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• Cardiovascular disease deaths involving substance use increased from 1999 to 2019, even as overall cardiovascular disease deaths fell during that time.
• Alcohol was involved in 65% of cardiovascular disease deaths related to substance use, but death rates for cannabis and psychostimulants increased more sharply.
• Women, American Indian and Alaskan adults, younger adults, and rural residents also saw larger increases in cardiovascular disease deaths related to substance use.

Deaths due to cardiovascular disease that involved substance use increased an average of 4% per year from 1999 to 2019, even as overall cardiovascular disease deaths decreased during that time, a new study shows.

“The results are concerning, as they mark a significant upward trend in cardiovascular deaths where substance abuse was noted,” said Dr. Sameer Amin, cardiologist and chief medical officer at L.A. Care Health Plan, who was not involved with the new research.

“Considering this is in the midst of an overall decrease in cardiovascular death during that time period, this appears to be an exception to our progress in treating cardiac disease,” he told Healthline.

Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, Calif., pointed out that the data in the study only goes through 2019, just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There have been data pointing out that substance use and abuse have worsened starting in 2020 with the pandemic,” said Chen, who was not involved in the new study. So “it’s concerning to think that this trend may be getting worse in more recent years.”

The study was published Jan. 10 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Many substances linked to cardiovascular disease

In the study, researchers used publicly available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) database to examine cardiovascular disease death trends from 1999 to 2019.

The rate of cardiovascular deaths related to substance use increased from 9.9 per 100,000 population in 1999 to 21.4 per 100,000 population in 2019, researchers found — an average increase of 4% per year. From 2012 to 2019, the death rate increased even more rapidly: 6.2%.

In comparison, the overall rate of cardiovascular disease deaths decreased an average of 1.5% per year, researchers found.

Several substances, such as alcohol, opioids, stimulants, sedatives and cannabis increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease, heart failure and irregular heart rhythms, the researchers point out.

Overall, 65% of the cardiovascular disease deaths related to substance use were linked to alcohol,  followed by opioids (13.7%), cocaine (9.8%), stimulants (6.5%), sedatives (4.1%) and cannabis (0.5%).

However, people who used cannabis (12.7%) and psychostimulants such as amphetamines (16.8%) had higher increases in the average annual percent change in cardiovascular disease deaths related to substance use.

“It’s troubling to see that there have been increases in cardiovascular disease mortality with all different types of substances, not only the most commonly used substance, alcohol,” Chen told Healthline.

The study did not include smoking/tobacco use as a form of substance use. Smoking is linked to heart disease, stroke and other chronic diseases, as well as lung and other cancers.

While the findings highlight long-term trends in cardiovascular disease deaths related to substance use, researchers did not have information about other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as a condition such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure or whether people had a family history of cardiovascular disease.

Who is most impacted by cardiac deaths

The new study’s findings show that certain groups were impacted more by cardiovascular disease deaths related to substance use.

For example, increases in the average annual percent change for death rates were higher for American Indian or Alaskan individuals (5.4%); people ages 25 to 59 years (5.3%); people living in rural areas (5.0%); adults ages 55 to 69 years (4.9%); and women (4.8%).

“I am particularly concerned at the disparities in outcomes for women, American Indian/Alaskan individuals and rural area residents,” said Amin. This “could represent healthcare inequities in our system.”

The death rate was higher for people living in rural areas (15.2 per 100,000) than urban areas (14.1 per 100,000). It was also higher for men (22.5 per 100,000) than women (6.8 per 100,000).

Although death rates were higher in men than in women, women saw larger increases during the study period, researchers found.

“Data from prior studies have found notable increases in substance use among women over the last 20 years, and women may face unique societal risks that may contribute to the increases noted in our study,” study author Dr. Dmitry Abramov, cardiologist and associate professor of medicine at Loma Linda University Health in Loma Linda, Calif., said in a news release.

In addition, there were differences in rates among racial and ethnic groups.

The highest death rate was among American Indian or Alaska Native adults (37.7 per 100,000), in comparison to Black adults (20.3 per 100,000), white adults (14.1 per 100,000), Hispanic adults (13.0 per 100,000) and Asian adults or Pacific Islanders (3.6 per 100,000).

Chen said understanding which groups are most affected by cardiovascular disease deaths related to substance use could help target public health efforts aimed at reducing substance use, and related health outcomes, among these groups.

In addition to trends through 2019, Amin is concerned about what has happened since then. In particular, he highlighted that there appears to be an upward trend for some groups starting around the time of the 2007-2008 financial crisis.

