Tag Archives: Alleviates

One Dose of Psychedelic DMT Significantly Alleviates Depression Symptoms

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Psychedelics May Facilitate Neural Connections

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Recent research demonstrates that a single dose of the hallucinogen dimethyltryptamine (DMT) yields rapid and enduring improvements in symptoms of depression.

DMT, an exceptionally potent hallucinogen sourced from various plants globally, is under strict international regulation, with the United Nations categorizing it as a substance with a notable potential for abuse and no recognized medical use.

Nonetheless, observational studies indicate that DMT and other psychedelics may offer therapeutic benefits to individuals grappling with severe mental health disorders, particularly those unresponsive to conventional interventions.

In a recent study led by David Elizzo at Imperial College London, researchers examined 34 participants suffering from moderate to severe depression, each having endured this condition for an average of 10 years while unsuccessfully trying at least two standard treatment methods.

Accompanied by therapeutic support, half of the participants received a substantial dose of 21.5 milligrams of DMT intravenously over a duration of 10 minutes, while the remainder were administered a placebo.

All participants completed a depression assessment questionnaire before the study commenced, revealing an average 7.4-point decrease in depression scores among the DMT group two weeks post-infusion compared to the placebo group. This decrease remained consistent for up to 6 months in certain participants.

Furthermore, all participants had the option to access a second dose of DMT, managed by a therapist. The findings suggest no significant enhancement in outcomes beyond the initial treatment, indicating a single dose may suffice for sustained benefits.

Regarding safety, side effects were reported as mild, with occasional instances of temporary anxiety, nausea, and localized pain at the injection site.

“Our findings indicate that a single DMT experience lasting just 25 minutes is safe, well-tolerated, and correlates with substantial, long-lasting improvements in depression,” asserts Elizzo. “Notably, these early indications closely resemble results from trials involving long-acting psychedelics such as psilocybin.” Additionally, the brevity of the DMT experience could potentially alleviate treatment costs.

However, the inherent nature of psychedelic drug consumption means participants can often distinguish between the placebo and DMT groups, suggesting that outcomes may reflect both the pharmacological effects of DMT and participants’ expectations.

The researchers found that the intensity of mystical experiences reported approximately 25 minutes after DMT administration was linked to the degree of therapeutic benefit. “Participants who reported feelings of connection, significant emotional shifts, and profound, indescribable experiences were more likely to report increased benefits,” noted team members, including Tommaso Barba from Imperial.

While the exact mechanisms by which psychedelics like DMT alleviate depression remain unclear, some studies imply that they may offer a transient period of neuroplasticity, facilitating new neuronal connections and reducing inflammation associated with poor mental health.

Rick Strassman, a pioneer in psychedelic research, emphasizes the necessity for caution. Although DMT experiences are shorter than those of psilocybin or LSD, the disorienting effects can be greater and demand careful preparation and monitoring.

Elizzo and his team advocate for further investigation into a modified version of DMT called HLP004, aimed at anxiolytic properties. Concurrently, the similar compound 5-MeO-DMT is undergoing advanced trials for depression treatment. Notably, promising results from AtaiBeckley indicate expedited development of drug candidates for treatment-resistant depression, pushing towards potential approval in the U.S.

Article modified on February 16, 2026

This article has been updated to correct the dose of DMT administered to participants and clarify the testing for HLP004.

Article modified on February 17, 2026

This article now clarifies the dose of DMT given to participants was in milligrams, not micrograms.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Home-Based Hypnotherapy Alleviates Menopausal Hot Flashes

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Hot flashes are a prevalent symptom experienced both before and after menopause.

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The occurrence and intensity of menopausal hot flashes can be significantly reduced using hypnotic audio recordings, which can be conveniently listened to at home.

Up to 80% of women experience hot flashes during menopause—a sudden sensation of overheating that can lead to excessive sweating, discomfort, anxiety, and interruptions in sleep, primarily caused by a sharp decline in estrogen during this phase. While dietary modifications, hormone replacement therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may provide relief, they are often inconvenient and may not be effective for everyone.

“Many people believe in the connection between the mind and body, suggesting that we can influence our physical state through mental processes,” states Gary Elkins from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. “This hypnotherapy demonstration highlights the remarkable strength of the mind-body connection.”

Clinic-based hypnosis has demonstrated its effectiveness in alleviating hot flash symptoms, surpassing the results of CBT. However, a more accessible option is needed, according to Elkins. His team has created a six-week at-home program that involves listening to 20-minute audio recordings daily, designed to promote hypnotic relaxation and evoke cool imagery.

To evaluate its effectiveness, they recruited 250 postmenopausal women (average age 56) who reported at least four hot flashes daily. Participants were assigned either to a hypnosis program or a sham program offering 20 minutes of white noise.

After six weeks, the hypnosis group reported an average reduction of 53 percent in their hot flash scores, measuring frequency and severity, compared to the start of the program. The sham group also noted improvements, with a 41% reduction, likely due to a placebo effect, according to Elkins.

