Anxiety
Episodes
Dr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
In this clip, Dr. Roland Griffiths describes the current state of research on psychedelic drugs.
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Rhonda Exercise Brain Alzheimer's Cancer Telomeres Probiotics Fasting Pregnancy Coffee Anxiety Dementia Sulforaphane Sauna COVID-19 Supplements Ketogenic DietDr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Rhonda Vitamin D Brain Microbiome Depression Probiotics Fasting Coffee Anxiety Sauna Iron Blood Sugar COVID-19 Cardiovascular Ketogenic DietDr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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In this clip, Dr. Roland Griffiths describes the current state of research on psychedelic drugs.
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Drs. Rhonda Patrick and Jari Laukkanen discuss the benefits of sauna use in terms of cardiorespiratory fitness and mood.
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Dr. Matthew Walker discusses the role that sleep plays in modulating the gut microbiome.
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Dr. Matthew Walker discusses how anxiety affects sleep and identifies ways to manage that stress to improve sleep.
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Dr. Matthew Walker describes critical factors that influence healthy sleep patterns, including the intake of caffeine, alcohol, and other substances.
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Heat Stress Exercise Brain Aging Performance Heart Disease Depression Memory Anxiety Cold Stress MortalityThis episode is a presentation Dr. Rhonda Patrick delivered at the Biohacker Summit in Helsinki, Finland in 2016.
Topic Pages
News & Publications
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Exercise boosts neurogenesis—fading fear-based memories and reducing PTSD-related behaviors, a mouse study finds. www.nature.com
In people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic experiences can resurface as vivid flashbacks and intense avoidance, often lasting months or even years. While therapy and medications can help, many people don’t respond fully. A recent study in mice found that exercise enhances the brain’s natural ability to forget, reducing trauma-related behaviors.
Researchers used a mouse model of PTSD to test whether increasing neurogenesis—the process of forming new neurons—could weaken fear-based memories. They focused on the hippocampus, a brain region that links memories to specific places and contexts. They used several strategies to stimulate neurogenesis, including voluntary exercise, targeted genetic techniques, and drug-based interventions designed to promote the growth and integration of new neurons.
They found that when the animals' neurogenesis increased, their fear-based memories faded more quickly, and PTSD-related behaviors, such as heightened anxiety and exaggerated fear responses, became less severe. Exercise proved especially effective, not only reducing fear but also easing anxiety-like behaviors. The same neurogenesis-boosting strategies also weakened reward-based memories associated with drug exposure, suggesting this approach could help in treating addiction.
These findings indicate that enhancing the brain’s natural ability to reorganize itself—particularly through interventions like exercise—helps weaken persistent, harmful memories, offering a promising new approach to treating PTSD and substance use disorders by focusing on memory mechanisms rather than just symptoms. Evidence suggests psychedelic drugs may be beneficial in treating PTSD, too. Learn more in this clip featuring Dr. Roland Griffiths.
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Misaligned sleep patterns and natural sleep preferences increase mental health risk, hinting at the crucial role of sleep timing and chronotype consistency for healthy aging. www.sciencedirect.com
The timing of when a person sleeps—not just how long—plays a vital role in mental health, influencing mood, cognitive function, and overall well-being. A recent study found that misalignment between bedtime and natural sleep preferences can increase the risk of mental health disorders like depression and anxiety.
Researchers identified the chronotype—whether they were morning or evening types—of nearly 74,000 middle-aged and older adults enrolled in the UK Biobank. They tracked sleep patterns using accelerometry and evaluated their sleep and chronotype alignment. They assessed mental health outcomes through standard diagnostic codes.
They found that morning types who went to bed late had a greater risk of mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety, than those whose sleep timing matched their chronotype. Interestingly, evening types who went to bed early had a lower risk of depression and a trend toward reduced risks of other mental health issues.
These findings suggest a mismatch between one’s biological preferences and sleep schedule can harm mental well-being. The investigators posited that people should aim to sleep before 1 a.m. for optimal mental health, even if their natural chronotype favors later sleep. Learn more about chronotypes in this clip featuring Dr. Matthew Walker.
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Breathing exercises reduce stress and improve mental health. www.news-medical.net
Breathwork improves mental health, a new study shows. People who practiced breathwork reported less anxiety, depression, and mental stress, regardless of how frequently they engaged in the practice.
Researchers reviewed the findings of 12 randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of breathwork on stress. The breathwork techniques were presented in person, remotely, or via both.
They found that slow-breathing exercises improved participants' mental health, regardless of how the techniques were presented. Participants who practiced breathwork reported having less anxiety, depression, and mental stress, compared to those who did not practice breathwork. Surprisingly, the researchers didn’t identify a dose-response effect with breathwork, aligning with other findings in which just a single breathwork session reduced anxiety.
Breathwork is an umbrella term that refers to various breathing exercises and techniques. Evidence suggests that breathwork improves heart rate variability and promotes resilience to stress. People often engage in breathwork as part of general relaxation practices, yoga, or meditation. Learn more about the benefits of meditation in this audio episode featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
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BDNF genetic variant influences response to exposure therapy among people with PTSD. www.sciencedaily.com
Exposure therapy is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy commonly used to treat people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some evidence suggests that BDNF mediates the response to exposure therapy, which can vary among people. A 2013 study demonstrated that genetic differences in BDNF expression influences how well a person responds to exposure therapy.
A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the region of the DNA that encodes BDNF causes a substitution of the amino acid valine (Val) by methionine (Met) in the BDNF protein. Evidence suggests that carriers of the Met allele (Met/Met or Val/Met genotype) have reduced hippocampal function, poor episodic memory, and decreased exercise-induced secretion of BDNF.
The study involved 55 people between the ages of 18 and 65 years who had previously participated in an eight-week exposure therapy program. The participants provided DNA (via saliva samples) for BDNF genotyping.
The genotyping revealed that 30 participants carried the Val/Val BDNF allele, and 25 participants carried the Met-66 allele. Carriers of the Met-66 allele showed a poorer response to exposure therapy than carriers of the Val/Val allele, suggesting that the SNP influenced BDNF expression and subsequent response to cognitive behavioral therapy.