Press Releases

As a free service to the journalism community and general public, Neuropsychopharmacology provides its press releases online (after the embargo has been lifted) to help disseminate and explain the cutting edge, high-impact developments reported in its pages.

Journalists wishing to receive press releases while papers are still under embargo should contact [email protected] for further information.

 

2026
 

  • 20 July

Neuroscience: Synthetic coolants boost nicotine’s addictive effects in mice Springer Nature Press Release.

Synthetic cooling agents used in e-cigarettes may enhance nicotine’s addictive properties, according to a study in mice published in Neuropsychopharmacology. The research suggests that the compounds WS-3 and WS-23, designed to replace menthol in e-cigarettes, can amplify nicotine reinforcement and dopamine release in brain regions linked to addiction.

Menthol has been used in tobacco products for its cooling sensation, but regulatory restrictions on menthol in some regions have led some manufacturers to adopt ‘flavourless’ synthetic coolants that mimic its cooling effect. However, little is known about how these substitutes may influence the brain mechanisms underlying nicotine dependence.

Brandon Henderson and colleagues investigated how the synthetic coolants, WS-3 and WS-23, impact the addictive properties of nicotine in young adult male and female mice. Using an e-cigarette vapour self-administration model, they found that mice exposed to nicotine combined with these two coolants showed higher levels of self-administration than those given nicotine alone following five sessions over the course of three weeks. Measurements of brain activity revealed that this combination also increased dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens — a region associated with reward. Additional experiments indicated that the coolants enhanced the excitability of dopamine-producing neurons in the ventral tegmental area and increased the upregulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, both of which are linked to reinforcement behaviour.

The results suggest that synthetic cooling agents are not pharmacologically inert additives but could actively contribute to nicotine’s addictive potential. The authors note that further work will be needed to identify the precise mechanisms involved.


CONTACT

Brandon Henderson (Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA)

Email: [email protected] 

 

View the related article: Synthetic cooling agents enhance nicotine reinforcement and mesolimbic dopamine signaling

View the related Research Highlights article: Cool but not harmless: synthetic cooling agents enhance nicotine reinforcement via the mesolimbic dopamine system

 

2025
 

  • 16 Apr

Health: Inhaled drug shows promise for people with treatment-resistant depression Springer Nature Press Release.


Vaporized N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) shows rapid and sustained antidepressant effects lasting up to 3 months in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), according to results from a phase 2a clinical trial involving 14 participants. The findings, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, suggest that vaporized DMT may offer a non-invasive, time-efficient, and cost-effective alternative to traditional antidepressants and longer-lasting psychedelics in treating TRD.

Depression affects over 185 million people worldwide, with approximately one-third of cases classified as treatment-resistant. Current treatments, such as oral antidepressants, often take around three weeks to become effective, leaving patients potentially vulnerable to persistent depressive symptoms during this period. Psychedelics like psilocybin and ayahuasca have shown promising antidepressant effects, but their long duration makes them impractical for clinical use.

Draulio Araujo, Fernanda Palhano-Fontes and colleagues conducted an open-label, dose-escalation study involving 14 patients with TRD. Participants received two doses of vaporized DMT (a 15 mg dose followed by a 60 mg dose 90 minutes later) and were monitored for up to three months. The treatment was found to be safe and well-tolerated, producing rapid antidepressant effects with an average reduction of 21.14 points on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS — a ten-item diagnostic questionnaire which mental health professionals use to measure the severity of depressive episodes) by day 7. For 12 of the participants (85.71%) there was a reduction of 50% or more in MADRS scores 7 days post-administration, and lower depression scores persisted for up to 3 months.

The authors suggest that vaporized DMT could be integrated into clinical practice as a rapid-acting antidepressant, offering potential advantages over traditional treatments. However, further research is needed to confirm these results in larger cohorts and explore the long-term effects and optimal dosing regimens.


CONTACT

Draulio Araujo (Instituto do Cérebro (ICe)/UFRN, Natal, Brazil)

Email: [email protected]
 

Fernanda Palhano-Fontes (Instituto do Cérebro (ICe)/UFRN, Natal, Brazil)

Email: [email protected]

 

View the related article: Rapid and sustained antidepressant effects of vaporized N,N-dimethyltryptamine: a phase 2a clinical trial in treatment-resistant depression

 

 

 

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