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People who microdose LSD sleep an extra 24 minutes the following night

11 July 2023

Taking small amounts of the psychedelic substance LSD led to people sleeping for longer than when they took a placebo, but why this benefit only occurred the night after they microdosed is unclear


Flowers petals and leaves forming brain shape inside male's head silhouette made out of grass on yellow background.

Why the causes of poor mental health may share a common root

10 May 2023

The neat picture we once had about the causes of mental illness has turned out to be wrong, but we are building an understanding of a new single underlying factor


Bacteria Klebsiella, 3D illustration. Gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria which are often nosocomial antibiotic resistant

Gut bacteria that break down oestrogen linked to depression in women

17 March 2023

A form of oestrogen known to be related to positive mood was found to be 43 per cent lower in premenopausal women with depression than those without the condition


The antidepressant escitalopram may reduce the ability to enjoy rewarding experiences

Why antidepressants can blunt both negative and positive emotions

23 January 2023

Escitalopram, a commonly prescribed antidepressant, reduced people's sensitivity to rewarding experiences in a small trial


Mental Health Disorder Concept. Bipolar Disorder Person. Unstable Psycho. Layers of Paper Cut as Human...

We may be entering a bold new era in the treatment of depression

18 January 2023

Depression is much more complicated than we thought, but new ideas about its biological causes have already led to promising treatments


Exposure to high levels of light at night may be linked to certain mental health conditions

Light exposure may be linked to several mental health conditions

2 November 2022

Multiple factors can contribute to different mental health conditions, but in the largest study of its kind, researchers suggest limited light exposure during the day or high levels of exposure at night may be involved


Deep brain stimulation involves implanting electrodes in the cerebral lobes of the brain, linked through the scalp to wires that lead to a battery implanted below the skin that send electrical impulses to specific areas of the brain

Brain electrodes may be a long-lasting aid for severe depression

4 July 2022

Electrodes implanted in the brain were known to release impulses that may "normalise" overactive connections within a specific circuit of the organ, but researchers were previously unsure whether the treatment offered long-term relief from severe depression


A psilocybin therapy trial therapy room.

Psilocybin therapy steps closer to credibility with largest trial yet

10 November 2021

Promising results from a psilocybin trial suggest that psychedelic therapies for depression could help some – but not all – people who don't respond to conventional antidepressants


Sarah works in her community garden on Saturday, September 25, 2021. PHOTOS BY JOHN LOK / for UCSF

Woman’s depression treated by an implant responding to brain patterns

4 October 2021

A treatment for depression that involves putting electrodes into the brain to respond to unique neural patterns has seen success for a woman


Medical pills in white, blue and other colors

Coming off antidepressants risks relapse – but so does staying on them

30 September 2021

People who stop taking antidepressants have a higher chance of relapsing into depression than those who continue using the medicines – but the difference isn't large


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