Drugs & Medications

Boosting Astrocyte Sox9 Improved Amyloid Plaque Clearance and Preserved Cognition in Alzheimer’s Mouse Models

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Boosting Astrocyte Sox9 Improved Amyloid Plaque Clearance and Preserved Cognition in Alzheimer's Mouse Models

TL;DR: A 2026 study in Nature Neuroscience from Baylor College of Medicine showed that boosting Sox9, a transcription factor that regulates aging astrocytes, improved astrocytes’ ability to clear amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s mouse models and preserved cognitive function — pointing to a treatment strategy that targets the brain’s own support cells rather than directly attacking …

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Gabapentin Plus Hegu Embedding Improved Post-Herpetic Neuralgia

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Gabapentin Plus Hegu Embedding Improved Post-Herpetic Neuralgia

Gabapentin Plus Hegu Embedding Improved Post-Herpetic Neuralgia TL;DR: Adding weekly Hegu-point catgut embedding to gabapentin cut post-herpetic neuralgia pain and sleep disruption more sharply, raising response from 80.0% to 92.4%. Key Findings 210 randomized PHN patients: Adults aged 40 to 70 with pain lasting at least 3 months were randomized 1:1 to gabapentin alone or …

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Esketamine Was Not “Cost-Effective” for Treatment-Resistant Depression in Hong Kong

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Esketamine Lost the Cost-Effectiveness Race in Hong Kong

Esketamine Lost the Cost-Effectiveness Race in Hong Kong TL;DR: A 5-year Hong Kong model found esketamine plus an antidepressant bought only a small quality-adjusted survival gain at US$29,061 per patient, leaving it behind cheaper third-line options like combination therapy. Key Findings Seven third-line strategies modeled: A Markov cohort model followed adults with treatment-resistant depression in …

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Medical Cannabis for Anxiety, PTSD, and Sleep: Cannabinoid Evidence Remains Weak

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Cannabinoids Had Weak Evidence for Mental Disorders

Cannabinoids Had Weak Evidence for Mental Disorders TL;DR: A Lancet Psychiatry review of randomized trials found little support for routine cannabinoid treatment in common mental disorders, despite possible weak signals in a few narrower conditions. Key Findings 54 randomized controlled trials were reviewed: The analysis covered 2,477 participants across mental disorders and substance-use disorders. Routine …

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Ketamine Effective for Treatment-Resistant Depression: No Added Benefit from Music

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Ketamine Improved Severe Depression Without Music Support

TL;DR: A 2026 randomized trial in The British Journal of Psychiatry found 6 ketamine infusions improved severe treatment-resistant depression, but curated music added no measurable benefit; higher mystical-experience scores still predicted the next session’s depression outcome. Key Findings MADRS fell 11.8 points by week 4: Scores dropped from 31.5 to 19.7 (d = 1.2, p …

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ACC Gene Therapy Targeting MOR Mimicked Morphine for Chronic Pain in Mice

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How Gene Therapy Mimicked Morphine for Chronic Pain

How Gene Therapy Mimicked Morphine for Chronic Pain TL;DR: A Nature study identified opioid-sensitive neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex and used a synthetic mu-opioid receptor promoter to silence them, producing morphine-like relief of chronic pain unpleasantness in mice without using a systemic opioid drug. Key Findings 700-μm nociceptive hotspot: The authors mapped a narrow …

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Low-Level Alcohol Linked to Lower Cortical Perfusion and Thickness

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Low-Level Drinking Was Not Invisible to the Aging Cortex

Low-Level Drinking Was Not Invisible to the Aging Cortex TL;DR: Even drinking within low-risk guidelines was linked to lower cortical blood flow and thinner cortex when lifetime exposure met advancing age. Key Findings All participants stayed under 60 drinks per month: The cohort excluded alcohol use disorder and focused on healthy non-smoking adults reporting low-level …

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Ketamine Restored Reward Bias in Depression and Stressed Rats

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Ketamine Restored Reward Bias Across Species

Ketamine Restored Reward Bias Across Species TL;DR: Ketamine restored reward-learning bias in both treatment-resistant depression and chronically stressed rats while leaving basic discrimination unchanged. Key Findings Reward bias increased: Ketamine significantly increased response bias toward the more frequently rewarded stimulus in both species. Healthy-control levels returned: The reward-bias effect reached levels comparable with healthy controls …

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Cannabis via Vaporized THC (20-40 mg) Caused Memory Impairment

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Cannabis Did Not Just Blur Word Lists. It Hit Everyday Memory Too

Cannabis Did Not Just Blur Word Lists. It Hit Everyday Memory Too TL;DR: A randomized vaporized-THC trial found broad acute memory impairment, including false memories, prospective memory, source memory, and temporal order memory, with no meaningful dose split between 20 and 40 mg. Key Findings 120 regular cannabis users randomized: Participants vaporized placebo cannabis, 20 …

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150 mg Caffeine Did Not Trigger Panic Disorder Anxiety

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150 mg Caffeine Did Not Trigger Panic Disorder Anxiety

150 mg Caffeine Did Not Trigger Panic Disorder Anxiety TL;DR: A normal coffee-sized caffeine dose did not trigger a subjective anxiety surge in panic disorder, but it did make people more physiologically aroused, more avoidant, and more distracted by bodily sensations. Key Findings 150 mg did not raise subjective anxiety: The primary outcome did not …

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