The effects of psilocybin on cognitive and emotional functions in healthy participants : Results from a phase 1, randomised, placebo-controlled trial involving simultaneous psilocybin administration and preparation

Background: Psilocybin, a psychoactive serotonin receptor partial agonist, has been reported to acutely reduce clinical symptoms of depressive disorders. Psilocybin's effects on cognitive function have not been widely or systematically studied. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the safety of simultaneous administration of psilocybin to healthy participants in the largest randomised controlled trial of psilocybin to date. Primary and secondary endpoints assessed the short- and longer-term change in cognitive functioning, as assessed by a Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) Panel, and emotional processing scales. Safety was assessed via endpoints which included cognitive function, assessed by CANTAB global composite score, and treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE) monitoring. Methods: In this phase 1, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, healthy participants (n=89; mean age 36.1 years; 41 females, 48 males) were randomised to receive a single oral dose of 10 or 25 mg psilocybin, or placebo, administered simultaneously to up to six participants, with one-to-one psychological support - each participant having an assigned, dedicated therapist available throughout the session. Results: In total, 511 TEAEs were reported, with a median duration of 1.0 day; 67% of all TEAEs started and resolved on the day of administration. There were no serious TEAEs, and none led to study withdrawal. There were no clinically relevant between-group differences in CANTAB global composite score, CANTAB cognitive domain scores, or emotional processing scale scores. Conclusions: These results indicate that 10 mg and 25 mg doses of psilocybin were generally well tolerated when given to up to six participants simultaneously and did not have any detrimental short- or long-term effects on cognitive functioning or emotional processing.Peer reviewe

Low wintertime vitamin D levels in a sample of healthy young adults of diverse ancestry living in the Toronto area: associations with vitamin D intake and skin pigmentation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Vitamin D plays a critical role in bone metabolism and many cellular and immunological processes. Recent research indicates that concentrations of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], the main indicator of vitamin D status, should be in excess of 75 nmol/L. Low levels of 25(OH)D have been associated with several chronic and infectious diseases. Previous studies have reported that many otherwise healthy adults of European ancestry living in Canada have low vitamin D concentrations during the wintertime. However, those of non-European ancestry are at a higher risk of having low vitamin D levels. The main goal of this study was to examine the vitamin D status and vitamin D intake of young Canadian adults of diverse ancestry during the winter months.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>One hundred and seven (107) healthy young adults self-reporting their ancestry were recruited for this study. Each participant was tested for serum 25(OH)D concentrations and related biochemistry, skin pigmentation indices and basic anthropometric measures. A seven-day food diary was used to assess their vitamin D intake. An ANOVA was used to test for significant differences in the variables among groups of different ancestry. Linear regression was employed to assess the impact of relevant variables on serum 25(OH)D concentrations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>More than 93% of the total sample had concentrations below 75 nmol/L. Almost three-quarters of the subjects had concentrations below 50 nmol/L. There were significant differences in serum 25(OH)D levels (p < 0.001) and vitamin D intake (p = 0.034) between population groups. Only the European group had a mean vitamin D intake exceeding the current Recommended Adequate Intake (RAI = 200 IU/day). Total vitamin D intake (from diet and supplements) was significantly associated with 25(OH)D levels (p < 0.001). Skin pigmentation, assessed by measuring skin melanin content, showed an inverse relationship with serum 25(OH)D (p = 0.033).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We observe that low vitamin D levels are more prevalent in our sample of young healthy adults than previously reported, particularly amongst those of non-European ancestry. Major factors influencing 25(OH)D levels were vitamin D intake and skin pigmentation. These data suggest a need to increase vitamin D intake either through improved fortification and/or supplementation.</p

Pooling job physical exposure data from multiple independent studies in a consortium study of carpal tunnel syndrome

Pooling data from different epidemiological studies of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) is necessary to improve statistical power and to more precisely quantify exposure–response relationships for MSDs. The pooling process is difficult and time-consuming, and small methodological differences could lead to different exposure–response relationships. A subcommittee of a six-study research consortium studying carpal tunnel syndrome: (i) visited each study site, (ii) documented methods used to collect physical exposure data and (iii) determined compatibility of exposure variables across studies. Certain measures of force, frequency of exertion and duty cycle were collected by all studies and were largely compatible. A portion of studies had detailed data to investigate simultaneous combinations of force, frequency and duration of exertions. Limited compatibility was found for hand/wrist posture. Only two studies could calculate compatible Strain Index scores, but Threshold Limit Value for Hand Activity Level could be determined for all studies. Challenges of pooling data, resources required and recommendations for future researchers are discussed

A Comparison of Discrimination Learning, Using Auditory Versus Auditory and Visual Training Procedures

The purpose of this study was to determine if an autistic child who had been nonverbal, and who had a history of failure to make auditory discriminations, would rely on visual cues rather than auditory cues in making speech discriminations. It was hypothesized that she would learn to articulate more correctly those words presented with concomitant visual cues than the ones with visual cues absent

A simple method to fluorescently label pericytes in the CNS and skeletal muscle.

Pericytes play important roles in vascular control and may form an important part of the blood brain barrier. Here we introduce a simple method for fluorescently labelling pericytes to enable further studies in live or fixed tissue of rats and mice. Following intraperitoneal injection, the fluorescent tracer Fluorogold was rapidly taken up into vascular endothelial cells, and within 3hours in the central nervous system appeared within small perivascular cells with a morphology consistent with pericytes. These Fluorogold labelled cells were pericytes since they displayed immunoreactivity for platelet derived growth factor receptor beta and were closely associated with isolectin B4 binding to endothelial cells. Pericytes in skeletal muscle were also labelled with this method, but not those within the heart, lungs or kidney. This simple method could therefore be applied for labelling pericytes in a wide variety of studies, including live cell imaging or immunohistochemistry

University-driven inclusive innovations in the Western Cape of South Africa: Towards a research framework of innovation regimes

Merit, Expertise and Measuremen