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
Stress & Psilocybin: Effects on Maternal Care & Offspring Development | Danielle Stolzenberg | 270
Neurobiology of maternal care in mammals: hormonal influences, stress effects & a study on psilocybin's unexpected effects during the postpartum period.
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Topics Discussed:
- Maternal care behavior in rodents: Nursing, pup retrieval, grooming, and nest-building, essential for altricial pups’ survival; conserved across mammals but varies by species.
- Hormonal changes in pregnancy: Estradiol and progesterone surge then drop at birth, crossing the blood-brain barrier to enable infant attraction and care via gene expression and neuroplasticity.
- Brain circuitry for parenting: Medial preoptic area acts as a central hub, coordinating motivation and sensory inputs; present in both sexes but activated differently by hormones and experience.
- Stress impacts on mothers: Social stressors like male intruders dysregulate care, leading to frantic behaviors and avoidance; models human psychosocial stress linked to postpartum mood disorders.
- Sex differences in pup care: Mothers groom male pups more, influencing sexual behaviors, which effects future behavior.
- Psilocybin in postpartum mice: Single dose increased anxiety in mothers, showed no antidepressant effects, and transferred via milk, causing long-term anhedonia and impairments in offspring as adults.
- Serotonin system development: Early exposure to serotonergic drugs like psilocybin or SSRIs alters lifelong behavior, highlighting sensitive periods in brain reorganization.
Practical Takeaways:
- Reduce postpartum stress through social support to enhance maternal bonding and minimize mood disorder risks.
- Approach psychedelics cautiously during postpartum due to potential anxiety increases and offspring effects via milk.
- Recognize hormonal shifts heighten sensitivity to infant cues, aiding natural caregiving instincts.
- Monitor environmental factors like food availability or threats that could disrupt parental behaviors in high-stress scenarios.
About the guest: Danielle Stolzenberg, PhD is an associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis, where her lab studies the neurobiology of maternal care.
Reference Paper:
- Study: Psilocybin during the postpartum period induces long-lasting adverse e
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