“If this is associated with an increase in socioeconomic inequality and a widening gap in economic disparity [between certain groups] during that time, we have to be particularly vigilant post-COVID pandemic,” he said. “The effects of the post-COVID economic environment could potentially exacerbate the gap.”

Takeaway

Researchers used data from the CDC to examine cardiovascular disease death trends from 1999 to 2019. In particular, they focused on deaths that involve substance use.

During that time, cardiovascular disease deaths involving substance use increased by an average of 4% per year — with a faster increase from 2012 to 2019 — even as overall cardiovascular disease deaths fell.

Rates of cardiovascular disease deaths involving substance use increased faster for women, American Indian and Alaskan adults, younger adults, and rural residents, as well as for those who used cannabis or psychostimulants.

• A new study estimated that, on average, one liter of bottled water contains 240,000 detectable plastic fragments. These are known as nanoplastics.
• Nanoplastics are a cause for concern because they are difficult to detect and can pass through intestinal, tissue, and blood-brain barriers, which can result in serious health implications.
• To make sure your water is safe to drink, you can place water filters on the faucets and/or use them prior to drinking the water to get rid of some of the unwanted particles. 

Health experts have become increasingly concerned about microplastics and their impact on humans and the environment.

Researchers are now looking into nanoplastics, which are even smaller than microplastics. A primary source of the problem is bottled water, which is filled with thousands of plastic fragments.

Nanoplastics are so small that they can directly enter the bloodstream and eventually make their way to other bodily organs and systems. 

A new study published January 8 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences looks at how many nanoplastics can be found in a single plastic bottle of water.

“Our previous research has highlighted the widespread presence of microplastics in New York City’s waters and air, and their capacity to transport pollutants like PCBs, pharmaceuticals, and pathogens (Funded by the Hudson River Foundation),” Beizhan Yan, study author and Associate Research Professor at Columbia Climate School Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, told Healthline. “In comparison, nanoplastics are expected to have an even greater ecological and health impact due to their higher partitioning rate and associated nanotoxicity.” 

Large amounts of nanoplastics in bottled water

For the new study, Yan and fellow researchers looked for seven types of plastic, which only made up approximately 10% of the nanoparticles in the water samples.

This suggests determining particle composition is quite complex.

The researchers estimated that an average liter of bottled water contained 240,000 identifiable plastic fragments. 

Further research is necessary to determine if drinking bottled water containing nanoplastics could lead to adverse health effects. 

“If people are concerned about nanoplastics in bottled water, it’s reasonable to consider alternatives like tap water,” said Yan. “However, it’s important to emphasize that staying hydrated is crucial for health. Therefore, we do not advise against drinking bottled water when necessary, as the risk of dehydration can outweigh the potential impacts of nanoplastics exposure.”

In the future, the researchers plan to expand their research platform to include a broader range of environmental samples, Yan explained. This will involve analyzing tap water, air samples, and biological tissues.

Their aim is to deepen our understanding of the presence and impact of nanoplastics in these environments. Yan and his research team also intend to investigate potential adverse health outcomes that may arise from exposure to nanoplastics.

Are nanoplastics dangerous?

“Plastics often contain a heterogenous mixture of various chemicals that provide a particular type of plastic its functional and structural capabilities,” Christopher Hine, PhD, of Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute stated. “Many of these types of chemicals, once leached out of the plastic containers in forms of microplastics and nanoplastics can serve as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).”

Hine was not involved in the study.

These EDCs can mimic our natural hormones, such as the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) mimicking estrogen and activating estrogen receptors.

Conversely, other nanoplastic chemicals disrupt certain systems in the body including the pituitary and adrenal glands, and thyroid organ among others.

“A major concern for nanoplastics is twofold, in that they are: 1) Difficult to detect and filter out of consumer food and drink products; and 2) More readily able to cross intestinal, tissue, and blood-brain barriers thus potentially negatively impacting multiple organ systems,” Hine added.

Why there’s so much plastic in food

“In most consumer goods, be it food, drink or cosmetics, there is a long and complicated production process each encounters from the harvest of raw material to the finishing, packaging and shipping,” said Hine. “At each step, the product can be exposed and contaminated with various plastic-related chemicals. Thus, it is not surprising that with the author’s utilization of new techniques to detect the nanoplastics [found] so many new nanoparticles in consumer goods.” 

