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<td><span style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:20px;font-weight:bold;">PsyPost – Psychology News</span></td>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/psilocybin-induces-large-scale-brain-network-reorganization-offering-insights-into-the-psychedelic-state/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Psilocybin induces large-scale brain network reorganization, offering insights into the psychedelic state</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jun 14th 2025, 10:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in <em><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-025-03308-4" target="_blank">Translational Psychiatry</a></em> has provided the most detailed look yet at how psilocybin affects brain activity in rodents. Researchers found that psilocybin produces widespread changes in brain network organization, disrupting normal patterns of communication between brain regions and creating a unique state of high-frequency neural connectivity. These effects varied depending on dose and time, revealing two distinct phases of brain dynamics.</p>
<p>Psilocybin is the active compound found in certain mushrooms and has gained attention for its potential to treat conditions such as depression, anxiety, and addiction. When consumed, psilocybin is converted into psilocin, a substance that binds to serotonin receptors in the brain and produces profound changes in perception, emotion, and sense of self. In humans, psilocybin is known to temporarily alter how different parts of the brain interact, but less is known about how these effects emerge over time or whether animal models can capture the complexity of the psychedelic state.</p>
<p>“We use neurochemical and neurophysiological approaches, including brain network changes, to understand the mechanistic basis of different states of consciousness and our ongoing work with psychedelics is another step in that direction,” explained study author <a href="https://pal.lab.medicine.umich.edu/lab-members" target="_blank">Dinesh Pal</a>, an associate professor at the University of Michigan.</p>
<p>“One of the primary challenges of studying psychedelics in animal models is the lack of a verbal report, but that also makes it fascinating, because any evidence (e.g., EEG based metrics) for a ‘psychedelic’ state in animal models, akin to what occurs in humans, would bring us closer to the idea that consciousness is a universal phenomenon; it just manifests in different ways in different species.”</p>
<p>To address this, the researchers used high-resolution electroencephalography (EEG) to monitor brain activity across 27 sites in the rat cortex. EEG is a noninvasive technique that measures electrical activity in the brain using sensors placed on the scalp. It records the brain’s natural oscillations, or “brain waves,” which reflect patterns of neural communication across different regions. The goal was to map how psilocybin changes the organization of brain networks and to identify specific patterns of activity that might reflect altered states of consciousness.</p>
<p>The study involved 12 adult Sprague Dawley rats—six male and six female—that were surgically implanted with EEG electrodes. Each rat received intravenous infusions of psilocybin at three different doses (0.1, 1, and 10 milligrams per kilogram), as well as a saline control, on separate days. The researchers recorded EEG data before, during, and after each 60-minute infusion and also monitored behavior through video recordings and movement sensors. By using a continuous infusion method rather than a single injection, the researchers were able to observe gradual changes in brain activity as the drug took effect.</p>
<p>The team focused on three specific frequency bands in the EEG data: theta (4–10 Hz), medium gamma (70–110 Hz), and high gamma (110–150 Hz). These frequencies are thought to play a role in coordinating communication between brain regions. Psilocybin altered both the strength and organization of activity in these bands, but not in a simple or linear way.</p>
<p>At moderate doses (1 mg/kg), psilocybin increased activity in the posterior theta network and strengthened communication between frontal and parietal brain areas in the gamma bands. This state was marked by widespread increases in high gamma activity in the frontal cortex and greater connectivity across distant brain regions. The researchers also found that psilocybin disrupted the normal relationship between theta and gamma activity, a phenomenon known as phase-amplitude coupling. This decoupling was most evident in frontal areas and occurred in a dose-dependent fashion.</p>
<p>At higher doses (10 mg/kg), a different pattern emerged. Early in the infusion, the brain showed a similar increase in gamma connectivity, but as the dose accumulated, theta connectivity in posterior regions decreased, and the gamma network in the frontal cortex became more dominant. These changes unfolded over time, revealing a shift from one state of brain organization to another as psilocybin levels rose. Notably, these effects occurred even as the rats became less physically active, suggesting the brain changes were not simply a result of movement or arousal.</p>
<p>The behavioral data supported this nonlinear pattern. Moderate doses of psilocybin increased the number of head-twitch responses—a common indicator of psychedelic activity in rodents—and briefly heightened movement. But at the highest dose, movement decreased significantly after about 30 minutes, even though gamma connectivity continued to increase. This suggests that the changes in brain dynamics were not just reflections of behavior but may correspond to a unique internal state.</p>
<p>“It was a bit surprising to note that the changes in EEG gamma connectivity – shown to be closely linked to states of consciousness – occurred in the absence of any behavioral activity or after the psilocybin-induced locomotion and/or head twitches ceased,” Pal told PsyPost. “This dissociation suggests the need for a careful assessment of head twitch response as a surrogate for psychedelic or non-ordinary states induced by psychedelic drugs in rodents.”</p>
<p>To quantify brain network organization, the researchers used measures such as node degree (the number of connections a brain region has) and the strength of synchronization between regions. These metrics showed that psilocybin reorganized networks in both frequency-specific and region-specific ways. The theta network, typically involved in memory and attention, became stronger in posterior regions at moderate doses but weakened at higher doses. In contrast, the high gamma network, which is thought to reflect localized activity and potentially neuroplasticity, became stronger in frontal areas as the dose increased.</p>
<p>One of the most striking findings was the decoupling of gamma activity from the theta phase. Under normal conditions, gamma bursts tend to occur at specific points in the theta rhythm, a coupling that is thought to help organize information flow in the brain. Psilocybin disrupted this timing relationship, particularly at higher doses, suggesting a breakdown in the usual coordination between local and long-range neural signals. This kind of decoupling has been observed in other psychedelic states and is believed to reflect a loosening of the brain’s typical constraints, allowing for more flexible or unusual patterns of thought and perception.</p>
<p>While the study does not prove that rats experience anything like a human psychedelic trip, the results suggest that the psilocybin state is marked by identifiable changes in brain network architecture that can be studied in animal models. These findings align with reports from human studies showing increased connectivity between distant brain regions and decreased segregation of functional networks during psychedelic experiences.</p>
<p>“Our findings related to brain network changes in this study, along with the data from other laboratories showing cellular and molecular level neural changes, show that rodents could indeed be a good model system to study non-ordinary states of consciousness such as a psychedelic state,” Pal said.</p>
<p>But there are important limitations to consider. Because rodents cannot report their subjective experiences, the researchers could not directly link changes in brain activity to changes in perception or emotion. Also, although the results support a role for serotonin receptor signaling, the study did not manipulate specific receptors to determine their causal role. Additionally, the EEG method used in this study does not measure deep brain structures like the thalamus or claustrum, which are also thought to be involved in the psychedelic state.</p>
