Low-dose intravenous ketamine was safe and well tolerated in six patients with both depression and epilepsy. Side effects were mild and temporary, and no worsening of seizures occurred. Four of the six patients showed a significant reduction in depression scores on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, with two achieving full remission. Three patients reported a subjective decrease in seizure activity over twelve months. No serious adverse events happened. The authors caution that this is a small, post-hoc observation and that larger prospective studies are needed to confirm effects on seizures, depression, and side effects.
A randomized controlled trial compared eight weeks of daily neurofeedback mindfulness meditation (NM) to an audiobook listening task in 101 adults with migraine. Both groups showed improvements in headache disability, severity, and anxiety, but between-group differences were small and inconclusive. Only headache management self-efficacy improved significantly more in the NM group than in the control group. Within the NM group, greater self-efficacy correlated with lower migraine disability, severity, and anxiety. Biological sex, belief in meditation, and migraine subtypes did not influence outcomes. The authors argue that NM may enhance self-agency, potentially aiding migraine recovery and prevention, but larger trials are needed.
Isolated sleep paralysis (ISP) is a common experience among people without narcolepsy. A survey of 336 shopping mall visitors found that 36.6% had experienced ISP at least once, with an average onset age of 17.9 years. Poor sleep quality and moderate stress were significantly linked to more frequent ISP episodes, though together they accounted for only a small portion of the variance, indicating other factors also contribute. The findings suggest that improving sleep and managing stress may help, but more research is needed to establish causal relationships and develop effective interventions.
Stimulating the anterior insular cortex (AIC) with intracranial electrodes triggered an out-of-body experience (OBE) in a child with intractable epilepsy. After destroying specific sites in the left AIC using radiofrequency thermocoagulation, the patient's seizures stopped and the OBE could no longer be reproduced by stimulating those sites. This is the first reported case of an OBE originating from the AIC. The authors analyze how OBEs typically arise from the temporo-parietal junction and propose two possible mechanisms by which the AIC might cause the experience.
A woman developed confusion, visual hallucinations, and ataxia after vaporizing synthetic cannabinoids. MRI imaging showed restricted diffusion and increased T2/FLAIR signal in the corpus callosum and cerebellar peduncles, indicating brain injury. This case highlights the potential neurological toxicities of synthetic cannabinoids.