Likewise, harmless chemicals placed into consumer goods and packages can sometimes degrade over time due to exposure to environmental agents such as UV radiation, normal spectrum light radiation, heat, ozone, and age and be chemically and physically modified into new chemical forms that can pose dangers to health, Hine added.

Therefore, it is important to store packages of consumer goods (food, drink, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals) as they are indicated as well as discard items that are beyond their expiration date.

How clean is your water?

Next, the researchers plan to examine tap water.

“Most municipalities and utilities companies that provide water to their communities follow stringent laws and regulations to ensure the product they deliver is safe for consumption,” Hine stated. “However, sometimes there are disruptions in water supply due to aging pipe and water main infrastructure failures that enable leaching of unwanted chemicals or microorganisms to the taps of consumers. Most of these disruptions are temporary and by following the directions of the municipal utility, such as running the tap or boiling the water, consumption of these unwanted items can be avoided.” 

Furthermore, adding water filters on the faucets and/or using them before drinking the water can help eliminate some of the particles that may contaminate a water source.

“While there usually are less micro- and nanoplastics in tap water compared to commercially bottled water, if consumers end up storing their tap water in plastic containers that are exposed to heat, sunlight, and/or detergents this can increase the plastic contamination of the water,” said Hine. “Homes with well water may also have micro- and nanoplastic contamination due to environmental runoff of plastics pollution from landfills, trash, or soil/watershed pollution.”

The safest way to drink water

“Water is essential for life, and drinking water should be a part of one’s healthy daily routines. Drinking from the tap, from plastic bottled water, or from filtered devices are all ways we can use reach our water consumption goals,” Hine explained.

However, it is important to consider limiting exposure to unwanted micro- and nanoplastics when consuming water and other beverages. 

“While tap, bottled, and filtered water are usually safe methods for consumption, tap water tends to have decreased amounts of these plastics while also providing fluoride as a preventative measure against tooth decay,” said Hine. “Thus, if the local municipality provides clean drinking water via the tap, this can be seen as one of the safest sources for drinking water. If the water is to be stored in plastic containers, then keeping them out of direct sunlight and in cool environments can also diminish plastics leeching into the water.”

Takeaway

According to a new study, an average liter of bottled water contains 240,000 detectable plastic fragments, also known as nanoplastics.

These tiny plastic particles are particularly problematic since they are hard to identify and can make their way into the blood and ultimately, bodily organs.

Health experts recommend using water filters to reduce the amount of plastics and contamination.

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• New research from a team at Stanford University’s School of Medicine have found a way to increase your hypnotizability.
• Hypnosis is increasingly being explored as a way to treat psychological conditions as well as pain disorders.
• The study indicates that transcranial deep brain stimulation does tangibly increase hypnotizability, but more research is needed in this emerging area.

A team of researchers from Stanford University are hopeful that their new findings could pay dividends for those in chronic pain.

The article, published this week in Nature Mental Health, is focused on how transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can increase hypnotizability for a short time.

How to improve hypnosis

The research was conducted as a double-blind randomized controlled trial with 80 individuals. Half of the participants were given the treatment while the other half were given a version of transcranial magnetic stimulation that is not strong enough to penetrate the skull, but follows the same procedure. 

In general an estimated 15% of people are considered highly hypnotizable and on the 10-point measure of hypnotizability, they would be expected to score a 9 or 10.

Previous studies have found that hypnosis-based intervention can aid in psychological therapies as well as with those experiencing chronic pain. For their study, the researchers used a technique known as Stanford Hypnosis Integrated with Functional Connectivity Targeted Transcranial Stimulation (SHIFT).

The study involved participants being scanned via both a standard MRI and a functional MRI These scans allowed the researchers not just to observe brain activity that is connected to someone’s hypnotizability, but also to know where best to apply the magnetic coil that is used during transcranial magnetic stimulation. Having already undergone a test to see what their hypnotizability score was prior to the procedure to establish a baseline, those involved were tested again afterwards. 

Those who had the neurostimulation were found to have a significant increase in hypnotizability meaning they scored one point higher on the 10-point measure of hypnotizability. Those who did not get the neurostimulation had no increase.

Lead author, and postdoctoral fellow at Stanford, Dr. Afik Faerman (PhD) says that he’s optimistic that this proof of concept study will allow hypnosis-based therapies to be better utilized in the future, particularly for those with chronic pain conditions. 

“We know that individuals that are experiencing pain are automatically good candidates for hypnosis-based treatment, because we know hypnosis works for pain. And the benefit that hypnosis has on the first line of treatment is that it’s drug free.”

