Modulation of Social Cognition via Hallucinogens and “Entactogens” Katrin H. Preller and Franz X. Vollenweider Frontiers in Psychiatry, décembre 2019 doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00881 Social cognition is a fundamental ability in human everyday lives. Deficits in social functioning also represent a core aspect of many psychiatric disorders. Yet, despite its significance, deficits in social cognition skills are insufficiently targeted by current treatments. Hallucinogens and entactogens have been shown to have the potential to modulate social processing. This article reviews the literature on the influence of hallucinogens and entactogens on social processing in controlled experimental studies in humans and elucidates the underlying neurobiological and neuropharmacological mechanisms. Furthermore, [...]
Lire la suiteCannabidiol Counteracts the Psychotropic Side-Effects of Δ-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in the Ventral Hippocampus Through Bi-Directional Control of ERK1-2 Phosphorylation Roger Hudson, Justine Renard, Christopher Norris, Walter J. Rushlow and Steven R. Laviolette The Journal of Neuroscience, 2019 https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0708-19.2019 Abstract Evidence suggests that the phytocannabinoids Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) differentially regulate salience attribution and psychiatric risk. The ventral hippocampus (vHipp) relays emotional salience via control of dopamine (DA) neuronal activity states, which are dysregulated in psychosis and schizophrenia. Using in-vivo electrophysiology in male Sprague Dawley rats, we demonstrate that intra-vHipp THC strongly increases ventral tegmental area (VTA) DA neuronal frequency and bursting rates, decreases GABA frequency, and [...]
Lire la suiteCBD Oil: An Introduction Zoe Sigman 2019 https://www.projectcbd.org/cbd-101/what-is-cbd-oil Medical patients swear by it. Researchers are intrigued by it. Government regulators are flustered by it. And investors are head over heels for it. CBD oil is the It-Medicine of the moment. A few years ago, hardly anyone knew about CBD oil. Today there’s a huge demand for it. Millions of people are taking CBD oil as a health supplement. But what exactly is it? Where does it come from? How is it made? And what should you know before you buy it? Where Does CBD Oil Come From ? Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of more than 100 unique “cannabinoid” [...]
Lire la suiteMolecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the antidepressant effects of ketamine enantiomers and its metabolites Chun Yang, Jianjun Yang, Ailin Luo and Kenji Hashimoto Translational Psychiatry, 2019, 9, 280 doi : 10.1038/s41398-019-0624-1 Abstract Although the robust antidepressant effects of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist ketamine in patients with treatment-resistant depression are beyond doubt, the precise molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying its antidepressant effects remain unknown. NMDAR inhibition and the subsequent α-amino-3-hydroxy-5- methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) activation are suggested to play a role in the antidepressant effects of ketamine. Although (R)-ketamine is a less potent NMDAR antagonist than (S)-ketamine, (R)-ketamine has shown more marked and longer-lasting antidepressant-like [...]
Lire la suiteCBD User's Guide Project CBD On March 13, 2018 (Updated on March 25, 2019) https://www.projectcbd.org/how-to/cbd-users-guide Project CBD has created a beginner’s guide for cannabidiol & cannabis therapeutics to address key questions of CBD users. A Beginner’s Guide to CBD & Cannabis Therapeutics In 2009, a handful of CBD-rich cannabis strains were discovered serendipitously in Northern California, America’s cannabis breadbasket, where certified patients could access medical marijuana legally. Thus began a great laboratory experiment in democracy involving CBD-rich cannabis therapeutics. The advent of whole plant CBD-rich oil as a grassroots therapeutic option has changed the national conversation about cannabis. It’s no longer a question of whether [...]
Lire la suiteCBD & Cannabis Dosage Guide Martin A. Lee On May 16, 2018 (Updated on April 1, 2019) https://www.projectcbd.org/how-to/cbd-dosage-guide High dose? Low dose? CBD? THC? Optimizing one's therapeutic use of cannabis may take some experimentation. It can be relatively easy to experience medical benefits from cannabis. A puff or two of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-rich flower can do the trick for a lot of people. Smoking marijuana, however, is not the be-all and end-all of cannabis therapeutics. There are many ways to experience the medical benefits of cannabis, and some of them are even non-intoxicating. In recent years, the advent of potent cannabis oil concentrates, non-intoxicating cannabidiol (CBD) products, [...]
Lire la suiteCBD & the Psychedelic Receptor Lex Pelger On March 11, 2018 (Updated on April 16, 2019) https://www.projectcbd.org/science/cbd-psychedelic-receptor CBD and LSD bind to the same serotonin receptor, which mediates psychedelic altered states. But cannabidiol has anti-psychotic properties and doesn't cause hallucinations. In a shorthand that drives scientists mad, serotonin is often called ‘the neurotransmitter of happiness.’ This tag is especially troublesome as more and more flaws become apparent in the ‘serotonin hypothesis’ of depression – the idea that depression is caused by a serotonin deficit, which a pill (a serotonin reuptake inhibitor) could correct.1 Serotonin is a complex molecule in the brain and the [...]
Lire la suitePsychedelics & Cannabis Therapeutics Martin A. Lee April 17, 2019 https://www.projectcbd.org/culture/psychedelics-cannabis-therapeutics High doses of THC are hallucinogenic, and microdosing LSD is a lot like CBD. These mighty molecules can relieve human suffering and they act through the endocannabinoid system. Although it may not be obvious during these Trump-rattled times, we’re in the midst of a psychedelic revival. There is more interest than ever before in experimenting with LSD, magic mushrooms, ayahuasca, ketamine, and other psychedelic drugs. This renaissance is happening without all the fanfare of the day-glo Sixties, when lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) escaped from the laboratory and assumed the lead role in an improbable [...]
Lire la suiteCannabinoids in the treatment of epilepsy – an updated review Marcin Kopka Journal of Epileptology, 2019, 27, Doi : 10.2478/joepi-2019-0004 SUMMARY Introduction : It is estimated that 30% of people with epilepsy continue to have seizures despite treatment. The approval of many new antiseizure drugs during the past two decades has not substantially reduced the proportion of patients with medically refractory disease. Patients need new treatments. Many families choose to try alternative therapy options. An abundance of preclinical evidence and anecdotal human data support the use of cannabinoids in the treatment of epilepsy. Aim : The present review paper aims to present the current state of [...]
Lire la suitePrenatal THC exposure produces a hyperdopaminergic phenotype rescued by pregnenolone Roberto Frau, Vivien Miczán, Francesco Traccis, Sonia Aroni, Csaba I. Pongor, Pierluigi Saba, Valeria Serra, Claudia Sagheddu, Silvia Fanni, Mauro Congiu, Paola Devoto, Joseph F. Cheer, István Katona and Miriam Melis Nature Neuroscience, December 2019, VOL 22, 1975–1985 www.nature.com/natureneuroscience1975 Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved Doi : 10.1038/s41593-019-0512-2 The increased legal availability of cannabis has led to a common misconception that it is a safe natural remedy for, among others, pregnancy-related ailments such as morning sickness. Emerging clinical evidence, however, indicates that prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) predisposes offspring to various neuropsychiatric [...]
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