Benzodiazepine

• STOCKHOLM, March 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Gabather AB (Nasdaq First North Growth Market: GABA) today reports initial positive results from the EEG/fMRI target engagement study, a double-blinded placebo-controlled, cross-over phase Ib study of Gabather's GABAA-receptor positive allosteric modulator, GT-002, in healthy volunteers.
• The study met the primary objective to confirm a favourable safety and tolerability profile of GT-002.
• The secondary objective to demonstrate target engagement in human brain was also met.
• The study clearly demonstrated that GT-002 is safe and well tolerated at dose levels expected to be effective for treatment of patients with neuropsychiatric disorders.

• As interest in psychedelics has grown, so has interest in ways to end a bad trip.
• Recent research reveals that people are giving potentially dangerous advice on social media on how to stop a trip that is less than pleasurable.
• One of the earliest descriptions of a psychedelic experience in western literature can be found in Aldous Huxley’s 1953 book The Doors of Perception.
• Research shows that if someone is in a bad mood or depressed then they are more likely to have a bad trip, as are people who take too high a dose.

Trip killers

• Few clinical studies have examined trip killers, but one has found that ketanserin – a drug used to treat high blood pressure – reverses the psychedelic effects of LSD.
• A recent article in the Emergency Medical Journal analysed posts on Reddit about trip killers.
• Trip killers were discussed most often for LSD (235 posts), magic mushrooms (143 posts) and MDMA (21 posts).

Receptor blocking

• To kill a trip then, one simply has to give the drug user another drug that blocks (rather than activates) the 5-HT2A receptor.
• Many prescription drugs can do this and they tend to be antipsychotic drugs.
• Quetiapine from the list above is one popular example, while another antipsychotic, olanzapine, was mentioned in 14 posts in that study.
• Similarly, the atypical antidepressants trazodone and mirtazapine also block the 5-HT2A receptor.

Colin Davidson has previously received funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH, USA) and the European Community for projects related to stimulant drug abuse and novel psychoactive compounds respectively. He is currently a paid consultant with the Defence Science Technology Laboratory (MOD) working on new psychoactive compounds.

• But experiencing a seizure does not always mean a person has epilepsy.
• Seizures can be provoked by acute head injuries, alcohol withdrawal and high blood sugar, among other things.

What does a seizure look like?

• For some people, their seizure is a purely internal sensation.
• In fact, most people with epilepsy have only relatively subtle, nonconvulsive seizures at first, then develop convulsive seizures over time.
• This is the type of seizure most of us are familiar with, probably because it’s the kind most frequently depicted, though not always accurately, in movies and on television.
• The most common type of epileptic seizure are those that are focal – that is, they arise from a confined region of the brain.

What causes a seizure to occur?

Seizures are the result of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The bursts of activity disrupt normal functioning and initiate hyperactivity in the affected brain area, which then can affect the corresponding body part. For instance, if the seizure arises from the part of the brain involved in arm movement, that arm will experience involuntary hyperactivity.

If you’re a bystander, how can you help?

• Many seizure-related injuries occur due to falling or coming in contact with sharp or hard objects.
• If they begin to fall, help them to the floor as gently as possible and put something soft under their head.
• During the convulsive phase of a seizure, breathing may be intermittent.
• So turn the person on their side so they can breathe more easily and lower the risk of aspiration.
• Following the seizure, and as the person gradually recovers and wakes up, help them sit up in a safe space.

Are new treatments available?

• People with epilepsy, particularly those who experience frequent seizures, will often have emergency medications in their possession.
• The most common emergency medications – also called seizure rescue medications – are a type of anticonvulsants called benzodiazepines.
• Patients and their caretakers may have access to rescue medications and know how to use them.

What if it’s not a seizure?

If a bystander does not witness a seizure, but instead finds someone unresponsive or minimally responsive, call 911. They may be suffering from other medical issues, such as a drug overdose. And if you are interested in training and certification for seizure first aid, or if you simply want to know more, the Epilepsy Foundation has more information.

• Jacob Pellinen has received research support from the Department of Neurology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, NIH/NINDS, and the American Epilepsy Society.
• J. Pellinen serves as chair of the professional advisory board for the Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado and Wyoming (unpaid), serves as the Epilepsy Section Editor for Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, and has received compensation for serving on the scientific advisory board for SK Life Science.

• Several biopharma companies are developing psychedelics-based treatments for various mental health conditions like Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
• It continued: "DelveInsight's analyst projects that among the total diagnosed prevalent cases of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in 7MM approximately 53% of cases were from the US.
• The Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) market is projected to witness consistent growth throughout the forecast period (2023–2032).
• The market size of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in the 7MM is expected to increase, driven by better diagnosis and the launch of emerging therapies."