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Neuropsychobiology

ISSN 0302-282X

34 papers in the library · 2,062 citations · publishing 1984-2026

Papers

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A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Efficacy of Ketamine vs. Electroconvulsive Therapy in Severe Depression with Suicidal Ideation.

Neuropsychobiology February 5, 2026 Lavanya Seth, Jitendriya Biswal, Surjeet Sahoo et al.

Severe depressive episodes with suicidal ideation present major therapeutic challenges and often require interventions beyond standard antidepressant therapy. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains a cornerstone treatment for refractory depression, while ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, has emerged as a rapid-acting antidepressant with potential benefits in...

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Older Adults: Effects on Executive Function, Frontal Alpha Asymmetry and Immune Function

Neuropsychobiology 2013 Jan A. Moynihan, Benjamin P. Chapman, Rafael Klorman et al. 213 citations

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has enhanced cognition, positive emotion, and immunity in younger and middle-aged samples; its benefits are less well known for older persons. Here we report on a randomized controlled trial of MBSR for older adults and its effects on executive function, left frontal asymmetry of the EEG alpha band, and antibody response. METHODS: Older...

Cannabis-induced depersonalization disorder in adolescence.

Neuropsychobiology 2012 Franziska Hürlimann, Stephan Kupferschmid, Andor E Simon

We present a case series of 6 patients who developed persistent depersonalization disorder in adolescence after consuming cannabis. In 2 of these cases, the illness course was severely disabling. Within the growing body of literature that investigates the effects of cannabis use on mental health, the association between cannabis and depersonalization disorder is widely neglected. We review the...

Electroencephalographic Spectral and Coherence Analysis of Ketamine in Rats: Correlation with Behavioral Effects and Pharmacokinetics

Neuropsychobiology 2011 Tomáš Páleníček, Michaela Fujáková, Martin Brunovský et al. 85 citations

AIMS: This study was designed to evaluate the changes in EEG power spectra and EEG coherence in a ketamine model of psychosis in rats. Analyses of behavioral measurements--locomotion and sensorimotor gating--and the pharmacokinetics of ketamine and norketamine were also conducted. METHODS: Ketamine and norketamine levels in rat sera and brains were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass...

Hair MDMA Samples Are Consistent with Reported Ecstasy Use: Findings from a Study Investigating Effects of Ecstasy on Mood and Memory

Neuropsychobiology October 20, 2010 Andrew Scholey, Lauren Owen, J. R. Gates et al. 46 citations

<i>Aims:</i> Our group has conducted several Internet investigations into the biobehavioural effects of self-reported recreational use of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or Ecstasy) and other psychosocial drugs. Here we report a new study examining the relationship between self-reported Ecstasy use and traces of MDMA found in hair samples. <i>Methods:</i> In a laboratory setting, 49...

MDMA Self-Administration in Laboratory Animals: A Summary of the Literature and Proposal for Future Research

Neuropsychobiology 2009 Susan Schenk 71 citations

The prevalence of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) use has increased globally and the pattern of consumption has changed considerably. Previously, a subculture of MDMA users was fairly restricted to the dance club scene. More recently, use has spread outside of this subculture and now many users consume MDMA frequently and in large amounts and some meet criteria for drug abuse and/or...

Cortisol and 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine: Neurohormonal Aspects of Bioenergetic Stress in Ecstasy Users

Neuropsychobiology 2009 A.c. Parrott 67 citations

Aims: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) can affect both neurotransmitter and neurohormonal activity. This review will debate the role of the metabolic activation hormone cortisol for the psychobiological effects of ecstasy/MDMA. Methods: The empirical literature on cortisol release following acute MDMA administration and cortisol functioning in drug-free recreational ecstasy/MDMA users...

Executive Working Memory Deficits in Abstinent Ecstasy/MDMA Users: A Critical Review

Neuropsychobiology 2009 Philip N. Murphy, Michelle Wareing, John E. Fisk et al. 49 citations

<i>Aims:</i> This review examined studies of executive functioning in abstinent ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA) users on tasks which had been empirically mapped onto updating, shifting, inhibition and accessing long-term memory executive processes. Studies of some aspects of visuospatial memory performance were also included because of the investment of executive resources in...

