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Rapamycin extends mouse lifespan 9–14%
NAD+ precursors reverse aging in humans
Blue-light glasses improve sleep quality
Walking 10 min after meals blunts glucose
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Can Psilocybin Treat Depression? — Whalespan

Content›Video›Can Psilocybin Treat Depress…

Can Psilocybin Treat Depression?

Rhonda Patrick10m · 2021-12-28

Claims Made

17

Claims Supported

10

Support Rate

59%

Support rate

10 of 17 claims supported

10 supported7 partial / not

Claims from this content

14

✓Well SupportedA single dose of psilocybin increased new dendritic spine formation by 12% in mice, with some connections persisting for a month.✓Well SupportedPsilocybin treatment has a substantial antidepressant effect in people with major depressive disorder, persisting for at least 4 weeks.✓Well SupportedClinical trials for psilocybin are showing superior results compared to standard therapy and SSRIs for depression relief.✓Well SupportedPsilocybin administration to vulnerable cancer patients with significant anxiety or depression resulted in large and sustained decreases in these conditions.Partially Supported

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Bookmarking — the dossier-vs-overview split is the right call. Most of the time I want overview; sometimes I want receipts.

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Psilocybin sessions typically involve at least 8 hours of preparation and administration in a controlled environment with sensory aids.

✓Well SupportedLow synapse density in certain brain areas may be associated with depression, and increasing dendritic spine formation could potentially combat the condition.

◐Partially SupportedPsilocybin's effectiveness in treating depression may be related to its ability to encourage neuroplasticity, and inflammation might act as a barrier to neuroplasticity.

◐Partially SupportedA central feature of the psilocybin experience is a sense of interconnectedness, unity, sacredness, or reverence, which can feel more real and true than everyday consciousness.

◐Partially SupportedPsilocybin treatment combined with psychotherapy produced similar results to SSRI antidepressant treatments in a study from Imperial College London.

◐Partially SupportedPsilocybin interacts with receptors in the thalamus, decreasing thalamic activity and causing sensory alterations.

◐Partially SupportedPsilocybin improved stress-related behavior and promoted excitatory neurotransmission in mice, counteracting decreases seen with chronic stress.

◐Partially SupportedPsilocybin may have therapeutic benefits for clinical depression.

◐Partially SupportedNeurons transmit electrical signals through synapses involving dendritic spines and axons.

◐Partially SupportedIncreasing dendritic spine formation might help combat depression.