PSYK-ed

A chain of ketamine clinics that provided treatment for depression, anxiety, and PTSD to veterans and other patients abruptly closed down, leaving many patients stranded without access to treatment. The clinics were operated by parent company Actify Neurotherapies, which cited financial difficulties as the reason for the sudden closure. Patients who had prepaid for treatment were left without refunds, and some expressed concern over the loss of medical records.

The closure highlights the lack of regulation in the rapidly growing field of psychedelic medicine, which has seen a surge in interest and investment in recent years. While ketamine has been approved by the FDA for use in treating depression, other psychedelic substances such as psilocybin and M**A are still in the early stages of clinical trials. As the industry continues to expand, it will be important for regulators to establish guidelines to protect patients and ensure the safety and efficacy of these treatments.

Read the full story here:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/abrupt-closure-ketamine-clinic-chain-blindsides-veterans-others-severe-rcna75901

Scientists have gained a deeper understanding of the effects of DMT, the psychedelic compound found in ayahuasca, by monitoring the brain on the drug. The recordings reveal a profound impact on the brain, particularly in areas that are highly evolved in humans and instrumental in planning, language, memory, complex decision-making and imagination. The regions from which we conjure reality become hyperconnected, with communication more chaotic, fluid and flexible. This ability to make brain activity more fluid and flexible is thought to underpin not only the profound psychedelic experience but the promising results from early clinical trial patients who were given DMT in combination with psychotherapy to treat depression.

The latest study recruited 20 healthy volunteers who received a 20mg injection of DMT and a placebo on separate visits to the lab. Using electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the scientists recorded the participants’ brain activity before, during and after the drug took hold. The volunteers gave updates throughout on how intense the experience felt. None vomited as the emetic is another ingredient in ayahuasca. The results provide the most advanced picture yet of the human brain on psychedelics. The recordings show how the brain’s normal hierarchical organisation breaks down, electrical activity becomes anarchic, and connectivity between regions soars, particularly those handling “higher level” functions such as imagination, which evolved most recently in humans.

Read the full article from The Guardian here:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/mar/20/psychedelic-brew-ayahuasca-profound-impact-brain-scans-dmt