Twelve weeks following the intervention, both groups continued to report enhancements from their initial scores, with the hypnosis group showing a 61% overall improvement. In contrast, the sham group enjoyed a 44% improvement after 12 weeks. Elkins suggested that participants might have continued listening to the recordings voluntarily or practiced self-hypnosis based on what they learned.

This indicates that home hypnotherapy may serve as a practical, cost-effective solution for managing perimenopausal hot flashes. While the precise mechanism remains unclear, research indicates it could enable the brain to adapt and rewire itself to better handle various life challenges, potentially elucidating its effectiveness in alleviating pain and anxiety.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Low-Dose Lithium Alleviates Alzheimer’s Symptoms in Mice

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Illustration of neurons impacted by Alzheimer's Disease

Illustration of neurons affected by Alzheimer’s disease

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Research indicates that administering lithium to mice with low brain levels reverses cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease. These findings imply that lithium deficiency could contribute to Alzheimer’s, and low-dose lithium treatments may have therapeutic potential.

Several studies have highlighted a relationship between lithium and Alzheimer’s. A 2022 study found that individuals prescribed lithium faced nearly half the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Another paper published recently linked lithium levels in drinking water with a reduced risk of dementia.

However, as Bruce Yankner from Harvard University points out, hidden variables may influence these results. He suggests that other elements in drinking water, like magnesium, might also contribute to a lower dementia risk.

Yankner and his team assessed metal levels in the brains of 285 deceased individuals, 94 of whom had Alzheimer’s, and 58 exhibited mild cognitive impairment. The remaining participants showed no cognitive decline prior to death.

They discovered that lithium concentrations in the prefrontal cortex (a vital area for memory and decision-making) were about 36% lower in those without cognitive decline, and 23% lower in individuals with mild cognitive impairment. “I believe environmental factors, including diet and genetics, play a significant role,” states Yankner.

There’s another concerning aspect. In Alzheimer’s patients, amyloid plaques exhibited nearly three times more lithium than areas without plaques. “Lithium is sequestered by these plaques,” explains Yankner. “Initially, there’s a lithium intake disorder, and as the disease advances, lithium levels decline further due to its binding to amyloid.”

To further investigate cognitive effects, the research team genetically modified 22 mice to mimic Alzheimer’s symptoms and reduced their lithium consumption by 92%. After around eight months, these mice performed significantly worse on various memory assessments compared to 16 mice on normal diets. For instance, even after six days of training, lithium-deficient mice took approximately 10 seconds longer to locate a hidden platform in a water maze. Their brains also had about 2.5 times more amyloid plaques.

Genetic evaluations of brain cells from the lithium-deficient mice indicated heightened activity of genes linked to neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s. These mice experienced increased encephalopathy, and their immune cells failed to eliminate amyloid plaques, mirroring changes seen in Alzheimer’s patients.

The researchers then evaluated various lithium compounds for their ability to bind with amyloid and found that orotium— a compound created through the combination of lithium and orotic acid— had the least propensity to be trapped in plaques. A nine-month treatment regimen with orotium significantly diminished amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s-like mice and improved memory performance compared to regular mice.

These findings point toward the potential of lithium orotium as a treatment for Alzheimer’s. High doses of various lithium salts are already being employed to manage conditions such as bipolar disorder. “A significant challenge with lithium treatment in the elderly is the risk of kidney and thyroid toxicity due to high dosages,” notes Yankner. However, he mentions that the quantities used in this study were about 1,000 times lower than those typically administered, which may account for the absence of kidney or thyroid issues observed in the mice.

Nonetheless, clinical trials are crucial to gauge how low doses of orotium lithium might impact humans, says Rudolf Tansy at Massachusetts General Hospital. “The challenge lies in determining who truly requires lithium,” he adds. “Excessive lithium intake can result in severe side effects.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

X-ray Enhanced Fabric Potentially Alleviates Mammogram Discomfort

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Mammograms can be painful,

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Getting X-rays can be quite uncomfortable. You might need to lie still while experiencing discomfort or as a part of your body is compressed. However, innovative flexible fabrics that enhance X-ray detection could alleviate this issue.

“Picture scanning your child for injuries and conducting a painless breast examination without requiring the child to stay still,” says Li Xu from the Hong Kong Institute of Technology. She and her team have developed a fabric known as X-Wear, which emits light when exposed to X-rays.

X-rays typically utilize scintillation components, which are harder to detect than visible light, in both medical and industrial applications. For example, they can convert rays that penetrate your limbs into visible light, allowing for the creation of images that reveal internal details like fractures. However, the current scintillators are usually rigid, which makes them uncomfortable for use in devices where they are embedded.

To tackle this issue, researchers have reformulated scintillating materials, like reshaping gadolinium oxide sprinkled with europium into fine fibers, which are then integrated into fabrics.