<p>Despite these caveats, the findings have important implications for future research. The ability to map dynamic changes in brain networks during a psychedelic experience opens new avenues for understanding how these drugs affect consciousness and cognition. The study also provides a foundation for testing how different psychedelics might produce similar or distinct patterns of brain activity. </p>
<p>“One of our main focus areas is to understand if there is any unique neurophysiological or neurochemical signature that can be associated with a ‘psychedelic’ state in animal models,” Pal explained. “To that end, we have completed studies using diverse psychedelics, including subanesthetic ketamine, nitrous oxide, N’N-dimethyltryptamine, and psilocybin in the recent paper. We intend to mine these datasets for shared EEG signatures across psychedelics. In addition, we are conducting animal studies to determine the therapeutic potential of psychedelics in alleviating chronic pain (PMID: 38113836).”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03308-4" target="_blank">Intravenous psilocybin induces dose-dependent changes in functional network organization in rat cortex</a>,” was authored by Brian H. Silverstein, Nicholas Kolbman, Amanda Nelson, Tiecheng Liu, Peter Guzzo, Jim Gilligan, UnCheol Lee, George A. Mashour, Giancarlo Vanini, and Dinesh Pal.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/scientists-map-how-alcohol-changes-bodily-sensations/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Scientists map how alcohol changes bodily sensations</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jun 14th 2025, 08:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in the <em><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02698811251338223" target="_blank">Journal of Psychopharmacology</a></em> offers insight into how alcohol changes our internal bodily experience — and why that might matter for understanding addiction. People who felt less bodily sensation tended to report greater stimulation and less sedation from alcohol — patterns associated with elevated risk for alcohol use disorder.</p>
<p>The study aimed to explore how alcohol affects interoception, the ability to sense internal bodily signals like heartbeats or feelings of warmth. Prior research has shown that alcohol alters heart rate and other physiological functions, and that people’s sensitivity to these changes may play a role in how alcohol feels and whether they continue drinking. However, most research has focused on cognitive effects or retrospective reports, not on the actual lived, bodily experience of intoxication as it unfolds in real time.</p>
<p>“We have known for a long time that people differ in the way they respond to alcohol effects, and that this differential responsiveness can be a risk marker for future addiction problems,” said study author <a href="https://www.adapt-lab.nl/team/mateo-leganes-fonteneau" target="_blank">Mateo Leganes-Fonteneau</a>, an FNRS Chargé de Recherche at <a href="https://www.uclep.be/labs/ARL/mateo_leganes_fonteneau" target="_blank">UCLouvain</a> and Marie Curie Research Fellow at the University of Amsterdam.</p>
<p>“This has usually been studied by looking at subjective cognitive responses, using questionnaires, or observing basic physiological processes. However, we now know that our sensitivity to bodily states and the way we perceive our bodies plays a key role in shaping our behavior and motivation — but that part of the addiction puzzle is still understudied. With this research I wanted to show that we can measure the subjective bodily sensations associated with alcohol intoxication.”</p>
<p>To investigate this, the researchers recruited 37 adult social drinkers with no history of psychiatric disorders or substance use treatment. Participants completed two lab sessions in a double-blind, placebo-controlled design. On one occasion, they were given a moderate dose of alcohol (0.4 grams per kilogram of body weight, mixed with tonic water and bitters). On the other, they received a placebo beverage with identical taste and smell cues. The order of sessions was randomized.</p>
<p>Throughout each session, participants were repeatedly asked to map where they felt bodily sensations using a digital tool called emBODY. This interactive tool allowed them to indicate, on a digital human figure, where they felt activation (such as tingling or warmth) and deactivation (such as numbness or heaviness). These maps were collected at several time points corresponding to the rising and falling phases of their blood alcohol levels.</p>
<p>In addition, participants filled out questionnaires assessing how sedated or stimulated they felt and completed a task designed to assess cardiac interoception. This task involved listening to their heartbeat and deciding whether a series of tones matched it in speed. Participants also rated their confidence in their decisions, which allowed researchers to assess both accuracy and metacognitive insight into their own interoceptive abilities.</p>
<p>The bodily maps revealed clear differences between the alcohol and placebo conditions. During the ascending phase of intoxication, when blood alcohol levels were rising, participants in the alcohol condition reported intense activation in the chest and head, as well as in the arms. As intoxication wore off during the descending phase, those sensations became more diffuse, with some deactivation (numbness) appearing in the limbs. These patterns were not observed in the placebo condition, which showed weaker and less widespread bodily sensations overall.</p>
<p>Importantly, the researchers found that the strength of bodily sensations was linked to actual physiological changes. During the ascending phase, increases in heart rate predicted greater reported bodily sensation in the alcohol condition, but not in the placebo group. During the descending phase, breath alcohol levels were similarly associated with stronger bodily sensations.</p>
<p>The way people felt their bodies during intoxication also predicted how they reported feeling mentally. Participants who experienced more bodily sensation tended to report greater sedation and less stimulation. This was especially true during the rising phase of intoxication, when alcohol typically produces its most energizing effects. People who reported fewer bodily sensations, on the other hand, reported feeling more stimulated and less sedated — suggesting a disconnect between their body’s response and their subjective awareness.</p>
<p>This pattern is noteworthy because earlier studies have shown that people who experience more stimulation and less sedation from alcohol tend to be at higher risk for problematic drinking. These individuals may find alcohol more rewarding and are more likely to seek out its stimulating effects, even as tolerance develops. The new findings suggest that reduced bodily sensation during intoxication may be another factor contributing to this risk, by making alcohol feel more pleasurable and less impairing.</p>
<p>The researchers also found that bodily sensations were related to how well participants could judge their heartbeats. During the descending limb of intoxication, those who reported more bodily sensation showed greater metacognitive sensitivity — meaning they had better insight into how accurate their heartbeat judgments were. This suggests that bodily sensations and interoceptive awareness are not separate systems but may be tightly linked during intoxication.</p>
<p>“People experience a range of bodily sensations when they are intoxicated, and there is inter-individual variability in the intensity of these sensations,” Leganes-Fonteneau told PsyPost. “Depending on how strong those sensations are, they will feel more or less intoxicated. We use our bodily sensations to build the conscious experience of intoxication. These bodily sensations partly reflect the effects of alcohol on physiological states, such as heart rate or breath alcohol content. Bodily sensations act as a window to the conscious perception of internal changes.”</p>
<p>Interestingly, the placebo condition also produced bodily sensations, especially during the early stages of the session. Participants reported some activation in the chest and head even when they had not consumed alcohol, and these sensations were associated with feelings of sedation. The researchers believe this reflects the power of expectancy and conditioning: repeated experiences of drinking alcohol may train the brain to anticipate bodily changes, even when the beverage contains no alcohol. These effects faded over time as the absence of real alcohol became more apparent.</p>
