Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes and is not intended to condone the use of drugs illicit or otherwise. Marijuana is being legalized and hitting pop culture with a force. With most focus being directed at this seemingly harmless drug it may be easy to forget about the more taboo drugs people are using. […]
Tag Archives: drugs
April
06
THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC: A SOBERING VULNERABILITY OF THE HUMAN BRAIN
posted by landonmklein
Opioids are a class of powerful psychoactive drugs that are often prescribed for pain relief, but can produce an intense euphoria that has proven remarkably addictive. Opioid use disorder, a diagnosis characterized by compulsive opioid use and withdrawal, affects or has affected approximately 3 million Americans and 16 million people worldwide. According to the Centers […]
January
25
Instant Gratification: Weighing the Psychological Benefits and Costs of MDMA Use
posted by Christian Cazares
Can a pill exist that brings instant happiness without any negative side effects? Probably not.
September
28
Dopamine is NOT your brain’s reward chemical
posted by Drew Schreiner
Dopamine is NOT your brain’s reward chemical. Or rather, dopamine is not JUST your brain’s reward chemical, nor is it your brain’s ONLY reward chemical.
August
18
Mind your P’s and T’s: How tainted drugs revolutionized Parkinson’s research
posted by Drew Schreiner
[En español] In 1982, a man was brought to a hospital in the Bay Area of California in a curious condition. The man was completely catatonic (immobile), and was frozen into an awkward, statue-like posture. Doctors initially diagnosed him with catatonic schizophrenia, a sub-type of schizophrenia characterized by rigidity and unresponsiveness. However, this diagnosis did […]
January
28
Dawn of the DREADD
posted by Drew Schreiner
[En Español] There are few things I find more satisfying than a good acronym, and DREADD or Designer Receptor Exclusively Activated by a Designer Drug has got to be my favorite. The name is just so evocative. Whenever I think about DREADDs, I find myself picturing some sort of Star Wars villain; maybe due to […]
December
12
A (Not So) Brief History of Psychedelic Science
posted by landonmklein
Psychedelics* (i.e. chemicals that reliably produce altered states of consciousness characterized by sensory distortion and changes in cognition) have been subject to human ritualistic, therapeutic, and recreational use for millennia. Their profound perceptual effects have the potential to elucidate countless mysteries of human neurobiology, illuminating the sensitivity of our conscious experience to stereotyped, chemically-induced changes. […]
NeuWrite San Diego 