Ovarian hormone fluctuations, particularly estradiol and progesterone, modulate neurotransmitter systems involved in psychedelic pharmacology, including serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and glutamate. These hormonal changes across the menstrual cycle influence 5-HT2A receptor expression and functional connectivity, potentially affecting both the subjective intensity and therapeutic efficacy of psychedelics. The paper argues that incorporating menstrual phase tracking and hormonal assays into clinical trials and observational studies can reduce data variability, support individualized care, and improve informed consent practices for women. A better understanding of the interplay between female-specific biology and psychedelic pharmacodynamics is needed to advance safe, ethical, and effective therapies.
Regular cannabis users show altered brain responses during reward anticipation and outcome processing, but their actual task performance does not differ from non-users. Using the Monetary Incentive Delay Task, the study found that cannabis users had reduced neural activity in reward-related brain regions during anticipation of potential gains and losses, yet their reaction times and accuracy were comparable to non-users. These findings suggest that regular cannabis use is associated with changes in reward-related brain function without corresponding behavioral deficits.