<p>“People experience bodily sensations when we give them a placebo, and these sensations are similar to those of alcohol,” Leganes-Fonteneau said. “This is important for understanding placebo effects, as they not only generate subjective mental states but also bodily sensations that have no underlying physiological change.”</p>
<p>By combining bodily mapping with physiological and psychological measures, the study provides a comprehensive picture of how alcohol affects the body from the inside out. It also supports the idea that bodily sensation is not just a passive side effect of intoxication but an active part of how people experience — and perhaps become vulnerable to — alcohol’s effects.</p>
<p>But as with all research, there are limitations to consider. First, it was based on a relatively small sample, which limited the ability to detect more nuanced effects, such as sex differences in bodily sensation. Another limitation is that the bodily mapping data were averaged across participants and time points, which may mask individual differences in how intoxication is felt. For example, some people may feel stimulation in their head while others feel sedation in their chest or limbs. A larger study could explore these differences more precisely and link them to personality traits, drinking history, or risk for addiction.</p>
<p>“We link these bodily sensations to subjective feelings of intoxication in a way that appears to map onto risk markers for alcohol misuse: those experiencing less bodily sensations would be at higher risk,” Leganes-Fonteneau said. “However, we still do not have cross-sectional (between groups) or longitudinal evidence that (in)sensitivity to bodily sensations of intoxication can predict alcohol misuse.”</p>
<p>“This is a study conducted in the laboratory, where participants sit by themselves and don’t have much to do, so they end up being able to reflect more directly on their bodily sensations. It is not clear how these bodily sensations would emerge in a real-world setting, where more exteroceptive and social information can distract them. At the same time, this insensitivity to bodily signals might be even more critical when there’s competing information, explaining why some people end up drinking too much without even realizing.”</p>
<p>Despite these caveats, the research marks an important step forward in understanding how bodily sensations contribute to the experience of alcohol intoxication. It suggests that people who are less tuned into their internal states may be more vulnerable to alcohol misuse — not because they lack self-control, but because they do not fully register the body’s warning signals. The researchers are currently working on follow-up studies exploring how bodily sensations relate to craving and hangovers, and how these signals can be tracked in everyday life using smartphone-based assessments.</p>
<p>“This work is more than anything a blueprint for how bodily sensations can be measured in applied addiction research and other mental disorders,” Leganes-Fonteneau explained. “We have produced additional work on the bodily sensations of alcohol craving and hangover and are working on integrating bodily sensations within ecological momentary assessment. This can in the future help us target bodily sensations in therapeutic settings.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811251338223" target="_blank">Mapping acute alcohol effects on bodily sensations: A cross-dimensional interoceptive approach</a>,” was authored by Mateo Leganes-Fonteneau, Olivier Desmedt, Micah G. Allen, Reinout W. Wiers, and Pierre Maurage.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/poor-sleep-may-shrink-brain-regions-vulnerable-to-alzheimers-disease-study-suggests/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Poor sleep may shrink brain regions vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease, study suggests</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jun 14th 2025, 06:00</div>
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<p><p>People who spend less time in deep sleep or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep may be at greater risk for brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease. A new study published in the <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.11630" target="_blank">Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine</a></em> found that lower proportions of slow wave and REM sleep were associated with smaller volumes in certain brain regions that tend to show early signs of atrophy in Alzheimer’s. These findings suggest that sleep quality may play an important role in brain aging and could be a modifiable risk factor for dementia.</p>
<p>Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that slowly erodes memory and thinking skills. It affects more than 6 million older adults in the United States. One of the main features of the disease is brain atrophy, or the gradual loss of brain volume, particularly in areas like the hippocampus and parietal lobe. These structural changes typically begin years before symptoms appear. Researchers have long been interested in understanding what contributes to this atrophy and whether any lifestyle factors might influence it.</p>
<p>Sleep has emerged as one of the potential contributors. Poor sleep is common among older adults, and evidence has shown that disruptions in sleep can increase the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Most earlier studies have relied on self-reported sleep habits, which can be inaccurate. Others have focused more on general sleep duration rather than the specific stages of sleep. The current study aimed to fill this gap by using objective, clinical-grade sleep measurements and by focusing on specific sleep stages—slow wave sleep and REM sleep—which are thought to be particularly important for brain health.</p>
<p>“On a personal level, three of my grandparents had dementia, which led me to study the broader topic of Alzheimer’s disease. I investigated this specific topic because there is not a lot of evidence on sleep architecture and region-specific atrophy,” said lead author Gawon Cho, a postdoctoral associate at Yale School of Medicine.</p>
<p>The research team analyzed data from a long-running study called the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, which has been following the health of U.S. adults for several decades. Between 1996 and 1998, a subset of participants underwent overnight sleep monitoring in their homes using a technique called polysomnography. This method records brain waves, heart rate, breathing, and muscle activity to determine what stage of sleep a person is in throughout the night. Over a decade later, between 2011 and 2013, some of the participants underwent brain imaging as part of a follow-up study.</p>
<p>For this study, researchers focused on 270 individuals who had both sleep and brain imaging data available and who had no signs of stroke or dementia at the time of the sleep assessment. The team used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to measure the volume of specific brain regions known to be vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease. These included the inferior parietal lobe, cuneus, precuneus, hippocampus, and entorhinal cortex. They also looked for small areas of brain bleeding called cerebral microbleeds, which are linked to vascular damage and may signal an increased risk of cognitive impairment.</p>
<p>The researchers then looked at whether the amount of time people spent in each sleep stage was related to the size of these brain regions years later. They accounted for many other factors that could influence brain health, such as age, sex, education, medical conditions, alcohol use, smoking history, and genetic risk for Alzheimer’s.</p>
<p>The results showed a clear pattern: people who spent less time in slow wave sleep and REM sleep tended to have smaller volumes in certain brain areas. Specifically, lower amounts of slow wave sleep were linked to reduced size in the inferior parietal and cuneus regions. Less REM sleep was associated with smaller volumes in the inferior parietal and precuneus areas. These findings remained statistically significant even after adjusting for other health and lifestyle factors.</p>