All of the participants included had fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition that was chosen because of how it manifests in the body.

Dr. Jean-Philippe Langevin, director of restorative neurosurgery at Pacific Neuroscience Institute who also is a faculty member in the department of neurosurgery at UCLA, says that he sees promise in what Faerman and his team have found. 

Langevin wasn’t involved in the study.

“There’s always this thought that perhaps neuromodulation can be used not only to correct problems like mental health issues… but perhaps it could also be used in the future to enhance some capabilities of humans,” Langevin said.

How hypnosis is used in medicine

Hypnosis is far from a new phenomenon in research circles, but Dr. David Spiegel, professor of medicine at Stanford University and a co-supervisor on the study, says that it has, at times, fallen out of favor. 

“Hypnosis is actually the oldest Western conception of psychotherapy… [It’s sometimes] sort of pushed to the side as either a stage show trick or something dangerous or irrelevant.”

According to the study, and previous research done by Spiegel and his colleagues, hypnotizability is determined by a combination of how two different cortexes in the brain interact, what Faerman calls a “…Fine-grained pathway that these structures have that we are trying to target.” 

One of the aspects of this study that makes it different from other interventions is that it is non-invasive. Langevin says that transcranial magnetic stimulation, and the use of an fMRI during the treatment process, could have significant implications for the field in conjunction with or beyond hypnosis, particularly when it comes to more common treatments.

“I do research in post traumatic stress disorder. So that’s one active field where neurostimulation through transcranial magnetic stimulation is also being used,” Langevin said. “If we find partial results, or perhaps partial benefits, in those patients who are more severe, we can go back and implant a permanent [stimulator] to replicate the results.”

How hypnosis can help with chronic issues

Spiegel says that, fundamentally, this approach is challenging dominant narratives in medicine and offers patients an alternative option for treatment.

“The standard in modern medicine is incision, ingestion or injection. Do something physical, treat the body like it’s a broken car and replace the parts and fix it,” Spiegel said. “And in fact, people can learn to do this [modulate pain sensations] extremely well with techniques like hypnosis. And in this case, augmented with transcranial magnetic stimulation.”

In the future, Faerman would like to see a process like this conducted with a wide variety of patients and that doing so will lead to time and cost savings. 

“My vision…as a clinical psychologist and in general, is that patients will come to see their psychologist or psychiatrist for psychotherapy and before they walk into their therapy appointment, they’re going to have a brief stimulation session, and hopefully, it is going to increase the effectiveness of the treatment that you’re getting,” Faerman said.

Takeaway

Researchers say they may have found a non-invasive way to increase hypnotizability for a short period of time. Hypnosis can help treat certain conditions including issues with chronic pain.

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• Respiratory diseases are rising rapidly in the U.S.
• Over 20,000 people have been hospitalized with the flu this week up from 15,000 the week prior.
• Flu and other respiratory disease often peaks sometime in January or February.

After a quiet couple of years, respiratory illnesses, including the flu, COVID, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), are spreading rapidly across the country. 

The latest influenza report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released Friday shows that, in the past week, over 20,000 people were admitted to the hospital with the flu.

So far this season, there’ve been an estimated 10 million cases, over 110,000 hospitalizations, and 6,500 deaths from flu this season.

The colder temperatures and indoor gatherings have accelerated transmission of COVID and RSV, too.

Tania Bubb, PhD, the president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, says seasonal influenza, COVID-19, and RSV levels are currently elevated in many parts of the U.S. — and we’re observing rapid increases in these infections. 

“With holiday celebrations and gatherings and colder weather, we expect to see a continued rise in respiratory infections over the next several weeks,” Bubb told Healthline. 

When will flu season peak?

Flu activity typically picks up in the winter months, from October to March, and peaks sometime between December to February. 

Dr. Carl J. Fichtenbaum, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, says influenza was abnormally quiet in 2020, 2021, and even throughout 2022.

In the late 2022 and early 2023 flu season, the virus came back with a vengeance, and triggered a surge in cases and hospitalizations, he says.

Flu-like activity is currently high in two-thirds of the country, which is greater than what the country saw this time last year, according to the CDC.

We can usually predict what the Northern Hemisphere’s flu season will be like by looking at what recently transpired in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Australia’s flu season runs from May to October, for example, and they recently saw a 13.5% increase in cases over the past year.

“We may expect something similar in the U.S. The peak will likely be late January or February,” Fichtenbaum said.

