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13 papers
Researchers are testing several new and old approaches to treat addiction. The most attention is on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy — that is, giving a drug like psilocybin, MDMA, or ibogaine together with careful therapy — and on new drug compounds tested in animals. Some early clinical trials and many reviews call these approaches “promising,” but most evidence is still limited, mixed, or from small studies. At the same time, for some substances like methamphetamine there are no approved medicines that clearly reduce use. Animal studies and new chemical versions of old drugs show strong early results, but human safety and larger trials are still needed. Researchers also stress that the drug effect and the therapy around it (preparation, setting, and follow-up) both matter for how well treatment works.
This paper reviews genetic studies that link several genes to higher risk for ADHD. It says problems in the brain's reward system—especially low dopamine activity—may make people seek things that raise dopamine. The authors propose that these gene variants form a “reward deficiency syndrome” (RDS) that may include ADHD, and…
This webpage explains how DoktorABC offers medical cannabis services in Germany. You fill an online medical questionnaire, a licensed doctor reviews it, and may issue a prescription. The page also describes costs, delivery times, legal status, types of products, common effects of THC and CBD, and possible side effects.
A single ibogaine treatment reduced opioid withdrawal symptoms and achieved opioid cessation or sustained reduced use in dependent individuals as measured over 12 months. Ibogaine's legal availability in New Zealand may offer improved outcomes where legislation supports treatment providers to work closely with other health professionals.
This review says that the main active part of cannabis, THC, acts at the brain's CB1 receptor to produce rewarding effects, reinforce smoking, and can lead to dependence and withdrawal. Evidence comes from animal and human studies. Higher THC strength raises blood THC levels and may raise the chance of…
Ibogaine is a psychoactive chemical from a West African shrub that some clinics use to help people stop using opioids or stimulants. Small studies, animal research, and many personal reports say a single high dose can cut opioid withdrawal and reduce cravings. For example, one study found 50% of participants…
This review looks at what is known about the safety of repeated low-dose ketamine infusions for people with treatment-resistant depression and whether risks differ by sex and age (adolescence vs adulthood). A single low-dose infusion (commonly 0.5 mg/kg i.v.) can reduce depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts within hours and usually…
Researchers looked at sixty studies to see how biology, social life, and psychology mix together to affect substance use problems and mental health. They found that brain systems, genes, childhood experiences, parenting, personality, and existing mood or anxiety problems all interact. This makes addiction and related psychiatric symptoms complicated, especially…
This paper reviewed studies since 2016 to identify cannabis-related factors linked with higher risk of psychosis. It found that personal and genetic vulnerability, earlier age of first use, more frequent use, higher-THC products, how cannabis is taken, and using other drugs all raise the odds of cannabis-related psychosis. Evidence that…
Researchers ran three focus groups with 14 people who have depression but had not tried ketamine. Participants saw ketamine as promising but were worried about its reputation as a party drug, possible long-term harms, and how it would be monitored. They wanted clear public information, better evidence about long-term safety,…
Project Twenty21 collected real-world data from people in the UK who sought prescribed medicinal cannabis. Data at treatment start were available for 2,833 patients and 1,410 had 3-month follow-up for anxiety, chronic pain or PTSD. On average, patients reported improvements in condition-specific symptoms and in general health and quality of…
This systematic review looked at 16 studies of ketamine used to treat adults with depression, covering 2,174 patients. The authors found few clear cases of tolerance or dependence (four patients) and conclude that, overall, ketamine appears relatively safe for depression when given under medical supervision, with careful monitoring and dosing.…