<p>Among the regions analyzed, the inferior parietal lobe showed the strongest association with both reduced slow wave and REM sleep. This part of the brain plays a role in memory, spatial reasoning, and attention—and it tends to shrink early in the course of Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers did not find any significant links between sleep quality and the presence of cerebral microbleeds, suggesting that the effects of poor sleep on brain structure may be independent of small vessel disease.</p>
<p>“The results were in the direction I expected,” Cho told PsyPost. “It was interesting that I found an association in the inferior parietal region, which plays a role in the synthesis of sensory information, given that visuospatial deficits can be observed in early Alzheimer’s disease.”</p>
<p>One of the interesting aspects of this study is that it also examined whether the association between sleep and brain atrophy differed depending on whether someone carried the APOE4 gene, a well-known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s. Although prior studies in animals and humans have found that APOE4 carriers may be more sensitive to the effects of poor sleep, this study did not find significant differences based on APOE genotype. However, the authors noted that their sample consisted entirely of white participants, which may have influenced the results. Other research has shown that racial and ethnic background can affect how sleep and genetic risk factors interact.</p>
<p>The study also considered the possibility that smaller brain volumes might cause changes in sleep architecture, rather than the other way around. While this kind of reverse relationship is possible, the researchers argued that it is more likely that sleep patterns influence brain structure in this case. They point to other studies showing that sleep deprivation can reduce activity in the parietal lobe and that persistent poor sleep may contribute to longer-term structural decline in this area.</p>
<p>These findings support the idea that deep, restorative sleep may help protect the brain against aging and disease. Slow wave sleep and REM sleep are thought to play key roles in memory consolidation and brain repair. Both stages also help clear waste products from the brain, including amyloid-beta, a protein that builds up in Alzheimer’s disease. If sleep disruptions reduce the brain’s ability to carry out these cleaning and maintenance processes, that could contribute to the gradual shrinkage seen in key brain regions.</p>
<p>While the study has many strengths—including the use of objective sleep measurements, long follow-up period, and detailed brain imaging—it also has several limitations. The participants were all white and generally healthier than the broader population, which may limit how generalizable the findings are. The number of participants with microbleeds was relatively small, reducing the ability to detect subtle associations. </p>
<p>Importantly, because the study is observational, it cannot prove that poor sleep causes brain atrophy—only that there is a connection. “The study does not demonstrate causality,” Cho said.</p>
<p>Future studies will be needed to confirm these findings in larger and more diverse populations, and to test whether improving sleep can actually slow or prevent the brain changes associated with dementia. Cho said she is also “looking to examine mechanisms underlying the observed association, focusing on brain waste clearance.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.11630" target="_blank">Lower slow wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep are associated with brain atrophy of AD-vulnerable regions</a>,” was authored by Gawon Cho, Adam P. Mecca, Orfeu M. Buxton, Xiao Liu, and Brienne Miner.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/narcissists-perceive-inequity-because-they-overestimate-their-contributions-study-suggests/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Narcissists perceive inequity because they overestimate their contributions, study suggests</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jun 13th 2025, 20:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study has found that individuals with pronounced narcissism tend to have an increased sense of entitlement. These individuals also exhibit a reduced perception of equity. Analyses suggest that narcissistic individuals are more likely to perceive inequity because they overestimate their own contributions. The research was published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-07-2024-4654"><em>International Journal of Organizational Analysis</em></a>.</p>
<p>Narcissism is a personality trait characterized by grandiosity, a strong need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others. People high in narcissism often have an inflated sense of self-importance and believe they are special or unique. They may exaggerate their achievements and expect others to recognize their superiority without corresponding accomplishments.</p>
<p>Such individuals frequently display a heightened sense of entitlement, believing they deserve special treatment regardless of merit or fairness. This mindset can distort their perception of equity, leading them to view equal treatment as insufficient—or even unfair—toward themselves.</p>
<p>Narcissistic individuals can be charming and confident but may struggle with criticism or perceived slights. While a certain level of self-confidence is normal and healthy, elevated narcissism can interfere with relationships and social functioning.</p>
<p>Study authors Abdelbaset Queiri and Hussain Alhejji sought to explore the relationship between narcissism and perceived inequity among Omani employees. They also investigated whether a sense of entitlement mediates this relationship. The researchers hypothesized that it does.</p>
<p>Study participants included 150 individuals employed in the healthcare, education, information technology, retail, and finance sectors in Muscat and Salalah, Oman. The study authors formally requested permission from the human resource departments of participating organizations to distribute the survey among employees. Forty-eight percent of participants were under the age of 30, while another 30% were between 30 and 40 years old. Ninety-six participants were women.</p>
<p>Participants completed assessments of narcissism (e.g., “I like to be the center of attention,” “I can make anybody believe anything I want them to”), sense of entitlement (e.g., “I demand the best because I’m worth it,” “Great things should come to me”), and perceived inequity (e.g., “I exert myself too much considering what I get back in return”).</p>
<p>As expected, results showed that individuals with more pronounced narcissistic traits tended to report a greater sense of entitlement and greater perceived inequity. Further analyses indicated that sense of entitlement may partially mediate the relationship between narcissism and perceived inequity—meaning that entitlement helps explain the link, but does not account for it entirely.</p>
<p>“The study suggests that narcissistic individuals perceive inequity due to an overestimation of their contributions (i.e., entitlement),” the study authors conclude.</p>
<p>This research contributes to the scientific understanding of the relationship between narcissism and perceptions of fairness, and provides data from a population that is rarely studied in international psychological research. However, the study’s cross-sectional design does not allow for causal conclusions to be drawn from the findings.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-07-2024-4654">Examining the link between narcissism and perceived inequity: the mediating role of sense of entitlement</a>,” was authored by Abdelbaset Queiri and Hussain Alhejji.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/fear-predicts-authoritarian-attitudes-across-cultures-with-conservatives-most-affected/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Fear predicts authoritarian attitudes across cultures, with conservatives most affected</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jun 13th 2025, 18:00</div>
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<p><p>A massive international study published in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jopy.13026"><em>Journal of Personality</em></a> has found that people across the world are more likely to support authoritarian forms of government when they feel threatened by real-world dangers such as crime, poverty, or political instability. This pattern was observed across 59 countries, making it the largest cross-cultural test of its kind to date. The results also show that this relationship tends to be more pronounced among people who identify as politically right-leaning.</p>
<p>Authoritarianism, in psychological research, refers to a preference for strong leadership, strict social order, and obedience to authority, often at the expense of democratic principles like civil liberties and pluralism. The concept was originally developed in the aftermath of World War II to understand how ordinary people could come to support totalitarian regimes.</p>
<p>Over the decades, numerous theories have suggested that feelings of threat or insecurity—whether due to economic hardship, violence, or political upheaval—may trigger a psychological shift toward favoring more authoritarian governance. However, most previous research has been based on relatively small studies conducted in Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies, raising concerns about whether the findings could be generalized to the rest of the world.</p>
<p>“There is a large literature on how authoritarianism rises from people feeling threatened, but that literature has focused almost entirely on conservatives in Western contexts. So my original inspiration was to evaluate the world-wide relationship between authoritarianism and threat for both conservatives <em>and</em> liberals,” said study author <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=1e9uKTIAAAAJ&view_op=list_works" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lucian (Luke) Gideon Conway III</a>, a professor at Grove City College and author of <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3ZwtBWp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liberal Bullies: What Psychology Teaches Us About the Left’s Authoritarian Problem – And How to Fix It</a></em>.</p>
<p>To address these gaps, Conway analyzed data from the World Values Survey, a long-running global research project that collects information on political beliefs, cultural values, and social attitudes from representative samples in dozens of countries. He selected over 20 survey items related to different kinds of realistic threats, including personal and family-level threats like food insecurity and lack of access to medicine, neighborhood-level dangers like crime and police intrusion, political threats like voter intimidation or media bias, and general worries about war, terrorism, or unemployment. These items were combined into a cumulative threat index.</p>
<p>Authoritarianism was assessed using a scale measuring support for autocratic governance, asking respondents whether they favored leadership by a strongman, military rule, or technocratic decision-making without public input. Importantly, this scale is widely regarded as ideologically neutral, avoiding the bias seen in many earlier measures that equated authoritarianism with specific political ideologies.</p>
<p>The final sample included 84,677 people from 59 countries across six continents, with both WEIRD and non-WEIRD nations represented. Statistical models were used to assess whether perceived threat predicted support for authoritarian government while controlling for variables such as age, gender, education, income, and political ideology.</p>
<p>The results showed a consistent and robust association between threat levels and authoritarian attitudes. Individuals who reported greater personal, neighborhood, or political threats—or who simply expressed more general worry about threats—were more likely to support authoritarian forms of governance. This held true even after accounting for people’s political ideology or how extreme their views were. In other words, feeling threatened was linked to stronger support for authoritarian leadership regardless of whether someone identified as politically left or right.</p>
<p>However, Conway found that the effect of threat on authoritarianism was somewhat stronger among right-leaning individuals compared to those on the left. While threat predicted authoritarian attitudes across the board, it had a greater impact among conservatives.</p>
<p>The pattern also varied by cultural context. In WEIRD nations like the United States, Germany, and Sweden, the link between threat and authoritarianism was stronger than in many non-WEIRD countries. Still, every global region included in the analysis—ranging from South America to Sub-Saharan Africa—showed a statistically significant effect. This finding supports the idea that the psychological connection between threat and support for strong leadership is a broadly human one, not just a product of Western society.</p>
<p>“Across the world, people who report feeling threatened by things such as crime and poverty are more prone to want authoritarian leaders,” Conway told PsyPost. “That is true whether you are liberal or conservative, and it is true whether you live in a Western country (such as the United States or Western Europe) or a non-Western country. However, the authoritarianism-threat relationship is stronger for conservatives (versus liberals) and in Western (versus non-Western) countries.”</p>
<p>The findings support a “soft asymmetry” view by showing that realistic threats predict authoritarian attitudes across the political spectrum, but the effect is stronger among right-leaning individuals. This suggests that while both liberals and conservatives can become more authoritarian under threat, conservatives are more consistently responsive to such conditions.</p>
<p>“I have been a champion of what have come to be called ‘symmetrical’ theories of ideology,” Conway explained. “Those theories suggest that liberals and conservatives are psychologically similar but differ only in the content of their beliefs, and thus we would expect similar effects on both sides (hence the term ‘symmetrical’). However, the primary results for the threat-authoritarianism relationship around the world were not entirely symmetrical – they actually were larger for conservatives than liberals. Although the similarities are bigger than the differences, this gives pause to a pure symmetry theory.”</p>
<p>The study adds to a growing body of evidence that supports the theory that human psychology evolved to prioritize strong leadership during times of threat. A recent paper published in <em>Evolution and Human Behavior</em> also found that people in 25 countries <a href="https://www.psypost.org/major-study-points-to-evolved-psychology-behind-support-for-strongmen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were more likely to prefer dominant-looking leaders</a> when they were asked to imagine a scenario involving war or international conflict. In that study, participants viewed faces manipulated to appear more or less dominant and consistently chose the more dominant face when under threat. The preference for dominance was found to be consistent across many countries, echoing the current study’s finding that perceived threat prompts people to favor authoritarian traits in leaders.</p>
<p>Despite its scale, the new study has limitations. Because the data come from a single wave of survey responses, the findings are correlational and cannot prove that threat causes authoritarianism. It is possible that people who already favor authoritarian government are more likely to perceive the world as threatening. Experimental studies in smaller samples have shown that manipulating threat can increase authoritarian attitudes, but the present data cannot make that claim directly.</p>
<p>“While my study is the largest individual-level analysis of this topic to date, it nonetheless only includes 59 nations,” Conway noted. “That’s a lot, but it isn’t the whole world. Also, we didn’t include any measurements about why this happens or what might cause things to shift from liberal-authoritarian threat to conservative-authoritarian threat.”</p>
<p>The study also focused exclusively on realistic threats—those that involve physical or economic harm. It did not test symbolic threats, which refer to challenges to a group’s cultural values or social identity. Some researchers argue that symbolic threats may be even more important in driving authoritarian attitudes, especially in politically polarized societies.</p>
