August 22, 2024
(Wall Street Journal) – Bosses already live in fear that a verbal misstep will be recorded and go viral. Now they can look forward to a new nightmare in which artificial intelligence analyzes their rhetorical stumbles and suggests they’re no … Read More
August 21, 2024
(Gallup) – However, U.S. adults view marijuana as less harmful to users than tobacco, nicotine and alcohol Americans’ views of the effects of marijuana have worsened over the past two years, as slim majorities now say it negatively impacts both … Read More
August 21, 2024
(Wall Street Journal) – ‘Friends’ star spent his life searching for healing in a world willing to sell it It was that persistent search for a solution that led Perry to try ketamine, the dissociative drug that federal prosecutors in … Read More
August 21, 2024
BMC Medical Ethics has new articles available online. Articles include:
August 20, 2024
(Quartz) – The FDA had previously opened an investigation into the issue People taking the drug behind Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) popular Ozempic were found to report suicidal thoughts at a higher rate than people taking other drugs, according to a … Read More
August 19, 2024
(STAT News) – Risk of suicide increased in year after diagnosis, suggesting caregivers need more support The distress from receiving a cancer diagnosis is something that clinicians widely anticipate in patients, but suffering often doesn’t just afflict the patient. It … Read More
August 19, 2024
(New York Times) – In huge numbers, older people are taking gabapentin for a variety of conditions, including itching, alcohol dependence and sciatica. “It’s crazy,” one expert said. The only conditions for which gabapentin has been approved for adult use … Read More
August 16, 2024
(Wall Street Journal) – Matthew Perry overdosed on anesthetic that Mindbloom is sending by mail A startup that sends ketamine by mail to people’s homes has added injectable doses to its product line, making a risky practice even riskier, doctors … Read More
August 15, 2024
(Wired) – After the FDA rejected its proposed MDMA treatment, Lykos Therapeutics is laying off 75 percent of its staff and its founder has left the company. The FDA decision underscores the difficulty of getting regulatory approval for a psychedelic-based … Read More
August 15, 2024
(MedPage Today) – A federal prosecutor says five people have been charged in connection with Matthew Perry’s death from a ketamine overdose last year, including the actor’s assistant and two doctors. U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada announced the charges Thursday, saying … Read More
August 13, 2024
(The Verge) – The head of chatbot maker Replika discusses the role AI will play in the future of human relationships. Replika’s basic pitch is pretty simple: what if you had an AI friend? The company offers avatars you can … Read More
August 12, 2024
(New York Times) – The psychedelic treatment, for PTSD, was rejected last week by government regulators. The journal Psychopharmacology has retracted three papers about MDMA-assisted therapy based on what the publication said was unethical conduct at one of the study … Read More
August 12, 2024
(MedPage Today) – The FDA declined to approve midomafetamine (MDMA) capsules for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), calling for another trial to evaluate the drug’s efficacy and safety, developer Lykos Therapeutics announced on Friday. Lykos said the agency determined that the … Read More
August 8, 2024
(Wired) – The company has revealed details of AI model safety testing—including concerns about its new anthropomorphic interface. In late July, OpenAI began rolling out an eerily humanlike voice interface for ChatGPT. In a safety analysis released today, the company … Read More
August 7, 2024
(New York Times) – A national survey found promising signs that key mental health measures for teens, especially girls, have improved since the depths of the pandemic. Fifty-three percent of girls reported extreme depressive symptoms in 2023, down from 57 … Read More
August 6, 2024
(The Atlantic) – By the policy’s peak extent, in the 2010s, millions of students each year were receiving so-called “BMI report cards” in the mail—and some students even saw their weight status appear on their actual report cards, alongside their … Read More
August 5, 2024
(Wall Street Journal) – Participants in studies of the psychedelic, which is up for U.S. approval, tell WSJ they felt pressure to report positive outcomes. Studies being used to decide whether the U.S. should authorize an ecstasy-based drug for traumatized … Read More
August 5, 2024
(MIT Technology Review) – The allure of AI lies in its ability to identify our desires and serve them up to us whenever and however we wish. AI has no preferences or personality of its own, instead reflecting whatever users … Read More
August 2, 2024
The New England Journal of Medicine (vol. 390, no. 22, 2024) is available online by subscription only. Articles include:
August 1, 2024
(ABC News) – The Senate passed two key pieces of legislation aimed at keeping children safe on the internet Tuesday afternoon, marking a major step in Congress’ ongoing effort to regulate massive tech companies. The two bills, which beef up … Read More
July 31, 2024
The Journal of Medicine & Philosophy (vol. 49, no. 4, 2024) is available online by subscription only. Articles include:
July 30, 2024
(Reuters) – At the tap of a buyer’s smartphone, Chinese chemical sellers will air-ship fentanyl ingredients door-to-door to North America. Reuters purchased enough to make 3 million pills. Such deals are astonishingly easy – and reveal how drug traffickers are … Read More
July 25, 2024
(BMJ Blog) – While deepfake technology may be promising for certain patients, it also raises significant ethical and legal questions. Deepfakes may be viewed as disturbing and are often associated with sci-fi stories. The grief counselling case is reminiscent of … Read More
July 25, 2024
(Axios) – Congress’ boldest effort to date to crack down on social media platforms and protect kids’ mental health is stoking a debate over whether the remedy could end up making youths less safe. Why it matters: Curbing sources of … Read More
July 22, 2024
(New York Times) – Many other conditions have similar symptoms, experts say, so avoid the pull of self-diagnosis. A.D.H.D. is a neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in childhood and typically involves inattention, disorganization, hyperactivity and impulsivity that cause trouble in two … Read More
