Synaptogenesis and Psychedelics

[ShaggyFin]

This is Synaptogenesis, it basically means that new brain activity is being started. And new brain activity is connecting to old brain activity.

Synaptogenesis is the formation of synapses between neurons in the nervous system. Although it occurs throughout a healthy person's lifespan, an explosion of synapse formation occurs during early brain development. Synaptogenesis is particularly important during an individual's "critical periods" of life, during which there is a certain degree of neuronal pruning due to competition for neural growth factors by neurons and synapses. Processes that are not used, or inhibited during their critical period will fail to develop normally later on in life.[1]

My question is, are there any other Synaptogenesis promoters besides Ketamine or MXE?

Unprecedented recent interest has arisen in the dissociative anesthetic drug ketamine as a novel antidepressant presumably acting through synaptogenesis, NMDA antagonism, and glutamate pathways. Mainstream journals such as Science, several clinical studies, and even a few psychiatric tabloids have touted its potential virtues and hazards and have established a basis for clinical use in the treatment of intractable depression. This presentation will share the results of a replication of the ketamine protocol historically employed by the National Institute of Mental Health and others for treatment of depression, in seven volunteers. Comparative data will be presented enabling a view of the drug’s potentialities for psychiatric/psychotherapeutic use across the dosage spectrum. With ketamine, the main effect is an ascending level of anesthesia with provocation of unique psychedelic effects in a range above the mild anesthesia of the IV infusion procedure, and continuing up to more profound anesthesia and loss of consciousness. Dosage by body weight does not necessarily coincide with psychedelic effect, this being a product of the specific sensitivity of the recipient and actual dosage administered. This presentation will include an open discussion of the effects of ketamine and different modes of delivery.

 

[xx001]

I have heard of this with cannabis but I don't have any sources on hand.

 

[ShaggyFin]

I have heard of this with cannabis but I don't have any sources on hand.

Actually, with Cannabis it is "Neurogenesis", the birth of new Neurons or "Brain Cells".

 

[Solipsis]

This reminds me of substances like Noopept, Semax and Selank which are associated with promotion of neurotrophic factors

Though you (and I) should not mistake the formation of new synapses or neurons for the formation of a new pattern of connections. New branches of neurons are made spontaneously I think - but these connections are being continuously refreshed and updated. Connections that serve a purpose are reinforced while useless connections are lost.

Taking a lot of psychedelics I guess might potentially reinforce the existence of more cross-connections because the brain is tricked into thinking that there are more connections that serve a purpose. I believe that this is also associated with the concept of 'latent inhibition'. A higher level of latent inhibition could correspond with a more rigorous or merciless purging of synapses while lower levels would allow more cross-connections to be sustained.

I also read very interesting things about glia (I think in the New Scientist), and that they could serve a special purpose in such cross-connecting.

Unfortunately all this is at the risk of junk science since most of us (that should include me) don't have the level of understanding / knowledge about the relationship between neurology and consciousness to make any substantial claims about all this.

Oh, I seem to have made a relevant 'connection' :

Glia ought not to be regarded as "glue" in the nervous system as the name implies; rather, they are more of a partner to neurons.[8] They are also crucial in the development of the nervous system and in processes such as synaptic plasticity and synaptogenesis

 

[ShaggyFin]

This reminds me of substances like Noopept, Semax and Selank which are associated with promotion of neurotrophic factors

Though you (and I) should not mistake the formation of new synapses or neurons for the formation of a new pattern of connections. New branches of neurons are made spontaneously I think - but these connections are being continuously refreshed and updated. Connections that serve a purpose are reinforced while useless connections are lost.

Taking a lot of psychedelics I guess might potentially reinforce the existence of more cross-connections because the brain is tricked into thinking that there are more connections that serve a purpose. I believe that this is also associated with the concept of 'latent inhibition'. A higher level of latent inhibition could correspond with a more rigorous or merciless purging of synapses while lower levels would allow more cross-connections to be sustained.

I also read very interesting things about glia (I think in the New Scientist), and that they could serve a special purpose in such cross-connecting.

Unfortunately all this is at the risk of junk science since most of us (that should include me) have the level of understanding / knowledge about the relationship between neurology and consciousness to make any substantial claims about all this.

Oh, I seem to have made a relevant 'connection' :

I'm not exactly how it works, but if you read the studies about Ketamine, it sounds like it can rebuild brains.

 

[zn13bt]

Unfortunately all this is at the risk of junk science since most of us (that should include me) have the level of understanding / knowledge about the relationship between neurology and consciousness to make any substantial claims about all this.

I think that by repeatedly using drugs to change our own consciousness, and discussing the results, we are developing a tacit understanding of the dynamics of that process which can complement the more rigorous neurological research being published in scientific journals.

 

[RobotRipping]

well this is just anecdotal but i have a certain degree of synesthesia that is permanent from psychedelic use. It's not as consistent or clear as others who have it naturally, nevertheless my brain seems to have developed a connection between the parts of the brain associated with the senses (they are close together anyway but i reason that they have somehow connected causing my synesthesia). I think that's the leading theory of how synethesia occurs, so IMO it's possible but certainly needs more research in regards to psychedelics in particular.

sorry if this is junk science lol but i'm not a scientist

 

[Solipsis]

Things like synaesthesia, cross-chatter phenomena... are not just about the connections - which are there by default - but rather the coherence of fields of electrical activity or circuits, at least I think that is how such things are currently thought of.
Emphasis on coherence... that seems to be the key.

What kind of modalities are involved with your synaesthesia? Is it transient? progressive? Consistent?

 

[RobotRipping]

i'd say progressive but only because my use of psychedelics is progressive

i just remember watching the brainman documentary on daniel tammet the other day and they figured his synesthesia was a result of his seizures as a child which basically caused some connection between the part of the brain responsible for numbers/maths and the ones close by like colour, texture, feeling, and somehow emotion (like how taste and memory are linked because they are close in proximity to each other). Sorry that isn't much of a scientific explanation lol but i just remember a picture of the brain and where these things are in relation to each other and like electricity connecting them together, like a neural pathway or something.

I experience mostly sound/colour and taste together, like the sounds of an A4 note has a sort of bluish color to it while at a higher octave it will be brighter, and E is generally green/yellowish and darker or brighter depending on the frequency. Of course you can just learn those associations but that's just one example that comes intuitively to me.

Sometimes i have ideas/memories that i associate colours with intuitively as well, kind of hard to explain but it's insanely heightened with psychedelics. It's not always consistent though.

With music, i'm pretty on but my synesthesia is nothing compared to Daniel Tammet's though, where he is completely consistent. Interesting anyway that it's possible to achieve this somehow and psychedelics may be a way to do it without having brain abnormalities or seizures from birth or an accident.

 

[Solipsis]

Pretty interesting stuff..

Works by Oliver Sacks are excellent reads if you are not familiar with him yet, not only on this topic but other fascinating manifestations of neurology as well.