<p>“I’d like to follow up with an even larger study that evaluates the authoritarian-threat link in liberals and conservatives over time,” Conway said. “For example, I suspect that liberals are more likely to be authoritarian when you have conservative governments established in power through democratic means (because they feel more threatened by their opponents having power), while the reverse is true for conservatives. This is a testable hypothesis, given enough data over enough time.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.13026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Authoritarianism and Threat in 59 Nations</a>,” was published May 26, 2025.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-harms-relationships-for-both-sufferers-and-their-partners-new-study/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Premenstrual dysphoric disorder harms relationships for both sufferers and their partners – new study</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jun 13th 2025, 16:00</div>
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<p><p>An <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.066">estimated 2% of people</a> who menstruate are thought to have premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). The condition causes <a href="https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-pmdd/symptoms-of-pmdd//">severe emotional, mental and physical symptoms</a> in the week or two before a person’s menstrual cycle – including brain fog, stomach cramps, bloating, mood swings, anger, sadness, low self-worth, anxiety and even thoughts of suicide.</p>
<p>Although PMDD symptoms usually stop when the period starts, the condition can still make everyday life difficult. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/%20s0033291701004925">Research shows</a> that PMDD is associated with people having a poor quality of life, missing work or school and withdrawing from social activities. The repercussions that PMDD has on a person’s life often persist beyond the symptomatic phase of the person’s cycle.</p>
<p>Yet despite the prevalence of PMDD, little is known about how it affects life at home, as no studies have been done.</p>
<p><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0322314">My recent research</a> is the first to shed light on how PMDD impacts life and relationships – from the perspective of both those with PMDD and their partners. Our findings showed that both PMDD sufferers and their partners experienced similarly poor life and relationship quality.</p>
<p>My coauthor and I ran two studies that both used online surveys.</p>
<p>In the first study, we asked people with PMDD to complete two questionnaires. The first was designed to tell us about their quality of life. They answered questions about four different areas of their life: their physical health, psychological health, social relationships and living conditions.</p>
<p>The second questionnaire was designed to tell us about their relationship with their spouse by asking questions about different components of their relationship (including love, trust, intimacy, commitment and passion), as well as their overall satisfaction with the relationship. We compared their responses to a control group of people of menstruation age who did not have PMDD.</p>
<p>Our results showed significantly lower quality of life in people with PMDD compared to people in the control group. This difference was evident in all four of the areas of life that we studied. We also found that participants with PMDD consistently reported lower quality of life when it came to their psychological health, social relationships and living conditions – regardless of their menstrual cycle phase.</p>
<p>Relationship quality, too, was significantly lower for those with PMDD compared to the control group when it came to trust, intimacy and passion. However, when it came to love and commitment, people with PMDD and those without the condition reported similar levels of satisfaction.</p>
<h2>PMDD and partners</h2>
<p>In the second study, we compared the responses of people who are in a relationship with someone who has PMDD, with those who are in a relationship with someone who menstruates but does not have PMDD.</p>
<p>We used the same questionnaire as the previous study to investigate relationship quality. To study quality of life, we used a standard questionnaire that was designed for people who provide care or support for an adult. This asked questions about different areas of life that are relevant for familial carers, such as their support for caring, caring choices, any stress they experience, money matters, personal growth, sense of value, ability to care and satisfaction.</p>
<p>We found that PMDD partners also had lower life quality compared to the control group. This difference was evident in every area of life except money matters (where both groups had similarly low scores). When it came to relationship quality, results from the PMDD partners echoed those from the PMDD patients – both reported lower relationship satisfaction in all areas except for love and commitment.</p>
<p>Our study shows that PMDD is associated with poor life and relationship quality for both those with the condition and their partners. This highlights the need for support that goes beyond prescription drugs and managing symptoms. This support also needs to be available to the loved ones and partners of people with PMDD who provide care and support.</p>
<p>These findings suggest that future research should aim to develop PMDD-specific interventions that support both the person with PMDD and their partner. My future research plans are to delve deeper into the aspects of relationships affected by PMDD. For instance, I am planning a follow-up study involving interviews and focus groups with PMDD sufferers and their loved ones, to better identify areas for intervention and inform the development of supportive strategies.</p>
<p>There are many reasons why this kind of support is important. For instance, we know from research into other mood disorders (such as depression and anxiety) just how crucial <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18347896/">good interpersonal relationships</a> are for successfully managing these conditions in the long term.</p>
<p>We also know that the partners and spouses of people with a mental illness often find themselves acting as a familial caregiver for their partner. Studies of other mood disorders have shown that familial caregivers are at a higher risk of <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-7577-4">developing mental illnesses themselves</a>, when compared to the general population. Supporting familial caregivers is known to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24434103/">improve life for all involved</a>.</p>
<p>My research shows that PMDD isn’t just a problem for patients. It impacts daily life and relationship quality for both people in a relationship. This study provides a first step. Now that we have a better understanding of the wider effect that PMDD has, we can start to investigate how to support both people.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/255083/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1"><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-harms-relationships-for-both-sufferers-and-their-partners-new-study-255083">original article</a>.</em></p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/fears-about-ai-push-workers-to-embrace-creativity-over-coding-new-research-suggests/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Fears about AI push workers to embrace creativity over coding, new research suggests</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jun 13th 2025, 14:00</div>
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<p><p>As automation and artificial intelligence become more widespread, many workers are rethinking how to prepare for the future of work. A new study published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672251337126" target="_blank">Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin</a> shows that people who perceive automation as a threat to their job prospects tend to place greater value on creativity.</p>
<p>The researchers conducted the study to better understand how psychological reactions to new technology shape career preparation. While past research has focused on the types of jobs and tasks most vulnerable to automation, less is known about how workers themselves interpret these changes and which skills they believe will help them remain employable. The team wanted to investigate how people think about their own abilities in an era of rapid technological change, especially as machines begin to outperform humans in areas once thought to be uniquely human.</p>
<p>Artificial intelligence refers to computer systems designed to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as decision-making, pattern recognition, or language use. Recent advances have made AI especially adept at automating routine, rule-based tasks—and even generating novel outputs like artwork, writing, and code.</p>
