Cureus
September 2026
Robert B Raffa
An Executive Order signed in April 2026 directed US federal agencies to expedite development and review pathways for psychedelic and psychedelic-adjacent (such as ibogaine) therapies. The FDA issued Commissioner's National Priority Vouchers to psilocybin developers, and cleared the investigational new drug (IND) application for noribogaine hydrochloride for alcohol use disorder. These...
Cureus
September 2026
Hemachandran Ravikumar, Suresh Sathyanarayanan
Background Psychological stress contributes to mental health symptoms and cardiovascular risk through pathways involving anxiety, depression, cortisol secretion, autonomic dysregulation, and elevated blood pressure. Sound-based meditation is a nonpharmacological approach that may support stress management, but randomized controlled trial evidence remains limited. Objective The objective was to...
Cureus
July 2026
Mia A Panlilio, Natalie Piserchio, Mercedes Hennessey et al.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an endocrine hormone that plays a role in lowering blood glucose levels and promoting weight loss. GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are synthetic peptides that mimic the activity of GLP-1, and the recent development of GLP-1 RA medications has been a major historical advancement in the treatment of diabetes and obesity. Despite the rapid development of...
Cureus
July 1, 2026
Hoi Ki Cheung, Ngo Cheung
A 16-year-old post-pubertal female presented with mixed anxiety-depressive symptoms, prominent obsessive rumination, relationship-centered guilt, reassurance-seeking, fantasy intrusions, and difficulty separating fantasy from reality during periods of distress. Baseline scores were in the moderate range for depression and severe range for anxiety, with a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score of...
Cureus
July 2026
V Vinu, B Manasa, Nagendra K Prasad et al.
Pranic Healing (PH) is a naturopathic modality rooted in the biofield concept of prana (life force), employing non-touch techniques to normalize and balance the energy body to support well-being. While the primary focus of Pranic Healing facilitators (PHFs) is the improvement of recipient health, previous studies suggest that PH techniques of hand sensitization and pranic energization enhance...
Cureus
June 30, 2026
Terry Xiyuan Tong, Zoe Zixuan Gong, Sharon Ying Yao
The rapid integration of AI chatbots powered by large language models (LLMs) into daily life has been accompanied by reports of psychosis-like presentations following intensive human-AI interaction, a phenomenon we provisionally label AI-induced psychosis as a working construct rather than a validated clinical entity. This hypothesis-generating narrative review synthesizes case reports from...
Cureus
June 13, 2026
Akemini J Udoro, Yadanar Yukyi, Ali Z Ansari et al.
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring hallucinogen known to produce alterations in perception, cognition, and autonomic function through its effects on central serotonergic pathways. Products marketed as “mushroom” formulations may contain psilocybin or related psychoactive compounds despite ambiguous labeling and limited regulatory clarity, creating diagnostic challenges for clinicians in acute...
Cureus
June 1, 2026
Hoi Ki Cheung, Ngo Cheung
A proportion of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) continue to experience disabling symptoms despite standard serotonergic treatment, antipsychotic augmentation, and psychological input. Contamination-focused OCD can be especially persistent when rituals are embedded in the home environment and reinforced by family patterns. Recent work has drawn attention to glutamatergic...
Cureus
June 1, 2026
Muhammad Farhan, Rafeek Kandy, Bayena Alblooshi
Sleep-related rhythmic movement disorder (SRRMD) is uncommon in adults. It can closely mimic nocturnal epilepsy and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD), creating significant diagnostic challenges. We report the case of a man in his mid-20s presenting with chief complaints of nightly head movements during sleep occurring multiple times each night. He intentionally shook his...
Cureus
May 1, 2026
Amalesh S Honnekeri
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) remains a significant clinical concern, particularly in patients who do not achieve adequate response with conventional antidepressant therapies. Ketamine and esketamine, which act on glutamatergic pathways, have been introduced into clinical practice as alternative therapeutic approaches within interventional psychiatry. This narrative review outlines key...
Cureus
May 1, 2026
Jasbir Singh, Pranathi Mruthyunjaya
correction
In this case report, we highlight a 28-year-old male patient with predominantly retarded type of catatonia following a single incidence of psilocybin ingestion. This patient presented with a history of six months of mutism and inability to feed himself after consuming psilocybin for the first time. He did not have any history of psychiatric illness or substance use. Imaging and laboratory...
Cureus
May 1, 2026
Pierre-Henri Woitrin, Pascale Lievens
While the clinical archetype of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) toxicity is traditionally associated with young individuals in nightlife environments, particularly in nightclubs and rave settings, its emerging role in therapeutic research may contribute to increasing unsupervised use. As MDMA gains mainstream attention for its potential mental health benefits, particularly for...
Cureus
May 1, 2026
Anupinder Thind, Pravin M Pisudde, Sonia Kochhar
Medical education has long been acknowledged as a very stressful career path that exposes students to greater chances of anxiety and burnout. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the overall impact of yoga-based volitional breathing (pranayama) interventions on self-perceived stress and anxiety among medical students worldwide. The review analysis was...
