BBC Focus - 03.2020

DISCOVERIES

Psychedelic compound may boost

wellbeing of cancer patients

Aone-time,single-dosetreatment

ofpsilocybin(a compoundfoundin

psychedelicmushrooms)combinedwith

psychotherapyappearstohelpwith

anxietyanddepressionincancerpatients

for up to five years,accordingto research

at NYUGrossmanSchoolofMedicine.

Ina landmarkstudycarriedoutin

2016,theteamfoundthatpsilocybin

combinedwithpsychotherapysessions

producedimmediate,substantialand

sustainedimprovementsin anxiety

anddepressionandledtodecreases

incancer-relateddemoralisationand

hopelessness,improvedspiritual

wellbeing,andincreasedqualityoflifein

a groupof 29 cancerpatients.Sixmonths

latertheyfoundthat 60 percentto 80

per centof participantshad significant

reductionsindepressionoranxiety,

sustainedbenefitsin existentialdistress

and qualityof life,as wellas improved

attitudestowarddeath.

Now,in a follow-upstudyfive years

later,morethan 70 percentofthe

participantssaidthepsilocybin-assisted

therapybroughtlong-termpositivelife

changesandratedit asamongthemost

personallymeaningfulandspiritually

significantexperiencesof theirlives

“Addingto evidencedatingback

as earlyas the 1950s,our findings

strongly suggest that psilocybin therapy

is a promisingmeansof improving

theemotional,psychologicaland

spiritualwellbeingofpatientswithlife-

threateningcancer,”saidleadresearcher

DrStephenRoss.“Thisapproachhasthe

potentialtoproducea paradigmshiftin

thepsychologicalandexistentialcare

ofpatientswithcancer,especiallythose

withterminalillness.”

Althoughtheexactwaypsilocybin

worksis notfullyunderstood,the

researchersbelieveit can makethe brain

moreflexibleand receptiveto newideas

and thoughtpatterns.Previousresearch

indicatesthatit targetsa networkof

thebrainknownasthedefaultmode

network,whichbecomesactivated

whenwe engagein self-reflectionand

mindwandering,andhelpstocreateour

senseofself.Inpatientswithanxiety

anddepression,thisnetworkbecomes

hyperactivegivingrise to ruminationand

worry.Psilocybinappearsto shiftactivity

inthisnetworkandhelpspeopletotake

a morebroadenedperspectiveon their

behavioursand lives.

However,the researcherswarnagainst

anyattempttoself-medicateusing

psilocybin,notingthatit shouldbetaken

ina controlledandpsychologicallysafe

setting,preferablyinconjunctionwith

counsellingfromtrainedmental health

practitioners or facilitators.

PSYCHOLOGY

GET T Y IMAGES X3 ILLUSTRATIONS: JOE WALDRON

NERVOUSFLYERS

Breatheeasy,nervousflyers,it’sneverbeen

safertoflyoncommercialairlines,a studyat

MIThasfound.Passengerfatalitiesbetween

2008 and 2017 felltoonein nearlyeight

millionboardings.That’sdownfromonein 2.

millionbetween 1998 and2007,andonein 1.

million between 1988 and 1997.

CYCLISTS

It’stimetosqueezeintosomeLycra:cyclingto

workcanreduceyourlikelihoodofdyingbyup

to13 percent,a studybytheUniversityof

Otagoin NewZealandhasfound.Therewas

noreductionin mortalityforthosewho

walked or took public transport.

CITYSLICKERS

Growingupin citiesmaynegativelyaffectour

senseofdirection,datacollectedbythe

mobilegameSeaHeroQuestsuggests.After

analysingdatafromalmosthalfa million

peoplefrom 38 countries,a teamfromthe

FrenchNationalCentreforScientificResearch

foundthatthosewhogrowupin the

countryside are better navigators.

WINELOVERS

Hottertemperaturesduetoclimatechange

couldmakeuptohalfofwine-producing

regionsunsuitableforplantinggrapes,a study

at theUniversityofBritishColumbiahas

found.However,switchingtohardiergrape

varietiescouldlessentheimpact.

Bad month

Good month

WARNING

Psychedelic‘magic’

mushroomsarea

ClassA drug

accordingtoUKlaw.

Anyonecaughtin

possessionofsuch

substanceswillface

uptosevenyearsin

prison,anunlimited

fine,orboth.Infoand

supportforthose

affectedby

substanceabuse

problemscan

befoundat

bit.ly/drug_support