016 - Vampire Hormones, Zombie Fungi, Micromorts, and Bugs in Space - HealthHippieMD Week In Review (Halloween Edition)
Dungeons and Dragons for Mental Health?
I was called a nerd for playing tabletop role-playing games (TTRGs) back in the '70s and '80s. It warms my heart that TTRGs have had a resurgence. The article, How Therapists Are Using Tabletop Games to Help People, discusses how TTRGs are being leveraged outside of entertainment to improve mental health.
Predicting The Likelihood of Death - Micromorts
We all know riding a motorcycle is more dangerous than driving a car. But have you ever wondered precisely how much more dangerous? Enter the concept of micromorts and superforecasting. Worried About Nuclear War? Consider the Micromorts, covers micromorts in the context of the likelihood of nuclear war. The choice of context is not pleasant, but the concept of micromorts is useful. For more on micromorts and other attempts to quantify the likelihood of dying, see my article: The Spreadsheet of Life and Death. For more on Superforecasting, see How spooks are turning to superforecasting in the Cosmic Bazaar (paywall). For one of my favorite Wired articles of all time, see: Why the Future Doesn't Need Us.. I've added the book Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction to my reading list.
Antibiotics as an Adjunct to Improve Mental Health
An article at Medscape, Antibiotic May Enhance TMS, Improve Depression Outcomes, summarized a new publication that demonstrated the addition of the broad spectrum antibiotic, D-cycloserine, to transcranial magnetic stimulation of the brain, may improve outcomes in major depressive disorder. The study team credits the ability of D-Cycloserine to bind to the NMDA receptors for effect, but I can't help wondering if the effect is mediated through changes in the microbiome.
Mindfulness for Substance Abuse Disorder?
Mindfulness has many benefits. Most people think of mindfulness as modulating anxiety and depression. This researcher believes mindfulness should also be part of addiction-treatment programs.
Melatonin - The Vampire Hormone
Most people in the U.S. take melatonin incorrectly. Melatonin for Sleep: How the Aid Works (gift article), has lots of helpful information on the hormone. During a trip to Australia (where melatonin is unavailable over the counter), I took a self-imposed crash course on naturally occurring sources of melatonin. Here is a good WebMD article on melatonin-rich foods: 6 Foods High in Melatonin and Why You Need It
More on the Psychedelic Gold-Rush
The NY Times had an interesting article on the attempts to cash in on psychedelics by patenting everything from molecular compounds to treatment rooms. With Promise of Legalization, Psychedelic Companies Joust Over Future Profits (gift article).
The Therapeutic Potential of "Zombie Fungus"
I have often used pictures of Cordyceps in my lectures to reinforce the notion that at least some human behavior may not be under our control but instead might be driven by microbes: The Zombie Fungus Takes Over Ants' Bodies to Control Their Minds. I was not aware this same fungus has been used to treat various maladies and is currently being examined by pharma for its therapeutic potential: How to grow a zombie fungus in a lab. (thanks, Laura!)
Canine Gilgamesh
The Search for a Pill That Can Help Dogs—and Humans—Live Longer in Wired tells the story of the start-up Loyal, aiming to increase the life expectancy of dogs, and ultimately, humans. I had not heard of the company before. The article is short on science and long on the political challenges and the venture capital exploits of the founder, Celine Halioua. Whether Loyal is truly onto something, is a flash-in-the-pan, or is another Theranos, remains to be seen.
How to Interpret Scientific Literature
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health of the NIH released How To Make Sense of a Scientific Journal Article. This is a good resource if you're not familiar with scientific literature.
Microbiomes in Space
Over the last decade, we've learned much about what happens to gut flora in space. This knowledge will be critical for prolonged space flight like a mission to Mars. Studying astronaut Scott Kelly and his identical twin who remained on earth offered many exciting insights. The article, Gut health in space: How zero gravity could wreak the microbiome reports some of the findings.
Can Sense of Smell Predict Depression?
An article on Medscape discussed a recent publication demonstrating hyperawareness of smell may be an indicator of anxiety and/or depression: Can Sensitivity to Common Smells Sniff Out Depression, Anxiety?
Shinrin-yoku: The Soothing Practice of Forest Bathing
More on forest bathing: Shinrin-yoku: The Soothing Practice of Forest Bathing. As I mentioned in 009 - Doritos Dementia, Pain Clocks, and Forest Bathing, I believe a good portion of the benefits of forest bathing are derived from the forest's microbiome. I'd love to prove/disprove my hypothesis.
How are Memories Encoded in the Brain?
The news release, During Sleep, One Brain Region Teaches Another, Converting Novel Data Into Enduring Memories, discusses work building neural networks to understand human memory encoding processes, especially during sleep. In this case, Androids MIGHT Dream of Electric Sheep.
Quote
"Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important manners." - Albert Einstein.