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Psychedelic drugs might be a good alternative to treat depression
The general conviction is that psychedelic drugs damage our neurons, but a recent research found some compelling arguments against it. After testing the effect of LSD and similar drugs on flies and rats, scientists discovered they eased brain cell growth and helped them connect better. This suggests such drugs might actually be a good solution against addiction, depression, and a series of other mental health illnesses.
Psychedelic drugs helped brain cells grow
For the study, researchers tested psychedelic drugs in contact with animal brains both in real-life models and in test tubes. They selected a broader variety of drugs, such as LSD and other tryptamines and amphetamines. This way, they observed the drugs facilitated neural plasticity. The process means the cells started growing and developing more dendrites.
Psychedelic drugs issued some beneficial structural changes in the brain tissue. Researchers think such changes also occur in people with depression, so the study might offer LSD as a possible treatment for mental health conditions. Depression, as well as anxiety and other conditions, attacks neural plasticity.
LSD and other drugs might reverse the structural changes produced by depression
Common depression and anxiety medication use chemical methods to relieve their symptoms. However, using psychedelic drugs might be a more natural method, as these components act directly on brain plasticity. Previous studies showed ketamine had a similar effect, so the substances might not be that bad. If they can really reverse the structural changes produced by depression, they are a viable alternative to chemicals.
However, there’s something you should keep in mind. Researchers did not use actual psychedelic drugs for the study. Instead, they tested compounds with similar composition to the substances but that are still not full-fledged drugs. LSD and other related substances come with huge risks that might make one’s condition even worse. Therefore, the subject is still a sensitive one, and the issue needs more research.
The study in question was published in the journal Cell Reports.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
