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 …
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with impairments in dopamine (DA) neurotransmission, with significant differences in DA release, receptor availability, and transporter density observed across different levels of alcohol consumption and stages of AUD. Highlights: Acute Alcohol Effects: Social drinkers exhibit a dopamine release in the striatum, particularly the ventral striatum, after acute alcohol consumption, …
TLDR: Occasional drinking may help reduce the risk of major depression, but frequent drinking worsens it. Highlights: Occasional alcohol consumption is linked to a lower risk of major depression. Frequent alcohol intake increases the risk of major depression. The risk increase from frequent drinking persists even when different types of alcohol are considered. The impact …
Ayahuasca is a traditional psychedelic brew from the Amazon that has been used for centuries in shamanic healing rituals. Research is now exploring its potential therapeutic benefits for mental health and addiction. Key Facts: Ayahuasca contains DMT, a hallucinogenic compound, along with MAOIs from the vine Banisteriopsis caapi. The MAOIs allow the DMT to be …
Classical psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin have recently re-entered mainstream discussions surrounding mental health. Small clinical trials have shown promising results for their therapeutic potential in treating conditions like depression, anxiety and addiction. However, beyond their clinical utility, many questions remain regarding the impact of these substances on psychological aspects like personality and belief systems. …
Researchers have identified a powerful combination of drugs that may help treat alcoholism by reducing cravings and blocking relapse. The dual treatment virtually wiped out binge drinking and heavy drinking in an animal model of alcohol addiction. Key Facts: Rats treated with both a probiotic and antioxidants showed a dramatic 90% decrease in relapse-like binge …
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-alcoholic drink. Drinking didn’t affect attractiveness ratings of the photos. But when asked to pick people from the …
