10
votes
Accepted
Can the effectiveness of antidepressants be explained by a placebo effect?
Short answer
Don't believe everything you read.
Background
The article cited (Kirsch, 2014) appears in a German journal with a mediocre impact factor. Not the most convincing platform.
I'll cite ...
- 20.3k
8
votes
Accepted
Is it dangerous to take an antipsychotic drug irregularly?
Haldol (haloperidol) is mainly known for its antipsychotic properties to treat schizophrenia. It's an aged antipsychotic with a lot of side effects. Because of this, haloperidol is nowadays mostly ...
- 20.3k
8
votes
Accepted
How much sleep is needed for peak cognitive performance?
How much sleep is needed for peak cognitive performance. If some were for >example wake up one morning at 12:30 pm would a sleeping pill help obtain >better sleep required for that performance the ...
- 1,227
7
votes
Can LSD connect sensory regions in the brain?
The phenomenon you are referring to is called synesthesia, which can be defined as (Sinke et al., 2012):
Synesthesia (Greek: syn = together; aesthesis = perception) is [...] a crossing of sensory ...
- 20.3k
7
votes
Accepted
Psilocybin for treatment of anxiety disorder
There has been some preliminary research in the 1960's. From "The neurobiology of psychedelic drugs: implications for the treatment of mood disorders" by Vollenweider and Kometer:
...
- 8,803
7
votes
Why is depression a diagnosable issue?
"Depression" is a symptom or state of being, one that everyone can experience.
"Major Depressive Disorder," however, is a diagnosable medical disorder for many reasons. The following list is by no ...
- 171
6
votes
Cannot find a journal paper on a study on caffeine, even though it is registered at clinicaltrials.gov
Short answer
Haskall et al., The effects of L-theanine, caffeine and their
combination on cognition and mood, Biol Psych (2008); 77: 113–22.
Background
Here's some of the detective work I've done:
The ...
- 20.3k
6
votes
Accepted
How does the chemical structure of a drug determine potency?
In fact, the two binding affinities of fentanyl and morphine to the mu opiate receptors are considered to be fairly similar. The reason the former is the more potent one has more to due with its ...
- 20.3k
5
votes
Why is depression a diagnosable issue?
As @user30133 pointed out,
Not everyone who feels depressed some time [is] diagnosed with depression. Depression is not simply feeling sad. It has specific diagnosis criteria which you can find in [...
- 11.9k
5
votes
Why does marijuana cause anxiety?
Cannabis can cause an acute and short-lasting episode of anxiety, which often resembles a state of panic. When taken in high doses these effects can be intense and turn into attacks of panic and ...
- 20.3k
5
votes
Would administering oxytocin in games of deception improve performance?
One of the very recently published studies linked to in the question, on the relationship between exogenous oxytocin administration and ability to accurately detect deception, instructed participants ...
- 6,982
5
votes
Can LSD connect sensory regions in the brain?
In a recent study, brain scans revealed that people under the influence of LSD experience images through information drawn from many parts of their brains, and not just the visual cortex at the back ...
- 306
5
votes
Do stimulants increase the IQ tests score for everyone?
IQ in ADHD sufferers indeed increases with the treatment of stimulants, such as methylphenidate (Meyes et al., 1994). This is thought to rely on the attention-narrowing effect of stimulants, i.e., ...
- 20.3k
5
votes
How addictive is Heroine?
"The United Nations World Drug Report 2013 estimated that approximately 16.5 million people worldwide aged 15 or older used heroin or opium. Of these users, approximately 23% are estimated to develop ...
- 1,349
5
votes
Why are there substances that give positive psychological effects but become unhealthy addictions?
Short answer
The brain with its reward centers did not evolve with purified plant-based stimulants (nicotine, cocaine) or synthetic variants ((meth)amphetamine and other designer drugs) around.
...
- 20.3k
4
votes
Accepted
What is the effectiveness of self-prescribed marijuana for depression?
Question 1: I am unaware of any studies directly addressing the epidemiology of self-medication with cannabis in cases of treatment-resistant depression (it seems like that is what you are asking ...
- 301
4
votes
What is the Mechanism of 5-HT2A-mediated psychedelia?
Broadband cortical desynchronization "begins at the cellular level with
excitation of layer 5 pyramidal neurons, and extends to the macroscopic
level with cortical desynchronization and decreased
...
- 404
4
votes
How do SSRIs work?
When serotonin (5HT) uptake is inhibited, 5HT diffuses away from the synaptic cleft. It is believed that eventually 5HT disperses in the extracellular space and reaches the dendritic regions.
The ...
- 20.3k
4
votes
Why is Potassium(K) important to neurology & the brain?
The main cell of the brain is the neuron. The neuron has a semipermeable membrane that under specific circumstances lets potassium through. Another common cell is the glia cell, which only has ...
- 628
4
votes
Why is depression a diagnosable issue?
Short answer
The current understanding is that depression is related to a neurochemical imbalance in the depressed brain. Pharmacological treatment to shift and correct that imbalance may therefore be ...
- 20.3k
4
votes
Is there a less colloquial term for the phenomenon known as "brain zaps"?
Short answer
Brain zaps are a colloquial term for certain symptoms of antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.
Background
'Brain zaps' are associated with sudden shakes, or vibrations, tremors, ...
- 20.3k
4
votes
Accepted
Can drugs cause a psychosis, or only unlock it?
Can drugs cause a psychosis or only unlock it
Drugs can cause acute psychosis, but are not associated with a precipitation of a chronic psychotic state. Animal studies have shown that various drugs (...
- 20.3k
4
votes
How to test whether THC or CBD gives a mental boost?
The only study I'm aware of is the following:
Cannabis increased verbal fluency in low creatives to the same level as that of high creatives. Cannabis increased state psychosis-like symptoms in ...
- 404
4
votes
Accepted
Cannot find a journal paper on a study on caffeine, even though it is registered at clinicaltrials.gov
See Caffeine at levels found in decaffeinated beverages is behaviourally active Appetite Volume 50, Issues 2–3, March–May 2008, Page 559.
It's just a conference abstract though.
- 226
3
votes
LSD and tryptamines harmless or neurotoxic?
Short answer
All neuropsychopharmaceuticals, including the tryptamines, are potentially neurotoxic depending on the dose at which they are ingested.
Background
Neurotoxicity is, arguaby, a ...
- 20.3k
3
votes
Why is depression a diagnosable issue?
Not everyone who feels depressed some time diagnosed with depression. Depression is not simply feeling sad. It has specific diagnosis criteria which you can find in DSM-V. Diagnosis of a mental ...
- 31
3
votes
Accepted
Are there any circumstances where schizophrenia or bipolar disorder are not lifelong?
According to this systemic review (:the most objective kind of evidence come from reviews of studies not primary sources:) 1 in 7 schizophrenia patients met criteria for recovery.
Source: http://www....
- 106
3
votes
Are there any circumstances where schizophrenia or bipolar disorder are not lifelong?
Schizophrenia has no cure, which means you cannot "force" it to stop. However, not every case is lifelong by nature.
Information on schizophrenia prognosis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
- 3,789
3
votes
Accepted
Is tianeptine addictive?
The internet is flooded with anecdotal reports of 'Tian' relating to the drug's addictive potential after recreational use, for example here, here and here. Often, though, these reports come from ...
- 20.3k
3
votes
Do stimulants increase the IQ tests score for everyone?
Not about IQ as a whole alas, but I found a 2010 systematic review & meta-analysis "Modafinil and methylphenidate for neuroenhancement in healthy individuals: A systematic review", apparently the ...
- 10k
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