, with some compounds potentially binding serotonin receptors even more strongly than psilocybin and beta-carbolines inhibiting monoamine oxidase A to prolong serotonin signaling; results are theoretical and based on simulations, and experimental work including cerebral organoids is planned to validate them.

via PsyPost|

#entourage-effect #monoamine-oxidase-a #psilocybin

science28 days ago•4 min saved

Psychedelics Turn Awake Vision into Memory-Derived Imagery in Mice

A mouse study found that activating the 5-HT2A receptor with psychedelic-like compounds amplified theta rhythms in the visual cortex and synchronized it with the retrosplenial memory region, dampening responses to real visuals and causing the brain to fill in images from memory—a state akin to dreaming while awake. The researchers caution that while insightful, these results may not directly translate to humans and have limitations to consider when mapping to human experiences and neuroplasticity applications.

via The Conversation|

#dreaming #memory #neuroscience

neuroscience1 month ago•26 min saved

One-dose DMT restores mood and brain circuitry in stressed mice

A single dose of DMT given after chronic stress reverses depression-like behaviors in mice, restoring pleasure-seeking and improving cognitive performance, with brain data showing increased hippocampal neurogenesis and corrected neuron placement. In many measures DMT outperformed fluoxetine, and benefits persisted even when dosing occurred under anesthesia, suggesting the conscious psychedelic experience may not be strictly necessary. Timing mattered: post-stress dosing yielded stronger cognitive recovery, underscoring a brain-plasticity window, but researchers caution that mouse results do not guarantee human outcomes and call for further translational work.

via PsyPost|

#depression #dmt #hippocampus

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Psilocin variants promise depression relief without psychedelic trip

Scientists engineered five psilocin derivatives designed to activate serotonin receptors and release psilocin more slowly, aiming to reduce psychedelic side effects. In mouse studies, the lead compound 4e crossed the blood-brain barrier and produced a lower, longer-lasting brain psilocin level with significantly fewer psychedelic-like head twitches compared with psilocybin, suggesting the possibility of safer, psychedelic-inspired antidepressants. More research is needed to assess safety and effectiveness in people.

via ScienceDaily|

#brain #depression #psilocin

science1 month ago•7 min saved

Psychedelics Remodel Brain Myelin for Lasting PTSD Recovery

A rat study shows psilocybin and MDMA trigger adaptive myelination, repairing the brain’s insulation (myelin) in fear circuits and producing long-lasting reductions in anxiety-like behavior; blocking myelin repair abolishes the benefits, indicating myelin remodeling is a key mechanism for durable psychedelic-assisted PTSD therapy and should complement, not replace, psychotherapy.

via Neuroscience News|

#myelin #neuroplasticity #oligodendrocytes

science1 month ago•28 min saved

5-MeO-DMT Triggers Paradoxical Wake: Sleep-Like Brain Activity in Awake Mice

A study in Communications Biology finds that the psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT can induce a hybrid brain state in awake mice, showing slow‑wave sleep activity and OFF periods despite active movement and dilated pupils. This paradoxical wake involves widespread brain networks and a suppression of theta rhythms, with effects modulated by serotonin receptors, suggesting multiple neural pathways. The researchers also report altered motivation, reduced reward seeking after dosing, and a delayed REM rebound, implying potential links between psychedelic effects, sleep regulation, and brain plasticity with therapeutic implications.

via PsyPost|

#5-meo-dmt #brain-plasticity #paradoxical-wake

health1 month ago•3 min saved

Synthetic DMT Trials Hint at Rapid Depression Relief With Guided Therapy

A phase II trial sponsored by Small Pharma (now Cybin UK) found a synthetic DMT formulation, delivered by injection with psychotherapeutic support, reduced depressive symptoms more than placebo after two weeks in 17 treated vs 17 controls. The study emphasizes the therapists’ role and notes the synthetic DMT yields a short, ~30-minute experience without vomiting (unlike traditional ayahuasca). While promising, the results are preliminary and require clinic-based administration, with broader context including FDA-approved ketamine therapy and ongoing psychedelics research.

via The Guardian|

#clinical-trials #depression #dmt

health1 month ago•5 min saved

Single-Dose DMT Triggers Rapid Depression Relief in Early Trial

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 34 adults suffering from treatment-resistant major depressive disorder, a single intravenous dose of DMT with psychotherapeutic support produced a rapid and meaningful reduction in depressive symptoms within a week, with effects lasting up to three months (some in remission for six months); the dose appeared safe with mostly mild side effects, though blinding was challenged by noticeable psychedelic effects and the small sample size calls for larger trials.

via ScienceAlert|

#clinical-trial #depression #dmt

science1 month ago•8 min saved

Consciousness Without the Afterlife: From Brains to Bots

Nature’s book review of Michael Pollan’s A World Appears traces how consciousness remains hard to explain despite brain research; it surveys embodied approaches and theories (like integrated information theory and global neuronal workspace), plant sentience, interoception in the brainstem, and the free-energy principle, while questioning whether AI can ever be truly conscious given current data-driven models and the absence of subjective experience.

via Nature|

#artificial-intelligence #consciousness #neuroscience

books2 months ago•13 min saved

Pollan probes consciousness: from plant sentience to AI myths in a world of mind

Journalist Michael Pollan discusses his new book A World Appears, which ties together questions about consciousness—what it is, who has it, and why—with explorations of plant sentience, psychedelic experience, and the risk that we mistake chatbots for true consciousness, all while examining how humans relate to mind, self, and technology.

via The Guardian|

#artificial-intelligence #books #consciousness

science2 months ago•89 min saved

Psychedelics May Rewire PTSD Brains, Opening Doors for Rapid Therapy

New research suggests psychedelics such as MDMA and psilocybin may help PTSD by promoting neuroplasticity and rebalancing fear circuits, enabling faster, therapy-assisted recovery. In MDMA-assisted therapy trials, about 67% of participants no longer met PTSD criteria compared with 32% on placebo; psilocybin trials are also showing promise in reducing symptoms and increasing cognitive flexibility. The proposed mechanisms involve dampened amygdala activity, enhanced prefrontal control, restoration of BDNF, and disruption of the default mode network, which may help patients reprocess trauma during psychotherapy. However, large, controlled trials are still needed, and regulatory hurdles persist due to Schedule I status and safety/blinding challenges.

via Live Science|

#mdma #neuroplasticity #psilocybin