thexiffy

Last.fm last recent tracks from thexiffy.

Architect - St. Vodka (Hecq Reconstruction)

Architect

Gipsy Kings - Pida Me La

Gipsy Kings

Coldplay - Til Kingdom Come (Bonus Track)

Coldplay

Scorn - Out of

Scorn

Bauhaus - ring a ring of roses

Bauhaus

Tindersticks - Fruitless

Tindersticks

The Mars Volta - Cavalettas

The Mars Volta

Tori Amos - Baker Baker

Tori Amos

Slashdot

News for nerds, stuff that matters

Microdosing For Depression Appears To Work About As Well As Drinking Coffee

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Wired: About a decade ago, many media outlets -- including WIRED -- zeroed in on a weird trend at the intersection of mental health, drug science, and Silicon Valley biohacking: microdosing, or the practice of taking a small amount of a psychedelic drug seeking not full-blown hallucinatory revels but gentler, more stable effects. Typically using psilocybin mushrooms or LSD, the archetypal microdoser sought less melting walls and open-eye kaleidoscopic visuals than boosts in mood and energy, like a gentle spring breeze blowing through the mind. Anecdotal reports pitched microdosing as a kind of psychedelic Swiss Army knife, providing everything from increased focus to a spiked libido and (perhaps most promisingly) lowered reported levels of depression. It was a miracle for many. Others remained wary. Could 5 percent of a dose of acid really do all that?

A new, wide-ranging study by an Australian biopharma company suggests that microdosing's benefits may indeed be drastically overstated -- at least when it comes to addressing symptoms of clinical depression. A Phase 2B trial of 89 adult patients conducted by Melbourne-based MindBio Therapeutics, investigating the effects of microdosing LSD in the treatment of major depressive disorder, found that the psychedelic was actually outperformed by a placebo. Across an eight-week period, symptoms were gauged using the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), a widely recognized tool for the clinical evaluation of depression. The study has not yet been published. But MindBio's CEO Justin Hanka recently released the top-line results on his LinkedIn, eager to show that his company was "in front of the curve in microdosing research."

He called it "the most vigorous placebo controlled trial ever performed in microdosing." It found that patients dosed with a small amount of LSD (ranging from 4 to 20g, or micrograms, well below the threshold of a mind-blowing hallucinogenic dose) showed observable upticks in feelings of well-being, but worse MADRS scores, compared to patients given a placebo in the form of a caffeine pill. (Because patients in psychedelic trials typically expect some kind of mind-altering effect, studies are often blinded using so-called "active placebos," like caffeine or methylphenidate, which have their own observable psychoactive properties.) This means, essentially, that a medium-strength cup of coffee may prove more beneficial in treating major depressive disorder than a tiny dose of acid. Good news for habitual caffeine users, perhaps, but less so for researchers (and biopharma startups) counting on the efficacy of psychedelic microdosing. "It's probably a nail in the coffin of using microdosing to treat clinical depression," Hanka says. "It probably improves the way depressed people feel -- just not enough to be clinically significant or statistically meaningful."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

New building

dnktb812 has added a photo to the pool:

New building

In ginza, Tokyo

osanpo_1864

gnsk has added a photo to the pool:

osanpo_1864

Nagano Hilltop View

Jon Siegel has added a photo to the pool:

Nagano Hilltop View

Quick snap from out the window of an onsen I stayed at last year. Really beautiful mountain view on a sunny day.

School Boy's Test of Courage

Duca P has added a photo to the pool:

School Boy's Test of Courage

Hiroshima, JP

The Guardian

Latest news, sport, business, comment, analysis and reviews from the Guardian, the world's leading liberal voice

‘One of the greatest comic talents’: tributes paid to actor Catherine O’Hara

Canadian prime minister Mark Carney and Schitt’s Creek co-creator Dan Levy lead tributes to award winning actor

Tributes from the world of showbiz and politics have poured in for the actor Catherine O’Hara, with Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, and Schitt’s Creek co-creator Dan Levy mourning the loss of a “legend” after she died at the age of 71.

O’Hara, who won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her role in the TV comedy series, died on Friday at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness, according to her agency CAA.

Continue reading...

Him and Her

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Him and Her

Encore

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Encore

To See San Francisco

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

To See San Francisco

Long Island Restaurant

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Long Island Restaurant

The Best Philly Cheese Steak

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

The Best Philly Cheese Steak

kottke.org

Jason Kottke's weblog, home of fine hypertext products

I learned two important pieces of news in this post: 1)...

I learned two important pieces of news in this post: 1) Frozen OJ from concentrate as a product is being discontinued by major producers. 2) Beverage analysts refer to market share as “share of throat.” And I think that’s just lovely.

💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org