Health News

Cell-type specific mechanism for formation and retrieval of cocaine-associated memories

Scientists have revealed neuronal mechanisms underlying the formation and retrieval of cocaine use-associated memories. Their research sheds light on how drug addiction develops and reveals pathways that can be exploited for the development of strategies to treat cocaine addiction. The environmental context in which addicts experience the rewarding effects of cocaine can readily elicit cocaine-associated […]

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Fast-acting psychedelic associated with improvements in depression/anxiety

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that use of the synthetic psychedelic 5-methocy-N,-N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) appears to be associated with unintended improvements in self-reported depression and anxiety when given in a ceremonial group setting. 5-MeO-DMT is a psychedelic that is found in the venom of Bufo Alvarius toads, in a variety of plants species, and can be […]

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Cognitive changes in offspring of heavy cannabis-using rats: Cannabis use is common among pregnant women, but effects are rarely tested

Washington State University researchers have seen cognitive changes in the offspring of rats exposed to heavy amounts of cannabis. Their work is one of the rare studies to look at the effects of cannabis during pregnancy. The drug is the most commonly used illicit substance among pregnant women. Ryan McLaughlin, an assistant professor of Integrative […]

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Effective ketamine doses for treatment-resistant depression

A study led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators identifies two subanesthetic dosage levels of the anesthetic drug ketamine that appear to provide significant symptom relief to patients with treatment-resistant depression. In the October 2018 issue of Molecular Psychiatry they describe finding that single intravenous doses of 0.5 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg were more effective […]

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Reclassification recommendations for drug in ‘magic mushrooms’: If phase III clinical trials are successful, researchers suggest categorizing the drug as schedule IV

In an evaluation of the safety and abuse research on the drug in hallucinogenic mushrooms, Johns Hopkins researchers suggest that if it clears phase III clinical trials, psilocybin should be re-categorized from a schedule I drug — one with no known medical potential — to a schedule IV drug such as prescription sleep aids, but […]