Mind & Matter
Whether food, drugs or ideas, what you consume influences who you become. Learn directly from the best scientists & thinkers alive today about how your mind-body reacts to what you feed it.
The weekly M&M podcast features conversations with the most interesting scientists, thinkers, and technology entrepreneurs alive today.
Not medical advice.
At M&M, we are interested in trying to figure out how things work, not affirming our existing beliefs. We prefer consulting primary rather than secondary sources and independent rather than institutional voices. If we encounter uncomfortable truths or the evidence suggests unfashionable ideas may be valid, so be it.
As the host, my aim is to help you better understand how the body & mind work by curating & synthesizing information in a way that yields science-based insights that you can choose to use or disregard in your own life. Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
I am motivated to connect the dots and distill general principles from what I learn, preferring to ask questions and play devil’s advocate to debating or incessantly pushing my own viewpoint.
My beliefs:
- Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
- All knowledge is provisional and we must work hard to prevent ourselves from becoming attached to our favorite ideas & preferred conclusions.
- Wisdom comes from an iterative, trial-and-error process of learning and unlearning. Letting go of pre-conceived notions can be painful, but pain is information.
Sometimes modern discoveries teach us we must unlearn received wisdom. Other times, modern information overload & historical chauvinism cause us to forget ancient wisdom which stills applies. The framework for learning that I embody is inspired by three Ancient Greek maxims inscribed in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi:
- “Γνῶθι σεαυτόν” (Know thyself)
- “Μηδὲν ἄγαν” (Nothing in excess)
- “Ἐγγύα πάρα δ Ἄτα” (Certainty brings insanity)
Mind & Matter
Pregnenolone & Corticosteroids in the Brain | Sherwood Brown | Episode 293
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Pregnenolone, a neurosteroid derived from cholesterol, affects brain activity and shows promise for treating mood and substance abuse disorders.
TOPICS DISCUSSED:
- Steroid Biosynthesis: Cholesterol converted to pregnenolone, the precursor for all steroid hormones including cortisol, aldosterone, and sex hormones.
- Corticosteroids: Synthetic versions like prednisone primarily target glucocorticoid receptors for anti-inflammatory uses but can impact mood and cognition.
- Pregnenolone Mechanisms: Positive allosteric modulator of NMDA receptors for cognition and negative allosteric modulator of CB1 cannabinoid receptors.
- Allopregnanolone: GABAergic derivative of pregnenolone; its IV form Brexanolone is FDA-approved for postpartum depression.
- Clinical Trials: Pregnenolone at 100-500 mg improved depressive symptoms in placebo-controlled studies of bipolar disorder patients.
- Cannabis Interaction: THC robustly induces brain pregnenolone production; supplementation may reduce cannabis and alcohol use.
- Corticosteroid Brain Impact: Prednisone use associated with smaller hippocampal volumes and memory deficits.
ABOUT THE GUEST: Sherwood Brown, MD, PhD is Vice Chair for Clinical Research in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. With a background in chemistry, his research focuses on steroids and comorbidities in people with mood disorders.
RELATED EPISODE:
- M&M 124: Hormonal Contraception, Sex Hormones, Menstruation, Pregnancy, Puberty, Estrogens, Androgens, Effects of Birth Control on Cognition | Adriene Beltz
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