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Researchers studied if drinking alcohol makes people rate others as more attractive, which is sometimes called the “beer goggles effect”. They had male friends who regularly drink together rate attractiveness of photos after drinking alcohol vs. a non-alcoholi…
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Cigarette smoking and mental health problems often go hand-in-hand. But which one typically comes first? And how much does our genetic makeup contribute to this risky combo? New research examined these questions by analyzing long-term health data on over 300,0…
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Researchers find similarities in brain activity induced by different psychedelic drugs in rats, providing clues to how they alter consciousness. Key facts: Psychedelic drugs like LSD and ketamine induce high-frequency brain waves that synchronize activity acro…
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Researchers are gaining exciting new insights into how the drug ketamine can rapidly treat symptoms of depression, including in people who don’t respond to other antidepressants. Key facts about ketamine for depression: Ketamine is an FDA-approved anesthetic t…
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A new study published in the journal Mædica – a Journal of Clinical Medicine compared the antidepressant effects of modafinil versus citalopram for treating major depressive disorder (MDD). The medications were equally effective at reducing depressive symptoms…
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Staying awake and alert can be challenging, especially for pilots working long hours and night shifts. A new study found that the drugs modafinil and caffeine can significantly improve vigilance in pilots compared to placebo, helping them stay alert and attent…
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Researchers have discovered that classic psychedelic drugs like LSD and psilocybin (‘magic mushrooms’) flatten the energy landscape of the brain. This effect makes it easier for the brain to transition between different states of activity and leads to more div…
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Major depressive disorder affects over 280 million people worldwide. While the causes are complex, new research is uncovering the role epigenetics plays in depression. Epigenetic changes can regulate how genes are expressed without altering the DNA sequence it…
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A new brain imaging study provides insight into how antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may bring about symptom improvement in adolescents with major depressive disorder. The findings suggest that changes in a brain region invo…
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A new study reveals that widely prescribed antidepressants may cause persistent erectile dysfunction in a small but significant number of male patients. Key Facts: The study found that serotonergic antidepressants like SSRIs and SNRIs triple the risk of erecti…
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