Could there be quantum superpositions of conscious states, as suggested by the Wigner's friend thought experiment? Mathematical theories of consciousness, notably integrated information theory (IIT), make this question more precise by associating physical systems with both quantitative amounts of consciousness and structural characterizations of conscious states. Motivated by a recent proposal...
Psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic, has gained attention as a potential treatment for various psychiatric conditions. In this review, the authors summarize current clinical evidence related to psilocybin’s efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of action across psychiatric disorders. Findings from early-phase and small-scale clinical trials suggest rapid but variable reductions in depressive...
Abstract Objectives The main objective of the present study was to explore the effects of different types of meditation on the neurophysiologic mechanisms of pain processing. Method EEG responses to electric median nerve stimulation were recorded in short-term and long-term meditators (STM, LTM) during rest and three forms of meditation engaging attentional and affective regulation in different...
Background: Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), which are characterized by neural circuit and behavioral dysfunction due to impaired brain development. At the neural and behavioral levels, PAE is associated with disrupted cortical synaptic transmission and lifelong impairments in learning and cognitive control. Despite the prevalence of FASDs...
BACKGROUND: Mu opioid receptor (MOR) agonists are the primary medication class used to treat moderate to severe pain; however, the ongoing opioid overdose crisis underscores the need for alternatives to MOR agonists for pain treatment. Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a cannabinoid CB1 receptor (CB1R) agonist, and sigma1 receptor (σ1R) antagonists elicit antinociceptive effects albeit less...
Intimate partner violence (IPV) poses a significant medical concern, predominantly affecting females. IPV-related brain injuries (IPV-BI), such as mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and non-fatal strangulation (NFS), sustained during physical attacks are common and often repetitive. Chronic neurobehavioral sequalae from IPV-BI are associated with neuroinflammation and impaired neuroplasticity,...
The application for MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) and its rejection by the FDA in 2024 prompted a debate about ethical aspects in drug regulation. This paper examines central issues raised in that debate through the lens of human rights, especially the right to health. It argues that drug approval decisions must take into account the multipolar constellation of and dependencies between...
Neuroimaging techniques offer valuable insights for understanding pharmacological treatment effects in neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we present a novel approach that simultaneously assesses hemodynamic and neurometabolic brain responses to psychotropic drugs using interleaved pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging (phMRI) and pharmacological magnetic resonance spectroscopy (phMRS). This...
Ketamine, a non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, induces dissociative and psychotomimetic states and is widely used as an animal model for schizophrenia. However, strain-dependent variability in ketamine sensitivity is poorly understood, especially during adolescence, a developmental period marked by heightened vulnerability to NMDA receptor hypofunction. This study would compare...
In the neocortex, neuronal processing of sensory events is significantly influenced by their predictability. A common example is the suppression of responses to repetitive stimuli in sensory cortices, a phenomenon known as habituation. Within a sensory information stream, whenever a novel stimulus deviates from expectations, enhanced brain responses are observed. Mismatch negativity (MMN), the...