<p> These developments have raised concerns about job displacement, leading many people to reassess which skills will remain valuable. While policymakers often encourage people to develop technical expertise, other scholars have argued that creative and interpersonal skills may be more resistant to automation.</p>
<p>“We were interested in how people are psychologically responding to the rapid rise of automation and AI,” said study author <a href="https://www.monicagamezdjokic.com/" target="_blank">Monica Gamez-Djokic</a>, an assistant professor at Purdue University. “A lot of public discourse frames AI as a threat to jobs, especially those that rely on technical or analytical skills. We wanted to know: how do people adapt to this threat? Our idea was that people might respond by placing more value on qualities and skills they see as distinctly human and less easily replaced by machines.”</p>
<p>To explore how workers respond to perceived automation threats, the researchers conducted a series of studies involving more than 2,300 participants. In each study, participants were randomly assigned to read descriptions of labor market competition, either from automation, foreign labor, or no specified threat. They were then asked to make career-related choices, such as selecting which skills to emphasize on job applications, which training programs to pursue, or which companies to work for.</p>
<p>The study began with a pilot survey that gauged how people viewed different skills in terms of their vulnerability to automation. Participants rated 15 common workplace skills—five each in the creative, technical, and social domains—on two dimensions: how likely each was to be replaced by automation, and how likely it was to increase in importance as technology advances. Creative skills such as imagination and innovation were rated as both highly complementary to automation and unlikely to be replaced. In contrast, technical skills like programming and data analysis were seen as more vulnerable to automation, even if still useful. Social skills like teamwork and negotiation were viewed as relatively low in both dimensions.</p>
<p>In the first set of studies, participants imagined themselves as recent college graduates applying for jobs. They selected a few skills from a list to highlight in a hypothetical cover letter. Those who had read about automation threats were more likely to highlight creative skills than those who read about foreign labor competition. In one variation, participants were allowed to freely list skills rather than choose from a preset list. Again, people exposed to automation threats emphasized creativity more often than technical or social skills.</p>
<p>Other studies examined whether this preference for creativity translated into behavior beyond self-presentation. In one experiment, science and engineering students nearing graduation were shown mock job listings from technology companies. After reading about the automation threat, they were more likely to select training courses focused on creativity than those focused on technical topics. A similar pattern emerged among professional graphic designers: those told their field was threatened by automation showed a greater interest in creative training courses than those told the competition came from foreign workers.</p>
<p>“When people feel that their jobs are threatened by automation or AI, they start to emphasize their creativity more—especially in contexts like job applications,” Gamez-Djokic told PsyPost. “Importantly, this shift wasn’t just about self-presentation. People also showed more interest in pursuing education or training related to creative skills when faced with automation threats. This suggests that creativity isn’t just seen as a current strength, but as a future-oriented investment—something people believe will grow in importance in an AI-driven job market.”</p>
<p>The automation threat also shaped how people evaluated potential employers. In another experiment, participants read recruitment messages from two hypothetical companies—one emphasizing a culture of creativity and the other stressing analytical rigor. Participants who had read about automation were significantly more drawn to the company that valued creativity, suggesting that automation not only changes how people present themselves, but also where they want to work.</p>
<p>“One thing that stood out was how consistently people responded to automation threats by highlighting creativity—even when creativity wasn’t explicitly mentioned or encouraged,” Gamez-Djokic said. “In fact, participants seemed to ‘default’ to emphasizing technical skills unless they were prompted to think about automation. That shift was striking and shows how powerfully automation and AI can shape how people present themselves and their strengths.”</p>
<p>Two final studies explored how people responded to the newer form of artificial intelligence known as generative AI. Generative AI systems can create text, images, music, and more—abilities traditionally thought to require human creativity. Despite this, participants continued to emphasize their own creative skills in job applications and professional profiles, even when AI was explicitly described as excelling at creative tasks. This suggests a strong belief in the enduring value of human creativity, even in domains where machines are now competitive.</p>
<p>Across all nine studies, the researchers consistently found that automation threats increased the emphasis people placed on creativity. When people were forced to choose among skill types, they viewed creative abilities as a safer and more valuable asset in a changing labor market. This effect was specific to automation; participants did not prioritize creativity in response to other kinds of job threats, such as competition from foreign workers.</p>
<p>“Another surprising finding was that not all non-automatable human skills were treated equally,” Gamez-Djokic told PsyPost. “While creativity was consistently emphasized, social skills—like collaboration or communication—were not prioritized in the same way. This suggests that people don’t simply value whatever they think AI can’t do; instead, they seem to view creativity as a skill that is complementary to emerging technologies and likely to become more important as AI advances. Creativity is seen not just as uniquely human, but as increasingly essential in a tech-driven future.”</p>
<p>As with all research, there are some limitations. Most participants were college-educated and recruited online, which may not reflect how all workers think about automation. The studies focused on a limited range of skill categories—primarily creative, technical, and social—so it is possible that other types of abilities, like managerial or emotional intelligence, could show different patterns. The findings also rely on hypothetical scenarios, which may not fully capture how people make real-world career decisions.</p>
<p>“Our studies focused on <em>perceptions</em>—how people <em>feel</em> about their skills and job prospects when imagining a world shaped by AI—not on actual job outcomes,” Gamez-Djokic noted. “We don’t yet know whether emphasizing creativity would actually improve employment chances in real-world hiring. Also, our studies were primarily U.S.-based, so it’s unclear whether the same patterns would hold in other cultural or labor market contexts.”</p>
<p>Future research could expand by examining how people with different education levels, job types, or socioeconomic backgrounds respond to automation threats. It could also explore how beliefs about skill complementarity—such as combining creativity with technical know-how—shape career development. The researchers suggest that understanding these psychological responses is important for designing education programs and labor policies that help workers adapt to technological change.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672251337126" target="_blank">Poets Over Quants: Automation and AI Threats Increase the Value People Place on Creativity</a>,” was authored by Monica Gamez-Djokic, Adam Waytz, and Maryam Kouchaki.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/flipping-two-atoms-in-lsd-turned-it-into-a-powerful-treatment-for-damaged-brain-circuits/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Flipping two atoms in LSD turned it into a powerful treatment for damaged brain circuits</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jun 13th 2025, 12:00</div>
