Teachable moment in classrooms:
- nervous system chapter – grey and white matter structures of the brain
- nervous system chapter – neurons communicate with each other using synapses
- nervous system chapter – neurons communicate through neurotransmitters such as serotonin
The news item: Recently the following report appeared online:
What to know about ibogaine as Texas lawmakers eye clinical trial
Texas lawmakers are eyeing clinical trial for ibogaine as President Trump signed an executive order to speed up research into psychedelic drugs for veterans.
The article states that a chemical called ibogaine is derived from an African shrub, and that ibogaine can reduce depression, PTSD, anxiety and improves functionality in people with traumatic brain injury.
So, Why Do I Care?? Depression, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and traumatic brain injury lower the quality of life for tens of millions of people. The affected people are unable to perform at work, to maintain personal relationships, and function in society. Despite the availability of several medications for those conditions, many people find no relief from the available treatment options. Ibogaine offers a possible remedy for those people.
Plain English, Please!!! First, let’s talk about where ibogaine interacts with the body. The ibogaine molecule is a small organic molecule derived from an African shrub, Tabernanthe iboga. Ibogaine and its metabolite, noribogaine, bind strongest to specific anatomical areas of the brain, such as the cortex, and the hippocampus, among others. These structures are all made up by grey matter, meaning they are dominated by dense networks of neuronal bodies and synapses.
Second, let’s talk about the molecular targets of ibogaine. Within the anatomical regions mentioned above, ibogaine binds to several molecules on the surface of the neurons, the wide range of molecular interactions explain the wide-ranging effects on the nervous system. Binding sites include: