Mental health & addiction

MIT naloxone sensor implant

MIT scientists reverse opioid overdoses with ‘Narcan sensor’ implanted under skin

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In 2023, more than 100,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses. The most effective way to save someone who has overdosed is to administer a drug called naloxone, but help can’t always reach the person in time. Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed a new device to address this problem. The device, about the size of a stick of gum, can be implanted under the skin. When it determines that an overdose has occurred, it rapidly pumps out a dose of naloxone.

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px Fentanyl mg A lethal dose in most people

New sensor is six orders of magnitude more sensitive than any electrochemical sensor for the deadly drug

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Synthetic opioids are one of the main drivers in overdose deaths in the United States. They are often mixed with other drugs, but because of their potency, they are often present in such small amounts that they can be hard to detect. The new sensor, developed by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, uses carbon nanotubes and gold nanoparticles to tell the most deadly drugs apart from others.

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Banisteriopsis caapi vine

Church of the Eagle and the Condor can now drink ayahuasca legally in the U.S.

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Ayahuasca is a psychoactive brew traditionally used by Indigenous cultures in the Amazon and Orinoco. It is now often used to help treat depression, PTSD, trauma, and other mental illnesses and to promote spiritual and emotional development. The Church of the Eagle and the Condor is officially the first non-Christian church in the U.S to obtain legal protections to use it as a sacrament.

Church of the Eagle and the Condor can now drink ayahuasca legally in the U.S. Read more

American Psychological Association building in D.C.

American Psychological Association takes a stand against bans on gender-affirming care for minors

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The resolution was approved by the organization’s Council of Representatives by a 153–9 vote, with one abstention, and represents a major refutation by the largest psychological association in the world of many of the anti-trans talking points that have been used to bolster efforts to ban gender-affirming care in states across the U.S.

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Golden Gate Bridge

Suicide-prevention net beneath Golden Gate Bridge completed

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A long-awaited suicide prevention barrier at the Golden Gate Bridge has been completed, marking the culmination of a tireless campaign by families who lost loved ones at the famous structure. Crews had been working to finish installing stainless steel nets on both sides of the bridge before a promised 2024 deadline.

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Person sitting on a bench overlooking sunset

Mindfulness program proves a secret weapon against post-traumatic stress, according to new study

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A new study from Australia’s Murdoch University evaluating the effectiveness of an eight-week program focusing on self-compassion and mindfulness found that it reduced symptoms of post-traumatic stress and improved quality of life and connectivity in parts of the brain that regulate emotions.

Mindfulness program proves a secret weapon against post-traumatic stress, according to new study Read more

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