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<p><p>Scientists at the University of California, Davis have developed a new drug related to LSD that retains the psychedelic’s beneficial brain effects while minimizing the hallucinogenic experience. The compound, called JRT, showed strong potential to promote brain cell growth and reverse damage linked to conditions like schizophrenia. In animal experiments, JRT improved symptoms without triggering behaviors associated with hallucinations. The findings were published in the journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2416106122" target="_blank">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a></em>.</p>
<p>Lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD, is best known for its powerful mind-altering effects. But in recent years, researchers have discovered that LSD and similar compounds can also promote neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to grow new connections and repair damaged circuits. This effect makes psychedelics appealing as potential treatments for mood and cognitive disorders, including depression, substance use, and neurodegenerative diseases. However, their hallucinogenic properties pose risks for certain groups, especially people with schizophrenia or a family history of psychosis. Because of this, researchers have been exploring ways to preserve the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics without inducing hallucinations.</p>
<p>“One of the hallmarks of schizophrenia is atrophy of neurons in the cortex,” explained lead author David E. Olson, director of the <a href="https://neurotherapeutics.ucdavis.edu/" target="_blank">UC Davis Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics</a>. “Psychedelics like LSD are extremely good at promoting cortical neuron growth, but they are typically contraindicated for patients with schizophrenia or a family history of psychosis. We decided to engineer an analogue of LSD with lower hallucinogenic potential in the hopes that this neuroplasticity-promoting compound might be useful for treating these patients.”</p>
<p>In the new study, the UC Davis team aimed to modify LSD’s structure in a way that would reduce its hallucinogenic potential while maintaining its effects on brain plasticity. They focused on the idea that small changes in a drug’s shape can have big effects on how it interacts with brain receptors. Specifically, they made a tiny adjustment—flipping the position of just two atoms in LSD’s molecular structure. This new version, JRT, turned out to bind to many of the same serotonin receptors as LSD but with a different pharmacological profile.</p>
<p>“You cannot synthesize JRT from LSD or any of the precursors used to make LSD,” Olson said. “We needed to synthesize JRT from scratch. Also, JRT was named after Jeremy R. Tuck, the graduate student who first synthesized it.”</p>
<p>To test JRT’s effects, the researchers conducted a series of experiments, beginning with extensive chemical synthesis and molecular modeling. They confirmed through computer simulations and lab tests that JRT could still interact with serotonin receptors in a way that supports neuroplasticity, but without triggering the signaling pathways that typically lead to hallucinations. Notably, JRT lacked a specific chemical bond (called the indole N–H bond) that LSD uses to form a key interaction in the serotonin 2A receptor—an interaction believed to play a role in producing hallucinations.</p>
<p>The researchers then conducted <em>in vitro</em> experiments using rat cortical neurons to examine how JRT affected neuronal growth. Compared to control treatments and existing drugs like clozapine, JRT promoted substantial growth in dendritic branches and spine density—hallmarks of healthy brain connectivity. These effects were even greater than those produced by LSD in the same tests.</p>
<p>The team followed up with <em>in vivo</em> studies using mice. A single dose of JRT led to a 46% increase in dendritic spine density and an 18% increase in synapse density in the medial prefrontal cortex, a brain region involved in decision-making and emotional regulation. In another experiment, the researchers showed that JRT could reverse the loss of dendritic spines induced by chronic stress, suggesting its potential to restore brain structure in conditions marked by cortical atrophy.</p>
<p>To assess whether JRT produced psychedelic-like behaviors, the scientists used a behavioral test called the head-twitch response in mice, which correlates with hallucinogenic activity in humans. Unlike LSD, JRT did not trigger the head-twitch response. In fact, it blocked the head-twitch response when mice were given LSD. JRT also did not impair prepulse inhibition—a measure of sensory gating that is often disrupted in schizophrenia and can be worsened by psychedelics.</p>
<p>The researchers also analyzed how JRT affected gene expression in the brain. After a single dose, they found that JRT did not induce gene expression changes associated with schizophrenia, while LSD did. This suggests that JRT is less likely to exacerbate symptoms or increase risk in individuals predisposed to psychotic disorders.</p>
<p>JRT’s effects on behavior were also promising. In rodent tests commonly used to model depression, including the forced swim test and sucrose preference test, JRT produced antidepressant-like outcomes. The animals were more active and showed restored interest in pleasurable activities after being treated with JRT. These effects were sustained even when the animals continued to experience stress, indicating that JRT’s impact on mood and motivation might be long-lasting.</p>
<p>Additionally, JRT improved performance on a cognitive flexibility task in mice subjected to unpredictable stress. The compound helped the animals learn and adapt when the rules of the task changed, an ability that is often impaired in individuals with schizophrenia and mood disorders. This suggests that JRT may help address cognitive symptoms, which are among the most disabling and treatment-resistant aspects of schizophrenia.</p>
<p>Importantly, the researchers found that JRT was highly selective for serotonin receptors and lacked affinity for other receptor types—such as dopamine, histamine, or adrenergic receptors—that are often linked to side effects in psychiatric medications. This specificity might make JRT safer and better tolerated than drugs like clozapine, which, while effective, often cause weight gain, sedation, and metabolic issues.</p>
<p>“I was surprised that transposing only two atoms was sufficient to drastically change the pharmacology of LSD,” Olson told PsyPost. “Not only did it lower hallucinogenic potential, it also improved selectivity across a wide range of targets in the brain. While psychedelics might have therapeutic properties, they were never engineered to be drugs for central nervous system disorders. Even small chemical alterations to the structures of psychedelics have the potential to profoundly improve their safety and efficacy profiles.”</p>
<p>While the results are promising, the study does have limitations. All experiments were conducted in animals, and it remains to be seen how well the findings will translate to humans. Although JRT appears to be non-hallucinogenic in rodents, human subjective experiences can differ and will need to be tested in clinical trials. The long-term safety of JRT, especially in vulnerable populations, also needs to be evaluated.</p>
<p>“At the moment, JRT has not yet been tested in humans, but we are working towards this goal,” Olson noted. “I would also like to test JRT in other disease models. In particular, I’m very excited about its potential to rescue neuronal atrophy in neurodegenerative conditions.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2416106122" target="_blank">Molecular design of a therapeutic LSD analogue with reduced hallucinogenic potential</a>,” was authored by Jeremy R. Tuck, Lee E. Dunlap, Yara A. Khatib, Cassandra J. Hatzipantelis, Sammy Weiser Novak, Rachel M. Rahn, Alexis R. Davis, Adam Mosswood, Anna M. M. Vernier, Ethan M. Fenton, Isak K. Aarrestad, Robert J. Tombari, Samuel J. Carter, Zachary Deane, Yuning Wang, Arlo Sheridan, Monica A. Gonzalez, Arabo A. Avanes, Noel A. Powell, Milan Chytil, Sharon Engel, James C. Fettinger, Amaya R. Jenkins, William A. Carlezon Jr., Alex S. Nord, Brian D. Kangas, Kurt Rasmussen, Conor Liston, Uri Manor, and David E. Olson.</p></p>
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<p><strong>Forwarded by:<br />
Michael Reeder LCPC<br />
Baltimore, MD</strong></p>
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