Disease: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Ketamine, Psychedelics, and Psychotherapy: Reframing, Redefining, Renaming Treatment Models

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This paper addresses confusion about how ketamine and psychedelics are being used to treat mental health conditions like depression and PTSD. The authors propose new clear definitions to distinguish whether these drugs are used alone for their chemical effects, combined with established talk therapies, or used to create experiences that are then processed in therapy. Using these clearer definitions will help patients, doctors, and regulators better understand what treatments involve and make more informed decisions.

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A Review of the Food and Drug Administration Pipeline and Proposed California Legislation on Medicinal Psychedelics

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Psychedelic compounds like psilocybin and ketamine show promise in treating serious mental health conditions including PTSD and depression. The FDA carefully evaluates these drugs through multi-phase clinical trials to ensure they are safe and effective. While California has proposed making psychedelics more widely available through legislation, the FDA’s thorough approval process provides important protections by identifying potential risks and ensuring proper medical oversight.

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Therapeutic and legal aspects of psilocybin in cancer-related depression

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This paper examines how psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychoactive compound from mushrooms, could help cancer patients—especially those with head and neck cancer—who develop severe depression after surgery. Unlike traditional antidepressants that take weeks to work, psilocybin acts within hours, making it potentially ideal for patients needing rapid mental health support following disfiguring surgical procedures. However, while psilocybin is legal for medical or research use in several countries like Australia and Portugal, it remains restricted in Poland and many other places, creating legal barriers to its clinical implementation.

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The association between diverse psychological protocols and the efficacy of psilocybin-assisted therapy for clinical depressive symptoms: a Bayesian meta-analysis

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This research examined how different types of psychological support during psilocybin treatment affect depression outcomes. Researchers analyzed 10 clinical trials involving 515 patients with depression. They found that whether therapists used structured manuals or flexible approaches, or whether therapy was directive or non-directive, the depression improvement from psilocybin treatment was similar across all approaches.

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The regulatory variant rs1950834 confers the risk of depressive disorder by reducing LRFN5 expression

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Researchers identified a genetic variant (rs1950834) that increases depression risk by reducing production of LRFN5, a protein important for brain connections. They found this variant affects how brain cells in a region called the nucleus accumbens produce LRFN5. When LRFN5 levels are low, mice become more depressed and sensitive to stress, but boosting LRFN5 protects against depression. This discovery could lead to new ways to diagnose and treat depression.

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