Conclusions: Ketamine and esketamine reduced long-term ED visits for suicidality in individuals with TRD. Further longer-term follow-up research is encouraged to ascertain if these benefits on suicidality reduction are mood state dependent or reflect an independent mechanism.
Abstract Reward processing is a broad psychological construct that can be parsed into distinct components known as “reinforcement learning” (learning), “reward responsiveness” (liking), and “motivation to obtain a reward” (wanting). Dysfunctions in reward processing in mesolimbic and mesocortical pathways, are a core feature of many pathologies. Psychedelics have been proposed as a treatment...
This article investigates Theravāda Buddhism as the most historically grounded school of Buddhist thought, emphasizing its preservation of the earliest recorded teachings of the Buddha. It argues that Theravāda upholds doctrinal purity through a rigorous commitment to the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Three Characteristics (Tilakkhaṇa), Dependent Origination, and Insight...
Previous work has identified four correlated factors (depression phenotypes) using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)- Sadness, Negative Thoughts, detachment/Interest and Activity (IA), and Neurovegetative. We explored treatment responses to ketamine based on these 4 phenotypes in treatment resistant depression (TRD). This is a secondary analysis of data from an open-label...
Schizophrenia is a highly polygenic disease, and several genetic variants associated with the disease converge on altered synaptic homeostasis. In particular, the gene encoding complement component 4 (C4) showed the strongest association with schizophrenia, and this protein is involved in complement-dependent and microglia-mediated synaptic pruning. As a matter of fact, microglia are overactive...
The scientific interest in spirituality has increased in recent years, paralleled by promising findings on the effects of spiritual experiences induced by psychedelics substances (PS), in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. However, these experiences may also bring challenges, depending on a variety of non-pharmacological variables. This article argues that an undiscerning use of PS to...
The serotonin 2C receptor (5-HT 2C ) is a G protein-coupled receptor implicated in multiple physiological and psychological processes and has been investigated as a therapeutic target for neuropsychiatric conditions such as obesity, drug abuse, and depression. With renewed interest in serotonergic psychedelics for treating depression, 5-HT 2C may contribute to psychedelic-induced therapeutic...
Alexithymia is regarded as one of the risk factors for several prevalent mental disorders, and there is a growing need for convenient and objective methods to assess alexithymia. Therefore, this study proposes a method for constructing models to assess alexithymia using machine learning and electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. The explanatory variables for the models were functional connectivity...
Background: Evidence is growing that psychedelic substances have positive effects in the setting of Palliative Care (PC), focusing on special needs in this patient population. After a scoping review of the literature, no published expert recommendations guiding best practice for psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) towards the end of life were identified. Objective: To draw conclusions from...
Exploring the intricate relationship between brain's structure and function, and how this affects subjective experience is a fundamental pursuit in neuroscience. Psychedelic substances offer a unique insight into the influences of specific neurotransmitter systems on perception, cognition and consciousness. Specifically, their impact on brain function propagates across the structural connectome...