Jonathan Lambert

The team implanted pharmaceuticals in Atlantic salmon in Sweden and monitored how two drugs, an anxiety med and a pain med, influenced their migration behavior.

Something kind of unexpected. The anxiety medication actually improved the migration success of the salmon.

Something kind of unexpected. The anxiety medication actually improved the migration success of the salmon.

Something kind of unexpected. The anxiety medication actually improved the migration success of the salmon.

In this narrow sense, yeah, they did seem to help. But that's not the whole story.

In this narrow sense, yeah, they did seem to help. But that's not the whole story.

In this narrow sense, yeah, they did seem to help. But that's not the whole story.

and what we can do about it.

and what we can do about it.

and what we can do about it.

Yeah, so it turns out a lot of drugs that act on our minds target parts of the brain that have a deep evolutionary history. And so they're shared by lots of different animals.

Yeah, so it turns out a lot of drugs that act on our minds target parts of the brain that have a deep evolutionary history. And so they're shared by lots of different animals.

Yeah, so it turns out a lot of drugs that act on our minds target parts of the brain that have a deep evolutionary history. And so they're shared by lots of different animals.

So they can work on salmon in similar ways that work on humans. Now, it's not like fish are literally popping pills like we would. What's happening is the pills are getting super diluted in rivers and entering their bodies through their gills.

So they can work on salmon in similar ways that work on humans. Now, it's not like fish are literally popping pills like we would. What's happening is the pills are getting super diluted in rivers and entering their bodies through their gills.

So they can work on salmon in similar ways that work on humans. Now, it's not like fish are literally popping pills like we would. What's happening is the pills are getting super diluted in rivers and entering their bodies through their gills.

Yeah. But even with super low concentrations, like what a fish would encounter in the wild, these drugs are still altering their behavior in the lab.

Yeah. But even with super low concentrations, like what a fish would encounter in the wild, these drugs are still altering their behavior in the lab.

Yeah. But even with super low concentrations, like what a fish would encounter in the wild, these drugs are still altering their behavior in the lab.

So researchers put these like slow-release capsules into the bodies of over 250 juvenile hatchery-raised Atlantic salmon. The capsules released two drugs, a benzodiazepine called Clobazam, used to treat anxiety, and an opioid used for pain management called Tramadol.