Huberman Lab

Dr. Karl Deisseroth: Understanding & Healing the Mind

Jun 28, 2021

Dr. Karl Deisseroth, a clinical psychiatrist and Stanford bioengineering lab director, shares his groundbreaking work in mental health. He discusses innovations like optogenetics, offering hope for conditions from ADHD to schizophrenia. Karl reveals the importance of personal connections in therapy and how insights from psychedelics could transform treatment paradigms. He also highlights the vital relationship between brain structure and mental health, emphasizing the need for tailored approaches to psychiatric care.

02:00:23

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Karl Deisseroth

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Quick takeaways

Channel opsins derived from algae have the potential to revolutionize psychiatric treatments by allowing for precise control of neuron activity using light.

Advancements in optogenetics, including the use of channel opsins, offer an opportunity to increase understanding and develop more precise and effective treatments for psychiatric disorders by targeting specific circuits and cells in the brain.

Optogenetic interventions, particularly with channel opsins, hold promise for more targeted and personalized treatments, although further research is needed to deepen our understanding and refine the methodology for delivering light stimulation.

Psychodelic medicine, such as psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin, provides unique opportunities for the treatment of psychiatric conditions by altering brain circuitry and enhancing emotional connectedness, but rigorous research and careful administration are necessary.

Deep dives

Channel opsins and their potential in treating psychiatric illnesses

Channel opsins, proteins derived from algae, have the potential to revolutionize the treatment of psychiatric illnesses and nervous system disorders. These proteins can be introduced into the nervous systems of animals and humans, allowing for precise control of neuron activity in the brain and body using light. Unlike traditional drug treatments, channel opsins offer a more targeted approach, avoiding side effects and increasing treatment efficacy. They have shown promise in the treatment of depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy, and other conditions. Recent advancements have even enabled the restoration of vision in a blind patient using channel opsins. While further research is needed, this transformative technology has the potential to greatly impact the fields of psychiatry and mental health in the future.

Is it a Good Thing?

00:24

How to Detect Mood Changes in Voiceless Patients

01:39

Understanding the Complexity of Animal Brain Studies

01:00

Plant Behavior

01:58

Intro

4min

Exploring the Gut Microbiome's Impact on Health and Performance

2min

Exploring Meditation and Mindfulness with Waking Up App

2min

Navigating the Complexities of Psychiatry and Neurology

15min

Innovations in Psychiatric Treatment

19min

Journey into Psychiatry and Neuroscience

19min

Decoding Emotions: Eye Movement and Body Language

7min

Complexities of Neuropharmacology and Innovation in Treatment

11min

Navigating ADHD: Insights and Innovations

16min

10.

Exploring Brain Transparency and Psychedelic Insights

21min

11.

The Importance of Connection in Psychoanalysis and Psychiatry

3min

12.

Exploring Human Emotions Through Rigor and Storytelling

3min

Dr. Karl Deisseroth, MD, PhD, is a clinical psychiatrist and scientist who directs a bioengineering research laboratory at Stanford University School of Medicine. His work aims to understand and develop treatments for disorders of the mind such as depression, attention deficit disorders (ADHD & ADD), autism, schizophrenia, anxiety, eating disorders, borderline personality and obsessive-compulsive disorder. We discuss his experience treating his patients and his laboratory’s mission to find and develop cures for mental disease and tools for probing how the brain works.

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

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Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction

00:03:47 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up

00:07:41 Using Language to Understand the Mind

00:12:19 Blood Tests For Mental Disease

00:13:38 The Largest Challenges Facing Treatment of Mental Health

00:20:21 Predicting Depression & Suicide

00:22:47 Drugs That Work for Brain Illness

00:27:01 What Would A Cure For the Broken Mind Look Like?

00:32:23 Channelopsins: Tools For Understanding & Treating the Mind

00:39:10 Curing Blindness with Channelopsins

00:41:58 Why Karl Became a Scientist

00:47:10 Vagus Nerve In Depression

00:54:12 Challenges To Overcome for Treating Mental Illness with Channelopsins

00:58:34 Using the Dialogue with Patients to Guide Treatment

01:00:52 How Our Eyes Reveal Our Mental Health

01:06:04 Controlling Structures Deep In the Brain

01:08:23 The Most Effective Drugs Often Have the Most Side Effects

01:09:50 Do Psychiatrists Take the Drugs They Prescribe

01:14:15 Moving From Experimental Tools To Novel Treatments

01:16:00 Brain-Machine Interfaces & Neuralink

01:19:30 ADHD & Dr. Deisseroth’s Approach To Focusing His Mind

01:26:36 How Dr. Deisseroth Balances A Career In Medicine, Science & Family

01:35:41 New Ways of Exploring Brains: CLARITY

01:38:49 What Is Special About the Human Brain?

01:46:03 Psychedelics

01:54:12 MDMA

01:57:15 Dr. Deisseroth’s New Book “Projections: A Story of Emotions”

01:59:42 Connecting with Dr. Deisseroth on Twitter

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Huberman Lab

Dr. Karl Deisseroth: Understanding & Healing the Mind

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Channel opsins and their potential in treating psychiatric illnesses

The need for a better understanding of psychiatric disorders

Current limitations in psychiatric treatments

The potential of optogenetics for targeted brain stimulation

The Power of Psychodelic Medicine

The Potential of MDMA in Trauma Treatment

Exploring Dissociation and Optogenetics

Optimism for the Future of Psychiatry

Is it a Good Thing?

How to Detect Mood Changes in Voiceless Patients

Understanding the Complexity of Animal Brain Studies

Plant Behavior

Thank you to our sponsors

Timestamps

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts