Psychoneuroendocrinology
July 17, 2015
Oliver G. Bosch, Christoph Eisenegger, Jürg Gertsch et al.
42 citations
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a GHB-/GABAB-receptor agonist. Reports from GHB abusers indicate euphoric, prosocial, and empathogenic effects of the drug. We measured the effects of GHB on mood, prosocial behavior, social and non-social cognition and assessed potential underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms. GHB (20mg/kg) was tested in 16 healthy males, using a randomized, placebo-controlled,...
Biological Psychiatry
April 26, 2014
Rainer Kraehenmann, Katrin H. Preller, Milan Scheidegger et al.
325 citations
BackgroundThe amygdala is a key structure in serotonergic emotion-processing circuits. In healthy volunteers, acute administration of the serotonin 1A/2A/2C receptor agonist psilocybin reduces neural responses to negative stimuli and induces mood changes toward positive states. However, it is little-known whether psilocybin reduces amygdala reactivity to negative stimuli and whether any change...
Cerebral Cortex
July 16, 2013
Fosco Bernasconi, André Schmidt, Thomas Pokorny et al.
62 citations
Emotional face processing is critically modulated by the serotonergic system. For instance, emotional face processing is impaired by acute psilocybin administration, a serotonin (5-HT) 1A and 2A receptor agonist. However, the spatiotemporal brain mechanisms underlying these modulations are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal brain dynamics underlying psilocybin-induced...
PLoS One
April 9, 2013
Oliver G. Bosch, Michael Wagner, Frank Jessen et al.
34 citations
Verbal learning and recall deficits of recreational MDMA users are correlated with glucose hypometabolism in prefrontal and parietal cortex, while word recognition was additionally correlated with mediotemporal hypometabolism. We conclude that memory deficits of MDMA users arise from combined fronto-parieto-mediotemporal dysfunction.
PLoS One
September 24, 2012
Milan Scheidegger, Martin Walter, Mick Lehmann et al.
282 citations
Increasing preclinical and clinical evidence underscores the strong and rapid antidepressant properties of the glutamate-modulating NMDA receptor antagonist ketamine. Targeting the glutamatergic system might thus provide a novel molecular strategy for antidepressant treatment. Since glutamate is the most abundant and major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, pathophysiological changes in...
Psychopharmacology
July 26, 2012
André Schmidt, Michael Kometer, Rosilla Bachmann et al.
94 citations
RationaleBoth glutamate and serotonin (5-HT) play a key role in the pathophysiology of emotional biases. Recent studies indicate that the glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist ketamine and the 5-HT receptor agonist psilocybin are implicated in emotion processing. However, as yet, no study has systematically compared their contribution to emotional biases.ObjectivesThis study...
Biological Psychiatry
May 9, 2012
Michael Kometer, André Schmidt, Rosilla Bachmann et al.
300 citations
BackgroundSerotonin (5-HT) 1A and 2A receptors have been associated with dysfunctional emotional processing biases in mood disorders. These receptors further predominantly mediate the subjective and behavioral effects of psilocybin and might be important for its recently suggested antidepressive effects. However, the effect of psilocybin on emotional processing biases and the specific...
Pharmacopsychiatry
September 1, 2011
Simone Grimm, Milan Scheidegger, Anke Henning et al.
Ketamine is a potent glutamatergic NMDA receptor antagonist with rapid antidepressant properties, thus providing a valuable research tool for the investigation of the neurobiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). Increasing evidence underscores the role of glutamate dependent neuroplasticity and glutamatergic neurotransmission and metabolism in the pathophysiology of MDD. This multimodal...
Pharmacopsychiatry
September 1, 2011
Milan Scheidegger, Anke Henning, Martin Walter et al.
Background: Ketamine is a potent NMDA receptor antagonist with rapid antidepressant properties at subanaesthetic doses. This multimodal imaging study reveals the effects of a subanaesthetic ketamine infusion on fMRI-BOLD responses during an emotional processing task and their relationship to glutamatergic metabolite concentrations in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (PACC) assessed by...
medRxiv
Klemens Egger, Daniel Meling, Firuze Polat et al.
preprint
Abstract Both meditation and psychedelics are widely studied for their therapeutic potential in mental health. Recent research suggests potential synergies between mindfulness practice and psychedelics, though empirical studies have primarily focused on psilocybin. This study investigates the distinct and combined effects of mindfulness practice and an ayahuasca-inspired formulation containing...