This article examines the human brain as an integrated neurovascular architecture in which neuronal, vascular, glial, and metabolic components form a unified functional system. Drawing on contemporary findings in neuroscience, the study analyzes mechanisms of neurovascular coupling, the role of the blood–brain barrier, the glymphatic system, and the energetic foundations of cognitive processes....
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has launched a clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of MDMA‐assisted therapy for treating severe mental health disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder, a news release announced May 26.
Ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, is widely used in trauma and emergency medicine for its rapid analgesic and sedative properties. While its efficacy in acute pain management is well established, concerns persist regarding its long-term psychological effects, particularly its potential role in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some studies...
Ketamine consists of two enantiomers, (R)-ketamine and (S)-ketamine, which exhibit distinct pharmacological properties. Currently, only the (S)-enantiomer has been approved for the treatment of major depressive disorder, whereas recent clinical studies have failed to demonstrate an antidepressant effect for (R)-ketamine. The quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) gamma-enhancing effect of...
The Journal of PhysiologyJune 1, 2026Felipe Guiffa-Gómez, Sashá Van Buuren, Freddy Aguilar et al.1 citation
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) undergoes extensive GABAergic interneuron maturation during adolescence, a process that establishes excitatory-inhibitory balance and supports adult cognitive function. Disruptions during this critical developmental period contribute to neuropsychiatric disorders, yet the enduring consequences for adult synaptic plasticity remain poorly understood. Here we...
Suicide is a major cause of death worldwide and a key public health challenge. Pharmacologic and neuromodulatory interventions are central to suicide prevention. This review summarizes evidence for these interventions with potential antisuicidal effects across major psychiatric disorders and, where possible, distinguishes their direct effects on suicide diathesis from those mediated by...
Major depressive disorder remains a leading cause of disability, and decades of monoamine-centered pharmacology have yielded delayed and often incomplete relief. Rapid-acting antidepressants reshaped the field by linking swift symptom improvement to glutamatergic plasticity, yet durable benefit depends on how newly reconfigured circuits are stabilized and tuned. This review synthesizes evidence...
Abstract Introduction Emerging in the late 1990s within sexualized contexts, chemsex-the intentional use of psychoactive substances to enhance or prolong sexual activity-has evolved from a niche practice to a globally recognized public health concern, particularly among LGBTQ populations and men who have sex with men (MSM). Early accounts involved 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and...
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains one of psychiatry's most challenging disorders, common, disabling, and biologically complex. Despite decades of research, only sertraline and paroxetine are FDA-approved, both with modest efficacy. Even first-line trauma-focused psychotherapies leave up to half of patients with persistent symptoms. However, advances in neurobiology are reframing...
Recent clinical trials have suggested the safety and efficacy of psychedelic therapy for treatment-resistant depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, addiction, and end-of-life distress. While neurobiological mechanisms such as 5-HT2A receptor activation, increased neural entropy, and default mode network modulation have been well-characterized, significantly less attention has been given to...