Bernadette Boden-Albala, MPH, DrPH, Founding Dean of the UC Irvine Program in Public Health, similarly suspects we are inching toward the peak. 

“We should see the peak of flu season these first few weeks of January, given we are coming off of the holiday season,” she told Healthline. 

Here’s what’s happening with COVID variant JN.1 and RSV

COVID-19 transmission remains steady, with hospital admissions increasing by nearly 20% and deaths rising by 12% for the last week of 2023 compared to the week prior.

The CDC is continuing to track the JN.1 variant that is causing a rapidly-growing share of infections. 

Though COVID-19 activity is increasing, hospitalizations are down compared to 2022, according to Fichtenbaum.

“This is due to widespread immunity from those that already have gotten COVID before and vaccine immunity,” he said.

It’s unclear when this COVID-19 wave will begin to dip, as it appears it has not yet peaked.

RSV, on the other hand, may have just hit its peak as activity is slowly dropping. 

That said, RSV activity is still high and many states have reported an influx in hospitalizations following the holidays. 

“The peak last year was late November 2022. And this year looks like it will be late December or January for the peak,” says Fichtenbaum.

How to protect yourself from the Flu, RSV and COVID-19

There are multiple factors that drive the transmission of respiratory viruses, including the climate and our behaviors. 

“Influenza and RSV spread easily in cold climate due to drier air and natural lower immunity of people during cold seasons,” says Bubb.

In addition, people tend to stay inside and gather together indoors during cold temperatures, which helps the virus spread from person to person. 

The best way to protect yourself is to get vaccinated.

“The vaccines available for influenza, COVID, and RSV are highly effective and significantly reduces one’s chances of becoming seriously ill if they happen to become ill with one of these viruses,” says Bubb. 

RSV vaccines are only available to pregnant women and adults over age 65. There is a monoclonal antibody RSV shot available to young children. Flu and COVID-19 shots are available to nearly all people in the U.S. over the age of 6 months.

If you contract COVID-19 or the flu, there are prescription antiviral treatments that can help relieve symptoms and prevent complications, Bubb added.

Washing your hands and wearing a high-quality mask can help you avoid getting sick, too.  

“I would like to stress for everyone to stay hydrated and eat nutritious foods because if you can bolster your natural defenses with these activities then your immune system is operating at the highest level to protect you against infectious diseases,” says Boden-Albala.

If you are sick, it’s important to stay home to reduce the spread of these illnesses. 

Many people assume they just have a cold and continue to go to work, school, or social events where they run the risk of spreading the viruses to other people. 

“The problem is that the more we get together when we are ill, the more likely that the virus will pass to the most vulnerable in the population,” Fichtenbaum said.

The bottom line: 

After a quiet couple of years, respiratory illnesses, including the flu, COVID, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), are spreading rapidly across the country. The colder temperatures and indoor gatherings have accelerated transmission, and flu experts suspect flu activity will peak around the end of the month.

• Veterans with traumatic brain injury who were treated with the psychedelic ibogaine saw improvements in daily functioning and mental health symptoms.
• Ibogaine was given alongside intravenous magnesium to protect participants’ heart from a potential side effect of the psychedelic.
• Additional studies are needed, including U.S.-based clinical trials, before ibogaine can be recommended as a treatment.

Treatment with the psychedelic ibogaine improved daily functioning and mental health symptoms in a small group of veterans with mainly mild traumatic brain injury, a new pilot study found.

Study author Dr. Nolan Williams, associate professor of psychiatry at Stanford University in California, said the improvements in veterans’ symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression were “substantial.”

In addition, “on the [traumatic brain injury] disability front, there’s not really any therapeutic options available, so it’s really useful to see improvements there,” he told Healthline.

More research is needed before ibogaine can be recommended as a treatment, including U.S.-based clinical trials done under more controlled settings.

“But the results are pretty exciting so far,” said Williams.

The study was published Jan. 5 in Nature Medicine.

What is ibogaine?

Ibogaine is a psychoactive compound found in the West African shrub iboga. It is traditionally used in the local Bwiti religion for religious, spiritual and healing ceremonies.

The Drug Enforcement Administration classifies ibogaine as a Schedule I drug, indicating it has “no currently accepted medical use” and “a high potential for abuse.”

In order to undergo treatment with ibogaine for the new study, 30 male Special Operations Forces veterans traveled to a site in Mexico where legal ibogaine treatment is available. 

The veterans received ibogaine under medical supervision, along with intravenous (IV) magnesium to protect the heart.

