Asian Journal of Psychiatry
June 1, 2025
Mingrui Chen, Jingyan Jin, Hongsheng Bi et al.
12 citations
NMDA receptors, a type of glutamate receptor, are central to neuroplasticity and are implicated in depression, where their dysfunction can cause neuronal damage and disrupt brain adaptability. Ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, rapidly alleviates severe depression and suicidal thoughts within hours by reducing NMDA receptor activity and activating the mTOR pathway, but its use is limited by side effects like hallucinations and dependency. Esketamine, an FDA-approved variant, offers improved efficacy and fewer side effects. Other NMDA-modulating compounds, including memantine and rapastinel, are under investigation. Future research should focus on NMDA receptor molecular mechanisms to develop safer, more effective, and personalized depression treatments with longer-lasting effects.
AIDS Care
January 1, 2025
Yan Wang, Carla J. Berg, Yeycy Donastorg et al.
2 citations
Among female sex workers living with HIV in the Dominican Republic, greater mindfulness was linked to lower depression and HIV stigma, and higher antiretroviral therapy adherence both at the same time and at later time points. Higher mindfulness also showed contemporaneous associations with reduced at-risk alcohol use and higher viral suppression. The findings suggest that mindfulness instruction could help improve mental health and HIV outcomes in this population.
Noise & health
Tao Chen, Haolei Niu, Yan Wang
Adding five-element music therapy and mindfulness meditation to standard care reduces cancer-related fatigue, anxiety, and depression in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma undergoing chemotherapy. In a retrospective study of 78 patients, those receiving the combined intervention showed lower physical, emotional, and cognitive fatigue; lower depression and anxiety scores; better sleep quality; longer sleep duration; improved treatment compliance; higher nursing satisfaction; and better overall quality of life compared with those receiving conventional care alone. The combination appears to be a useful non-drug adjunct in oncology care.
Proteins
February 1, 2026
Syeda Sumayya Tariq, Urooj Qureshi, Mamona Mushtaq et al.
Bromo-DragonFLY (BDF) is a potent designer psychedelic drug that produces prolonged hallucinations lasting several days and can cause severe toxicity including confusion, tachycardia, hypertension, seizures, renal failure, and death. BDF acts as a potent agonist of the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor. Using molecular docking and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, the study found that BDF forms a stable and compact complex with the 5-HT2A receptor, characterized by minimal per-residue fluctuations and high hydrogen bond occupancy. The findings suggest strong binding affinities and highly stable complex formation, providing foundational understanding of BDF's molecular interactions as a potent psychedelic agent.
Smart health
June 1, 2025
Honglu Li, Bin Han, Cong Shi et al.
Cannabis use correlates with altered driving behaviors such as weaving, swerving, wide turning, and hard braking, with significant effects appearing roughly 2 to 3 hours after consumption. Using participants' smartphones to gather motion sensor data in natural settings, a two-step segmentation algorithm and threshold-based methods detected these behaviors efficiently. On-road experiments with 9 participants who consumed cannabis under controlled conditions revealed the link, addressing limitations of simulator-based studies that lack real-world complexity and scalability.
September 4, 2020
Edward Hoffman, Shan Jiang, Yan Wang et al.
A survey of 182 native Chinese undergraduates found that 86.8% reported experiencing a “peak-experience” (described as “wonderful happiness”) while traveling. Nature settings triggered peaks most frequently, followed by interpersonal joy, serenity, and personal growth. Over 75% rated their peak as moderately or very intense, and 53.5% said it impacted their subsequent view of life. No significant gender differences emerged. The authors discuss implications for understanding tourism as a contributor to personality growth among Chinese young adults.
Behavioural Brain Research
November 6, 2019
Mei-Dan Wei, Yuhong Wang, Kun Lu et al.
Ketamine rapidly reduces depressive-like behaviors and facilitates the extinction of fear memories in adolescent mice, an effect linked to presynaptic mechanisms that restore long-term potentiation. The findings suggest a potential new treatment strategy for post-traumatic stress disorder, which affects about eight percent of the population and is characterized by impaired fear memory extinction.
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
January 1, 2015
Xiaoqian Ding, Yi-Yuan Tang, Chengyue Cao et al.
After five hours of meditation training, compared with the same amount of relaxation, participants showed greater brain activity in the right cingulate gyrus, insula, putamen, inferior frontal gyrus, and bilateral middle frontal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, and superior temporal gyrus when presented with a solution to a problem they had failed to solve. The authors speculate that these regions may support detecting conflict, breaking mental set, restructuring problem representation, error detection, and the 'Aha' feeling of insight.