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psychopharmacology

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·July 7, 2023·7 min read

Birth Control Pills Affect Women’s Stress Hormone Levels

Social activity reduces the levels of stress hormone ACTH in women not on birth control pills, but not in women who are. The study, involving women of an average age of 20.5 years, discovered the stress response in women off birth control depends on their menstrual cycle phase.

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·June 24, 2023·8 min read

Cognitive Biotype: A Novel Depression Subcategory Defying Conventional Treatments Identified

Researchers discovered a new depression subtype, the 'cognitive biotype,' affecting 27% of patients who respond poorly to typically prescribed antidepressants. These patients struggle with planning, self-control, sustained focus, and suppressing inappropriate behavior, with brain scans revealing reduced activity in the regions responsible for these tasks.

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·June 18, 2023·3 min read

Top 5 Breakthroughs From Neuroscience News This Week: June 18, 2023

Dive into this week's hottest neuroscience discoveries from Neuroscience News. Uncover how our survival influences visual perception, delve into the role of interoception in self-awareness, and see how an antihistamine offers hope for myelin repair in Multiple Sclerosis.

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·June 16, 2023·6 min read

Psychedelic Breakthroughs: Balancing Promise and Peril in Mental Health Therapies

Psychedelics offer promise as potential treatments for mental health disorders, from depression to PTSD. However, the unique mind-altering effects of these substances also present distinct ethical and clinical challenges.

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·June 14, 2023·4 min read

Rethinking Smart: Cognitive Enhancers May Diminish Performance in Those Without ADHD

Cognitive enhancers, often dubbed as "smart" drugs, might actually impair performance and productivity in neurotypical individuals. The study evaluated the effects of three widely used "smart" drugs using a complex decision-making task simulating everyday scenarios.

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·June 14, 2023·6 min read

Probiotics Enhance Antidepressant Efficacy for Major Depressive Disorder

A probiotic blend comprising 14 strains of bacteria can enhance the treatment of major depressive disorder when used alongside antidepressants. This pilot study highlights the potential of probiotics in promoting improvements in mood over an eight-week period. It is a pioneering exploration into how gut health, improved via probiotics, could pave the way for a novel approach to bolster mood and mental health.

This shows a woman's face and psychedelic swirls.

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·June 14, 2023·6 min read

Psychedelics Unlock Learning Windows in the Brain

Researchers discovered a unique property of psychedelic drugs: their ability to reopen "critical periods" in the brain, times when the brain is highly susceptible to environmental learning signals. These periods, usually associated with skills development like language learning, are reopened by psychedelics for different lengths of time.

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·June 13, 2023·6 min read

The Link Between Contraceptive Pills and Depression

A new study exploring the potential impacts of contraceptive pills on mental health reveals an alarming connection to depression, especially in teenage users. The research, which analyzed data from over a quarter of a million women from the UK Biobank, found that teens initiating contraceptive pill use had a 130% higher incidence of depression symptoms.

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·May 16, 2023·5 min read

Harnessing Psychedelics for Mental Health

Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved the prescription of MDMA and psilocybin by authorized psychiatrists for PTSD and treatment-resistant depression. This decision, a first worldwide, has sparked a debate among experts. While some hail it as a breakthrough for patients unresponsive to conventional therapies, others express concerns about its implementation.

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·May 12, 2023·5 min read

Psychedelic Users’ Trust Puzzle: Untangling Information Sources

In the midst of a Psychedelic Renaissance, researchers examined where people using psychedelics obtain their information. The study reveals users typically consult diverse sources outside mainstream health and medical systems, with their own experiences being the most common source. They found that users trust information from scientific journals, psychedelic non-profits, and university researchers the most, while government agencies and pharmaceutical companies are the least trusted. This study could inform policy and public health strategies to bridge the information trust gap and promote safe psychedelic use.

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·May 8, 2023·5 min read

New Antidepressant Reduces Stress and Depression With Low Side Effects

Scientists developed a potential anti-depressant drug that exhibits anti-stressing and anti-depressant effects with minimal side effects. The drug is KNT-127quickly acts on the patient without inducing resistance. Researchers found that KNT-127 administration during and after extreme psychological stress significantly improved social interaction and reduced inflammation in the hippocampus.

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·May 4, 2023·5 min read

Reproductive Aging May Be Slowed by SSRI Antidepressants

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) commonly used to treat depression and anxiety can improve the quality of aging females' egg cells in roundworms and fruit flies. The study found that the exposure to SSRIs decreased embryonic death and chromosomal abnormalities in surviving offspring. The researchers said that these findings could lead to new opportunities to explore pharmacological interventions that could combat infertility issues in humans by improving egg quality and delaying the onset of reproductive aging.