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some of our latest newsletters:
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Psilocybin beats nicotine patches 40.5% vs 10% for quitting smoking
Psychedelic research hit several major milestones this week, with studies spanning everything from smoking cessation to postpartum depression to the evolutionary origins of magic mushrooms.
๐ Psilocybin outperforms nicotine patches for smoking cessation
40.5% of smokers given one dose of psilocybin (30mg) plus therapy stayed smoke-free for 6 months, compared to just 10% using nicotine patches plus the same therapy
The single psilocybin session was 6 times more effective than standard nicotine replacement (odds ratio 6.12) in this 82-person trial
No serious side effects were reported from either treatment, suggesting psilocybin's safety profile in this context
Why it matters: These abstinence rates are higher than most conventional smoking cessation treatments, potentially offering a breakthrough for the 480,000 Americans who die from tobacco use annually.
Key Findings
๐ง Female rats show heightened sensitivity to psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT
Female rats demonstrated markedly enhanced sensitivity to low-dose 5-MeO-DMT (0.1 mg/kg), showing extensive brain activity changes that were largely absent in males at the same dose
Brain imaging revealed peak effects occurred within the first 10 minutes after injection, aligning with the compound's rapid-acting therapeutic potential
This represents the first fMRI study of 5-MeO-DMT in any species, revealing previously unknown sex differences in psychedelic response
๐๏ธ Psychedelics linked to reduced fear of death
Meta-analysis of 8 studies found psychedelics associated with moderate-to-large reductions in death anxiety (Cohen's d = 0.70)
Mystical experiences during psychedelic sessions were particularly associated with decreased death anxiety
Effects were stronger in clinical settings compared to general population use
๐ฟ Scientists discover magic mushroom's closest wild relative in Africa
Researchers identified Psilocybe ochraceocentrata as the closest wild relative to cultivated Psilocybe cubensis, last sharing a common ancestor approximately 1.5 million years ago
Both species are associated with large herbivore dung, suggesting their common ancestor was already adapted to this ecological niche
DNA analysis challenges previous assumptions about the geographic origins and evolutionary history of psychedelic mushrooms
๐ถ Ketamine shows promise for PTSD patients in real-world settings
202 real-world patients with PTSD reported improvements across multiple trauma symptoms after ketamine treatment
Patients with PTSD had more severe depression, anxiety, and sleep problems before treatment but responded just as well as those without PTSD
Most PTSD patients received additional psychotherapy, though improvements were also reported by those receiving ketamine alone
๐งช Ayahuasca linked to improved memory and cognitive flexibility
Systematic review of 16 studies found short-term improvements in working memory and cognitive flexibility following ayahuasca use
Long-term studies generally found no cognitive deficits, with some reporting enhanced memory and executive function
Social cognition studies showed increased empathy and emotion recognition, though experimental studies only observed faster reaction times
โ ๏ธ Hallucinogen use linked to complex clinical outcomes in adolescent psychosis
14.3% of adolescents with early-onset psychosis had used hallucinogens, with rates varying widely across studies
Hallucinogen use was consistently associated with polysubstance use, suicidality, conduct disorder, and reduced educational attainment
In general population studies, associations between hallucinogen use and psychotic symptoms were weak and largely disappeared after accounting for other drugs and genetic vulnerability
Implications
This week's research reveals psychedelics' therapeutic potential across multiple conditions while highlighting important safety considerations, particularly for vulnerable populations. The striking success of psilocybin for smoking cessation, combined with emerging evidence for PTSD and cognitive benefits, suggests these compounds may offer novel treatment pathwaysโthough sex differences, dosing protocols, and long-term effects require careful study as the field advances toward clinical applications.
Science is the only real news.
The rest is just drama ๐ฐ
And nowadays, we see that drama everywhere.
Drama sells ads, ads sell products, and my attention sells to the highest bidder.
Drama media is junk food for the mind.
A quick rush, hard to avoid, but little nutritional value.
The brain wants broccoli ๐ง ๐ฅฆ
And look, it's not that science never makes the news.
But think about when it doesโdoes the news really understand the science it reports on?
Like it or not, AI exists now.
And it happens to be a huge science nerdโฆ ๐ญ๐ค
โฆwith a superpowerโฆ
...unlike an average science nerd, AI can explain it simply.
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