On the Mechanisms Underlying 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Toxicity: The Dilemma of the Chicken and the Egg

Neuropsychobiology 2009 Elena Puerta, Isabel Hervias, Norberto Aguirre

Administration of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) to various experimental animals has been shown to induce a selective damage to serotonergic axon terminals. While a great consensus appears to exist regarding the causative role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the mechanisms underlying MDMA toxicity, the source of free radicals is still a matter of debate. While some...

Interactions between 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine and Ethanol in Humans and Rodents

Neuropsychobiology 2009 Wael M.Y. Mohamed, Sami Ben Hamida, Anne Pereira de Vasconcelos et al.

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) is a widely used recreational drug, often associated with dance parties. Users self-report euphoria, a sense of well-being and increased feelings of affiliation. In experimental animals, MDMA produces an acute, rapid release of serotonin and, to a lesser extent, dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. It can also produce a dose-dependent,...

Can the severity of dependence scale be usefully applied to 'ecstasy'?

Neuropsychobiology 2009 Raimondo Bruno, Allison J Matthews, Libby Topp et al.

Although use of 'ecstasy' (drugs sold as containing 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is prevalent, it is typically infrequent, and treatment presentations involving ecstasy as a principal problem drug are relatively rare. Human case reports and animal literature suggest dependence potential, although there may be some unique aspects to this syndrome for ecstasy in comparison to other...

Investigating the role of serotonin in visual orientation processing using an 'ecstasy' (MDMA)-based research model.

Neuropsychobiology 2009 Clare Dickson, Raimondo Bruno, John Brown

A growing body of evidence suggests that regular 'ecstasy' (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) use causes lasting changes to central serotonergic functioning in humans, including in the occipital lobe. Serotonin may play a role in visual orientation processing, mediated in the occipital lobe, via lateral inhibition. The tilt aftereffect is an illusion apparent following adaptation to stimuli...

Weekly γ-Hydroxybutyrate Exposure Sensitizes Locomotor Hyperactivity to Low-Dose 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine in Rats

Neuropsychobiology 2009 P.S. Van Nieuwenhuijzen, K.M. Li, G.E. Hunt et al.

Users of the popular party drug 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) sometimes report combining MDMA with γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) to enhance the pleasurable effects of both drugs. However, very few studies have examined the influences of this drug combination. The present study investigated the development of locomotor sensitization in laboratory rats given 7 once-weekly exposures to either...

EEG Cartography of a Night of Sleep and Dreams

Neuropsychobiology February 20, 2008 P. Etévenon, S. Guillou 11 citations

A night of sleep has been recorded under the conditions of a sleep laboratory. The subject was a woman of 55 years, well-trained in dream recall. The subject was awakened three times at the end of sleep cycles. EEG was monitored for 7 h with a 16-channel polygraph (REEGA 16, Alvar) connected to two systems of EEG cartography: minicomputers (HP Fourier Analyser 5451 C and HP 1000) and a...

Benzodiazepine-Induced Modifications of Dream Content: The Effect of Flunitrazepam

Neuropsychobiology February 14, 2008 Jean-Michel Gaillard, Marc Phelippeau

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of flunitrazepam, a benzodiazepine with strong hypnotic properties, on dream content. Eight normal subjects were studied in laboratory by the awakening technique, and the dream contents were rated by two judges according to nine scaled dimensions: unreality, participation of the dreamer, pleasantness, unpleasantness, verbal aggressivity,...

Dance Clubbing on MDMA and during Abstinence from Ecstasy/MDMA: Prospective Neuroendocrine and Psychobiological Changes

Neuropsychobiology 2008 A. C. Parrott, Jing Zhan Lock, A.c. Conner et al. 77 citations

<i>Background/Aims:</i> The present study is the first to prospectively compare a group of recreational Ecstasy users when dance clubbing on 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and when clubbing during abstinence from Ecstasy/MDMA. <i>Methods:</i> Twelve normal healthy volunteers (mean age = 23.2 years) were assessed at a Saturday night dance club under self-administered MDMA. On the other...

