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Category: neuroscience – Page 201

Psilocybin better preserves depressed patients’ emotional response to music than standard drug, study finds

Depression is among the most widespread mental health disorders worldwide, typically characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, a lack of interest in daily activities and dysregulated sleep and/or eating habits. There are now a wide range of pharmacological treatments for depression, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants and atypical antidepressants.

In recent years, some research groups have been exploring the potential of alternative treatments for depression that rely on psychedelic compounds, such as . Psilocybin is a compound naturally found in more than 100 species of mushrooms, which can influence the mood and perceptions of those who ingest it.

Researchers at Imperial College London’s Center for Psychedelic Research recently carried out a study aimed at better understanding the effects of psilocybin treatment on the processing of and the experience of emotions, comparing them to those of escitalopram, a widely used SSRI.

Abstract: For several years, researchers have known that hyperactivity of a subset of neurons located in the hypothalamus, called AgRP neurons, is common in mice with diabetes

“These neurons are playing an outsized role in hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes,” said UW Medicine endocrinologist Dr. Michael Schwartz, corresponding author of the paper.

To determine if these neurons contribute to elevated blood sugar in diabetic mice, researchers employed a widely used viral genetics approach to make AgRP neurons express tetanus toxin, which prevents the neurons from communicating with other neurons.

Unexpectedly, this intervention normalized high blood sugar for months, despite having no effect on body weight or food consumption.

Conventional wisdom is that diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes, stems from a combination of genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors, including obesity, lack of physical activity and poor diet. This mix of factors leads to insulin resistance or insufficient insulin production.

Until now, scientists have traditionally thought the brain doesn’t play a role in type 2 diabetes, according to Schwartz.

The paper challenges this and is a “departure from the conventional wisdom of what causes diabetes,” he said.

The new findings align with studies published by the same scientists showing that injection of a peptide called FGF1 directly into the brain also causes diabetes remission in mice. This effect was subsequently shown to involve sustained inhibition of AgRP neurons.

Continue reading “Abstract: For several years, researchers have known that hyperactivity of a subset of neurons located in the hypothalamus, called AgRP neurons, is common in mice with diabetes” | >

Mindfulness course found to be effective in people with difficult-to-treat depression

Mindfulness-based therapy can offer significant relief for individuals who are still depressed after receiving treatment, according to a new clinical trial.

Researchers hope their findings, published in Lancet Psychiatry, could provide a new treatment pathway for people with who have not benefited from previous treatment.

The study, titled “Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy versus treatment as usual after non-remission with NHS Talking Therapies high-intensity psychological therapy for depression: a UK-based and cost-effectiveness randomised, controlled, superiority trial,” was led by a researcher from the University of Surrey.

Brain scans reveal what happens in the mind when insight strikes

Have you ever been stuck on a problem, puzzling over something for what felt like ages without getting anywhere, but then suddenly the answer came to you like a bolt from the blue?

We’ve all experienced that “aha! moment,” that sudden clarity or magical epiphany you feel when a new idea or perspective pops into your head as if out of nowhere.

Now, new evidence from brain imaging research shows that these flashes of insight aren’t just satisfying—they actually reshape how your brain represents information, and help sear it into memory.

Music Does Something Amazing to Your Brain’s Own Natural Rhythms

Ever felt like a song really resonates with you? That may be more true than you think.

A new theory suggests that we don’t just listen to it; our bodies physically resonate with music, as our brains’ natural oscillations synchronize with structures like rhythm and pitch.

Music is often thought of as a ‘universal language’ – people across cultures will bust out similar moves, and young kids will instinctively bop to a beat.

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