One of the possible side effects of ibogaine is a potentially fatal abnormal heart rhythm. None of the participants in this study experienced this kind of heart problem. Veterans reported only typical symptoms such as headache and nausea.

Participants also had the opportunity to try massage, yoga, meditation or other complementary wellness activities, although researchers did not collect data on which of these activities veterans did.

Researchers found that a few days after treatment, participants saw improvements in functioning and symptoms of PTSD, depression and anxiety. These effects persisted until at least one month after treatment, which was the length of follow-up in the study.

Functioning includes areas such as interpersonal relationships, daily life activities and cognitive abilities.

Growing interest in psychedelic treatments

Approved therapies currently exist for traumatic brain injuries and for mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and PTSD. 

This includes antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications and drugs to help with cognitive function. These may be paired with psychotherapy.

These treatments can be effective for some people, but not for others, said Dr. Sheital Bavishi, associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. These drugs also have side effects, she added, which some people may not be able to tolerate. 

“So having more options — or more tools in our toolbox — is definitely helpful,” she told Healthline.

Because traditional treatments may not work for everyone, some people with PTSD, depression or anxiety have been seeking out unapproved therapies such as ibogaine for relief from their symptoms.

Other psychedelics, including psilocybin (the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms”) and MDMA, have also been researched for various psychiatric conditions, with some promising results.

Both MDMA and psilocybin are used alongside psychotherapy. With ibogaine, the treatment approach is a little different.

“There are some psychotherapy aspects to [ibogaine treatment] — there’s a prep and there’s an integration— but it’s not psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, like what you see with MDMA,” said Williams. “There’s no psychotherapy during the actual [ibogaine] treatment itself; rather, it’s all happening before and after.”

Ibogaine is still in the early stages of clinical research, with much of the research to date focused on treating substance use disorder. However, interest in the compound’s potential is growing.

For example, the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act has “$10 million earmarked to fund clinical trials researching ibogaine and other psychedelics as a treatment for [PTSD or] traumatic brain injuries experienced by active duty members of the U.S. military,” said Williams.

The big goal with ibogaine, he said, is to do a U.S.-based trial, which would allow researchers to control for many of the factors that could affect the results.

Future studies may also recruit veterans with varying severity of traumatic brain injuries or psychiatric symptoms.

Bavishi, who leads the Disorders of Consciousness Program at The OSU Wexner Medical Center, said it’s important to have treatments that address the multiple symptoms that people with traumatic brain injury experience.

“It’s not just brain trauma, but there’s also stress-related trauma,” she said. “So we need to be treating both at the same time; not as individual entities, but really as a combination.”

Ibogaine may directly improve brain injury

Researchers are not sure why ibogaine might help people with these different conditions, but Williams said the drug works “across a lot of different systems” in the brain.

It’s also not clear if the daily functioning benefits seen in the new study were due to a reduction in the psychiatric symptoms or if there was also a direct effect on the traumatic brain injury.

“We do have data showing that people who have prolonged symptoms after a concussion or mild brain injury usually have an [accompanying] anxiety or mood disorder — anxiety, PTSD or depression — that is actually prolonging their symptoms,” said Bavishi.

In this study, “it seems like ibogaine is reducing the mood-related symptoms that are a result of the brain injury or PTSD,” she said. “That, in turn, is improving their cognitive functioning.”

Williams thinks the disability from the traumatic brain injury is likely to be partially independent of the psychiatric symptoms.

“We’ll have to do some work to tease that out,” he said. “You’d have to essentially enroll people that didn’t have any of the psychiatric symptomatology, but still had [traumatic brain injury], in order to see if there is still a disability improvement [with ibogaine].”

“What we may be looking at is a neuro-rehab drug,” he added. “If this is true, then it’s really exciting, because people have been looking for a neuro-rehab drug for some time. There have been candidates in the past, but nothing that has been super-compelling on that front.”

Takeaway

A new study finds a type of psychedelic may help people with traumatic brain injury.

In the study 30 male Special Operations Forces veterans with traumatic brain injury underwent treatment with the psychedelic ibogaine, along with IV magnesium to protect their heart. They were also offered complementary wellness activities such as yoga and meditation.

A few days after treatment, participants saw improvements in their daily functioning and symptoms of PTSD, anxiety and depression. These benefits lasted for at least one month.

This was a pilot study, so additional research is needed, including a U.S.-based trial, which would allow researchers to control for factors that can affect the results.