Xu mentions that crafting these fibers to be flexible while ensuring they emit sufficient light for producing high-resolution images when exposed to X-rays poses a technical challenge. Her team has demonstrated that fabrics can be utilized for dental X-rays – in tests, X-Wear adapted to the shape of a clay mouth model and teeth. It has also been used for mammography, where an X-Wear bra was created to eliminate the need for compressing a person’s breasts during imaging, a common current practice.

Imalka Jayawardena from the University of Surrey in the UK emphasizes that X-Wear’s body-compliant nature is a significant advantage over other flexible scintillator designs, which tend to be film-like and inflexible. However, he notes that the light detectors paired with X-Wear are still flat, limiting the fabric’s potential applications.

Currently, researchers can produce about a quarter of a square meter of X-Wear samples, meaning production must be scaled up and adapted for industrial-grade equipment before it can be used widely, according to Xu.

The team is also exploring X-Wear’s potential for industrial use, envisioning small, flexible devices for inspecting electronics and identifying defects in pipelines. Xu also notes that first responders in disaster zones could utilize X-Wear, equipped with smartphones and compact X-ray sources, for conducting on-site scans.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Dr. Oz alleviates senators’ worries, backing refusal of transgender healthcare

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Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican; On Monday, he said he decided to support him. Dr. Oz’s appointment to lead Medicare and Medicaid because Dr. Oz said he didn’t support transgender care for minors and was “clearly pro-life.”

The Senate plans to vote for Dr. Oz’s appointment later this month to become the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Holy had spoken out about withholding support for Dr. Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon who has become a daytime television celebrity, concerns about his previous position in transgender care and abortion laws in certain states. Dr. Oz featured the segment on a television program on transgender care, raising the possibility of dissenting previously proposed state law banning abortions based on fetal heartbeat.

In response to Mr. Holly’s written questions, Dr. Oz assured the Senator that he “denies previous support for trans-snary and drugs for minor children.” Posted on x, Social media site. He added, “We’ve come back after overcoming criticism of the state’s pro-life law.” Dr. Oz “works to end funding for abortion providers,” Holly said.

Mr Holy’s opposition may have put Dr. Oz’s confirmation at stake given that Democrats appear likely to vote against him along the party line. CMS is a $1.5 trillion institution responsible for providing healthcare coverage to almost half of Americans.

Last month, Holly managed to expel new Food and Drug Administration chief counsel, Hilary Perkins, for his job as a Biden administration lawyer who claimed to be defending the availability of abortion drugs. She is an anti-abortion conservative.

A spokesman for Dr. Oz did not reply to requests for comment.

Source: www.nytimes.com

Potential Discovery: Understanding How the Placebo Effect Alleviates Pain

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A slide showing part of a mouse brain

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A newly identified brain pathway in mice may explain why placebos, or interventions that should have no therapeutic effect, can relieve pain, and the development of drugs that target this pathway could lead to safer alternatives to painkillers such as opioids.

If someone unknowingly takes a sugar pill instead of a painkiller, they still feel better. The placebo effect is a well-known phenomenon in which people's expectations reduce symptoms even in the absence of an effective treatment. “Our brain can solve the pain problem on its own, based on the expectation that a drug or treatment might work,” says Dr. Gregory Scherer At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

To understand how the brain does this, Scherer and his colleagues recreated the placebo effect in 10 mice using a cage with two chambers: one with a blazingly hot floor and the other with no floor. After three days, the mice learned to associate the second chamber with pain relief.

The researchers then injected molecules into the animals' brains that caused active neurons to light up when viewed under a microscope, and then returned the animals to their cages, but this time they heated both floors.

Although the two chambers were now equally hot, the mice still preferred the second chamber and showed less symptoms of pain, such as licking their paws, while they were there. They also showed more neuronal activity in the cingulate cortex, a brain region involved in processing pain, compared with nine mice that had not been conditioned to associate the second chamber with pain relief.

Further experiments revealed pathways connecting these pain-processing neurons to cells in the pontine nuclei and cerebellum, two brain regions not previously known to play a role in pain relief.

To confirm that this circuit relieved pain, the researchers used a technique called optogenetics, which switches cells on and off with light. This allowed them to activate the newly discovered neural pathway in another group of mice that were placed on a hot floor. On average, these mice took three times longer to lick their paws than mice that didn't have the circuit activated, indicating that they felt less pain.

If this neural pathway explains the placebo effect, “it could open up new strategies for drug development,” he said. Luana Colocca “If we had a drug that could activate the placebo effect, it would be an excellent strategy for pain management,” said University of Maryland researcher David L. Schneider, who was not involved in the study.

“An obvious caveat is that the placebo experience in humans is clearly much more complex. [than in animals]”The pain pathways are very similar to ours,” Scherer said, but because rodents and humans have very similar pain pathways, he believes these findings also apply to humans.

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Source: www.newscientist.com