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The Tim Ferriss Show
#507: Dr. Adam Gazzaley, UCSF — Brain Optimization and The Future of Psychedelic Medicine
Mar 30, 2021
01:44:54
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Quick takeaways
- Neuroscape is launching a division for psychedelic research, focusing on the effects of psychedelics and the role of set and setting.
- Neuroscape aims to optimize the delivery of psychedelic experiences through real-time recording of physiological and behavioral responses.
- Using multimodal biosensing, Neuroscape seeks to understand an individual's state during psychedelic treatment and personalize interventions.
- Neuroscape is exploring the impact of multi-sensory elements in inducing positive outcomes during psychedelic experiences.
Deep dives
Neuroscape Launches New Division for Psychedelic Research
Neuroscape has announced the launch of a new division focused on psychedelic research, with Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris as the director. The division will explore the effects of psychedelics and the role of set and setting in inducing positive outcomes. Neuroscape's capabilities in multi-modal biosensing and technology integration will be utilized to understand and optimize the delivery of psychedelic experiences. Real-time state recording through multimodal biosensing will provide insights into an individual's physiological and behavioral responses during a treatment, helping create personalized and effective interventions.
Personalized Experiential Medicine - Filling the Gap in Psychedelic Research
The middle ground between basic science and clinical trials in psychedelic research is largely unexplored. Neuroscape aims to bridge this gap by optimizing the delivery of psychedelic experiences. With a focus on set and setting, Neuroscape plans to use their expertise in multi-modal biosensing and technology integration to record an individual's physiological and behavioral responses in real time during a treatment. Machine learning techniques will help identify meaningful patterns, enabling a comprehensive understanding of an individual's experience landscape.
Real-time State Recording through Multimodal Biosensing
Neuroscape's approach involves using multimodal biosensing, including high-density EEG, facial expression analysis, electrodermal activity, heart rate variability, and more, to record an individual's state during a psychedelic treatment. By integrating and analyzing this data in real time, Neuroscape aims to determine an individual's level of arousal, the valence of their experience, their stress levels, attentional focus, and even their awareness. This technology has the potential to provide valuable insights into the effects of psychedelics and personalize treatment interventions.
Optimizing Set and Setting for Psychedelic Experiences
Neuroscape seeks to expand the understanding of set and setting in psychedelic experiences. By exploring factors beyond blindfolding and music, such as smell, touch, and other sensory elements, Neuroscape aims to identify the optimal conditions for inducing positive outcomes. Technology integration and data analysis will help uncover the relationship between different elements of set and setting and their impact on the psychedelic experience. This knowledge will contribute to creating more effective and personalized interventions.
Exploring the Importance of Experience and Context in Mental Health Treatments
The podcast episode discusses the significance of using technology to understand the state of individuals undergoing treatment and manipulating the context of the treatment environment. It emphasizes the need to explore the use of multi-sensory integration, such as visual and auditory stimuli, in order to enhance the treatment experience. The episode highlights the unexplored connection between treatment experiences and outcomes and the potential benefits of creating personalized and guided psychedelic experiences. The aim is to develop data-driven tools that can improve the effectiveness of therapists in helping their patients, rather than replacing human intervention.
The Power of Experience and Neuroplasticity in Mental Health Treatment
The podcast delves into the role of experience in transforming the brain and creating change. It emphasizes that experiences, whether mediated by compounds like psychedelics or technology like virtual reality, have the potential to positively impact mental health. The episode explores how psychedelic compounds, by altering large-scale brain networks and inducing plasticity, can lead to profound shifts in self-perception, relationship to the world, and consciousness. It highlights the need for experiential medicine in mental health treatment and the concept of closed-loop systems, where real-time data about a participant's state is used to guide and customize the psychedelic experience in a controlled and nurturing manner.
The Future of Experiential Medicine and the Importance of Collaboration
The podcast episode concludes by calling for an open-minded approach to the future of mental health treatment. It acknowledges the immense suffering that exists and the need for creative solutions to address it. The episode highlights the importance of collaboration between different perspectives, including indigenous healing practices, scientific research, and technological advancements. It emphasizes the value of sharing knowledge, expertise, and real-world data to inform research and create more effective and accessible treatments. The episode also invites listeners to support the work being done at Neuroscape through education, philanthropy, and contribution to their research endeavors.
Dr. Adam Gazzaley, UCSF — Brain Optimization and The Future of Psychedelic Medicine | Brought to you by Wealthfront automated investing, ExpressVPN virtual private network service, and Allform premium, modular furniture.
Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD (@adamgazz), is the David Dolby Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Physiology, and Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, and the founder and executive director of Neuroscape, a translational neuroscience center engaged in technology development and scientific research of novel brain assessments and optimization tools. Adam is co-founder and chief science advisor of Akili Interactive, Sensync, and JAZZ Venture Partners. He has been a scientific adviser for more than a dozen technology companies, including Apple, GE, Nielsen, and Deloitte.
Adam has filed multiple patents — notably his invention of the first video game cleared by the FDA — authored more than 150 scientific articles, and delivered over 675 invited presentations around the world. He wrote and hosted the nationally televised PBS special The Distracted Mind with Dr. Adam Gazzaley and co-authored The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World, winner of the 2017 PROSE Award. Adam has received many awards and honors, including the 2015 Science Educator Award and the 2020 Global Gaming Citizen Honor.
Visit this page to learn more about the Neuroscape Psychedelic Division, which is dedicated to advancing the field of psychedelic science and medicine through multi-level research covering basic to translational to clinical science.
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