An interdisciplinary group of experts argues that progress in understanding and treating neuro-psychiatric disorders requires an integrative, multi-perspective approach that acknowledges differences between system levels, their complex interactions, and domain-specific languages. They review the past decade and find that many research programs remain reductionist and fail to critically examine neurobiological explanations and interdisciplinary interfaces. They call for establishing an interdisciplinary neurophilosophy that develops a critical philosophical stance within neuroscience, applying complex systems science to integrate knowledge. An ecological perspective is needed, viewing the brain as a regulative organ in a situated organism extended to tools, technologies, and social structures. The debate about free will illustrates that respecting complexity and irreducibility of mental phenomena avoids inappropriate reductionist and deterministic assumptions.
Serotonin (5-HT) is a fundamental neuromodulator whose complex role in psychiatry has often been reduced to simplified models like the chemical imbalance hypothesis. A contemporary understanding of greater heuristic value requires integrating different scientific approaches. This article synthesizes the theories of Mark Solms (neuropsychoanalysis), Karl Friston (computational psychiatry), and Robin Carhart-Harris (pharmacology) into a coherent model. It explains how serotonin acts not as a simple mood regulator but as a modulator of neuronal plasticity and learning, controlling the balance between stability and flexibility in the brain. The focus is on the differentiated action of the 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors, which represent different axes of action, and understanding them opens new perspectives for therapy.
A 30-year-old man with schizophrenia and a history of drug abuse was hospitalized with acute ischemia of his left arm—pallor, pulselessness, paresthesia, and motor deficit—after sublingual intake of a substance bought as 25I-NBOMe. Imaging showed reduced artery diameters and pathological flow profiles, suggesting vasospasm, distal thrombosis, or embolization. Intravenous alprostadil and anticoagulation led to symptom improvement within a day; five days of treatment restored normal perfusion. Drug analysis revealed 25I-NBOMe, 25C-NBOMe, 25H-NBOMe, and traces of pentylon. NBOMe ingestion carries a risk of severe, limb-threatening peripheral vasospasms.