Cureus
May 1, 2026
Ngo Cheung
Trauma-related dissociation can present with derealisation, depersonalisation, abrupt lapses in awareness, memory gaps, and fugue-like states, and it may be difficult to treat with standard approaches alone. Glutamatergic interventions have been proposed as neuroplasticity-focused strategies because N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonism and downstream...
Cureus
May 1, 2026
Richa Tikaria, A. Kapp, Samantha Shook et al.
Recreational nitrous oxide (N2O) use has increased in recent years and is an increasingly recognized cause of functional vitamin B12 deficiency with associated neurological and systemic complications. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes published case reports and case series describing the clinical, biochemical, and neurodiagnostic features of N2O-induced B12 deficiency. A...
Cureus
April 23, 2026
T Devipriya, R Divya, A Sureshbalaji R et al.
Background Reaction time (RT) constitutes a fundamental psychomotor parameter reflecting neurocognitive efficiency and sensorimotor integration capacity. Bhramari Pranayama, characterized by prolonged humming exhalation, demonstrates promising neurocognitive enhancement potential through parasympathetic activation mechanisms. This investigation aimed to evaluate immediate changes in auditory...
Cureus
April 21, 2026
Luis Francisco Castillo-Torres, Selene Velázquez-Moreno, Carla Edith Tovar-Leyva et al.
Background Immunity is the body's ability to resist infectious diseases and is regulated by the immune system, which is divided into innate immunity, with an immediate response, and adaptive immunity, which is more specialized and effective. Lymphocytes, such as CD4+, CD8+, and CD19+, are part of adaptive immunity, while monocytes/macrophages, CD14+, are phagocytic cells of the innate immune...
Cureus
April 8, 2026
Christian David Galindo, Victor Agudelo, Ivan Ramirez Blanco et al.
Trance and possession disorder (TPD) is a complex and culturally influenced condition characterized by alterations in consciousness, identity, and behavior, often posing diagnostic challenges in clinical psychiatry. We report the case of a young woman who presented with a 12-hour history of visual and auditory hallucinations, disorganized speech, and aggressive behavior toward her partner,...
Cureus
April 5, 2026
Jasbir Singh, Pranathi Mruthyunjaya
1 citation
In this case report, we highlight a 28-year-old male patient with predominantly retarded type of catatonia following a single incidence of psilocybin ingestion. This patient presented with a history of six months of mutism and inability to feed himself after consuming psilocybin for the first time. He did not have any history of psychiatric illness or substance use. Imaging and laboratory...
Cureus
April 1, 2026
Samantha Siu, Peter Hsin, Sarah Simon et al.
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common condition associated with adverse maternal and infant outcomes. Higher rates have been observed following cesarean delivery, prompting interest in perioperative preventive strategies. Ketamine has demonstrated rapid antidepressant effects and may provide psychiatric benefits beyond analgesia. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of...
Cureus
April 1, 2026
Juan Pablo Berlin Viniegra
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) remains a major clinical challenge in psychiatric practice and affects a substantial proportion of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). It is commonly defined as failure to achieve remission after at least two adequately conducted antidepressant trials. TRD is associated with persistent functional impairment, increased morbidity, reduced quality of...
Cureus
April 1, 2026
Pouya Azar, James Wong, Mohammadali Nikoo et al.
Developing and evaluating non-pharmacological treatments is critical for optimizing pain management and reducing dependence on opioids, as well as mitigating opioid-induced adverse effects. One promising approach involves the use of virtual reality (VR)- and augmented reality (AR)-guided mindfulness techniques. We examined the clinical utility of the Mindfulness app on the Apple Vision Pro...
Cureus
April 1, 2026
Agni Nakou, Elena Dragioti, Stefanos Mantzoukas et al.
Sleep experiences in later life are shaped by multiple biological, psychological, and social factors. This exploratory cross-sectional study examined associations between subjective sleep quality, daytime napping, dream recall, and selected health and psychosocial variables in community-dwelling older adults, within a biopsychosocial framework. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was...
Cureus
March 15, 2026
Shruti Niraj, G Niraj, Rajesh Naithani
1 citation
Healthcare professionals in India are vulnerable to experiencing a high level of burnout, which has consequences for individuals and organizations. This prospective pilot randomized controlled feasibility study examined, for the first time, the feasibility and acceptability of practicing the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique among healthcare professionals in India. A total of 76...
Cureus
March 14, 2026
Suneha Shelke, Rusheeth Thummalapally
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) presents a complex clinical challenge, particularly when comorbid with substance use disorders (SUDs) or other compulsive behaviors. With up to a third of major depressive disorder (MDD) patients failing to respond to standard antidepressant therapies, there is growing interest in interventions such as esketamine, a glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)...