Albert Hofmann, the Father of LSD (1906–2008)

Neuropsychobiology 2008 Paolo Fusar‐poli, Stefan Borgwardt 7 citations

to experience 'an extremely stimulated imagination' caused by an accidental ingestion of LSD.Three days later, on April 19, 1943, he decided to verify his results by intentionally ingesting LSD.This day has become known as 'Bicycle Day' as Hofmann experienced an incredible bicycle ride on his way home from the lab.LSD was initially hailed as a wonder drug for use in psychoanalysis, particularly...

Effects of Different Subanesthetic Doses of (S)-Ketamine on Neuropsychology, Psychopathology, and State of Consciousness in Man

Neuropsychobiology 2005 Torsten Passie, Matthias Karst, Birgitt Wiese et al. 35 citations

This is the first neuropsychological study using the S-enantiomer of the noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist ketamine. In 2 randomized placebo-controlled trials we studied effects of two different doses of (S)-ketamine (low dose/high dose) on neuropsychological functions and psychopathology in 12 healthy male volunteers. Impairment was measured via standardized neuropsychological...

MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) or Ecstasy: The Neuropsychobiological Implications of Taking It at Dances and Raves

Neuropsychobiology 2004 A. C. Parrott 152 citations

MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) or ‘ecstasy’ is a ring-substituted amphetamine derivative, which is widely used as a recreational drug, most particularly at dances and raves. Around 80–95% of dancers/ravers report using ecstasy/MDMA, compared to 5–15% of young people in general. This paper will consider the possible contribution of stimulatory environmental conditions to the...

Individual Trait Anxiety Levels Characterizing the Properties of Zen Meditation

Neuropsychobiology 2004 T. Murata, T. Takahashi, Toshihiko Hamada et al. 145 citations

Meditation is a specific consciousness state in which deep relaxation and increased internalized attention coexist. There have been various neurophysiological studies on meditation. However, the personal predispositions/traits that characterize the properties of meditation have not been adequately studied. We analyzed changes in neurophysiological parameters [EEG coherence and autonomic nervous...

Effects of the South American Psychoactive Beverage Ayahuasca on Regional Brain Electrical Activity in Humans: A Functional Neuroimaging Study Using Low-Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography

Neuropsychobiology 2004 Jordi Riba, P. Anderer, F Jané et al. 131 citations

<i>Ayahuasca,</i> a South American psychotropic plant tea obtained from <i>Banisteriopsis caapi</i> and <i>Psychotria viridis</i>, combines monoamine oxidase-inhibiting β-carboline alkaloids with N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a psychedelic agent showing 5-HT<sub>2A</sub> agonist activity. In a clinical research setting, <i>ayahuasca</i> has demonstrated a combined stimulatory and psychedelic...

Subject Index Vol. 50, 2004

Neuropsychobiology 2004 Nikolas Coupland, Tai-Jui Chen, Terence O'Donnell et al. 1 citation

event-related potentials 1, 167, 182 -evoked potentials 128, 288, 292 Autistic disorder 157 Averaged diffusion coefficient 119 'Ayahuasca' 89 Bipolar disorder 206, 239 ß-Carboline alkaloids/N,N-dimethyltryptamine ('ayahuasca') 89 Catechol-O-methyltransferase gene 153 Caudate nucleus 296 Cerebellar peduncle 119

Effects of the Hallucinogen Psilocybin on Covert Orienting of Visual Attention in Humans

Neuropsychobiology 2002 Euphrosyne Gouzoulis‐mayfrank, B. Thelen, Stefanie Maier et al. 69 citations

Hallucinogenic drug-induced states are considered as models for acute schizophrenic disorders (experimental psychoses). In a double-blind study with healthy volunteers we investigated the influence of the serotonergic hallucinogen psilocybin, the ecstasy-like drug 3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDE), the stimulant d- methamphetamine and placebo on covert orienting of spatial attention (n =...

(±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (‘Ecstasy’)-Induced Serotonin Neurotoxicity: Studies in Animals

Neuropsychobiology 2000 George A. Ricaurte, Jie Yuan, Una D. Mccann 291 citations

The popular recreational drug, (±)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ‘Ecstasy’) is a potent and selective brain serotonin (5-HT) neurotoxin in animals. MDMA-induced 5-HT neurotoxicity can be demonstrated using a variety of neurochemical, neuroanatomical and, more recently, functional measures of 5-HT neurons. Although the neurotoxic effects of MDMA in animals are widely accepted, the...