Two new measures of EEG microstate complexity—type I, quantifying randomness, and type II, quantifying fluctuation complexity—track anesthetic-induced unconsciousness independently of the drug used (propofol or esketamine). In 20 patients, type I complexity increased from wakefulness to unconsciousness and decreased upon recovery, while type II complexity showed the opposite pattern. Both measures changed significantly under both anesthetics, suggesting they reflect the state of consciousness rather than the specific drug. These complexity measures may serve as state-related neural correlates of consciousness during general anesthesia.
Esketamine (ESK), a hallucinogenic new psychoactive substance found in surface waters worldwide, causes developmental toxicity and endocrine disruption in zebrafish. Zebrafish embryos exposed to low and medium concentrations (0.12 and 1.02 μg/L) showed increased embryo area, yolk sac size, and upregulated vitellogenin (vtg) gene expression, while the highest concentration (10.6 μg/L) produced opposite effects. After 14 days, ESK altered circadian rhythm, DNA repair, and estrogen signaling pathways, and elevated vitellogenin protein levels, consistent with its binding affinity for estrogen receptors. These findings indicate that environmentally relevant ESK concentrations pose ecological risks to fish.
Young adults with high trait anxiety had lower gut bacterial diversity and a different microbial composition than healthy controls. An eight-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) program reduced trait anxiety and depression, improved mindfulness and resilience, and shifted the gut microbiota toward a profile more similar to that of healthy controls. A high pre-treatment abundance of the bacterium Subdoligranulum was associated with greater responsiveness to MBCT, and decreases in Subdoligranulum after treatment corresponded with reduced anxiety. Tryptophan metabolism pathways were more active in high responders than in low responders.