rjmsci
rjmsci OP t1_j7py4pq wrote
Reply to A new study has explored changes to the gut microbiome in people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The study identified that people who were diagnosed with the condition less than four years previously have altered proportions of certain microbiota species. by rjmsci
Couldn't fit it in the title, but an interesting factor is that long-term ME/CFS patients had microbiota that looked like that of health controls. But instead they had metabolic alterations in their plasma - suggesting that changes in the microbiota may lead to long-term changes elsewhere. Also, correlation not causation, folks!
Link here: https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/fulltext/S1931-3128(23)00021-5
rjmsci OP t1_itzyvt0 wrote
Reply to Researchers have shown that individuals who are played a piano chord during sleep that was previously paired to a specialist form of nightmare therapy have happier dreams and fewer nightmares than those who didn't undergo previous pairing, showing that this approach can alter emotions in dreams. by rjmsci
rjmsci OP t1_isycf5q wrote
Reply to comment by Hike_it_Out52 in Natural Selection Driven by the Black Death Linked to Modern-Day Autoimmune Disease: Analysis of DNA from over 200 remains shows that the Black Death selected for immune gene variants that are also risk factors for autoimmune conditions like Crohn's disease. by rjmsci
Thanks!
rjmsci OP t1_isyb6bu wrote
Reply to Natural Selection Driven by the Black Death Linked to Modern-Day Autoimmune Disease: Analysis of DNA from over 200 remains shows that the Black Death selected for immune gene variants that are also risk factors for autoimmune conditions like Crohn's disease. by rjmsci
Sixth-grader explanation: We all have different types of genes, called alleles. Some alleles can be useful in certain situations. In medieval Eurasia, it seems that having some alleles helped people not die of the Black Death. That means that after the Black Death, those alleles became more common. However, nowadays, those more common alleles are now unhelpful as they may increase the risk of getting autoimmune conditions. Hope that helps!
rjmsci OP t1_isy2i0z wrote
Reply to Natural Selection Driven by the Black Death Linked to Modern-Day Autoimmune Disease: Analysis of DNA from over 200 remains shows that the Black Death selected for immune gene variants that are also risk factors for autoimmune conditions like Crohn's disease. by rjmsci
Here's the original study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05349-x
rjmsci OP t1_j8tpods wrote
Reply to comment by bannedPosts in Psychedelics activate the same receptors as serotonin, so why aren't we always tripping? Psychedelics may cause neuronal plasticity and relieve depression by activating intracellular serotonin receptors that serotonin itself cannot, suggests a new study. by rjmsci
I think quoting the Moncrieff paper is a mistake here - that's an article with an agenda. Depression is not caused by lowered serotonin activity, sure, but compounds that primarily modulate the serotonin system do relieve it. It's up to the field to unravel the mechanisms behind this. Do these intracellular 5ht2as kick off pathways that surface receptors don't? How do different serotonin agonists affect these receptors? This is exactly the kind of research the field needs to answer these questions.