Several lines of evidence suggest the involvement of the raphe-serotonergic neurons in addiction to psychostimulants and some recreational drugs. In this study, we established rat organotypic mesencephalic slice cultures containing the raphe nuclei and examined the effects of sustained exposure to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and methamphetamine (METH). Immunostaining for tryptophan...
Phencyclidine (PCP) and other N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists have been shown to be neurotoxic to developing brains and to result in schizophrenia-like behaviors later in development. Prevention of both effects by antischizophrenic drugs suggests the validity of PCP neurodevelopmental toxicity as a heuristic model of schizophrenia. Lithium is used for the treatment of bipolar...
This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study was designed to identify which pharmacodynamic parameters most accurately quantify the effects of delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the predominantly psychoactive component of cannabis. In addition, we investigated the acceptability and usefulness of a novel mode of intrapulmonary THC administration using a Volcano vaporizer...
Abstract According to our hypothesis presented here, the human mind is a process depending on interactions of masses of mainly cortical neurons connected by biochemical, electrical and quantum factors into a massive system. The consciousness is dependent on the additional communication between particles, in particular between electrons. The Pauli repulsive exchange mechanism and other...
The present investigation examined the incremental predictive validity of mindfulness-based processes, indexed by the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills, in relation to posttraumatic stress symptom severity among individuals without any axis I psychopathology. Participants included 239 adults who endorsed exposure to traumatic life events. Results indicated that the Accepting without...
Movement practices become part of the home practice schedule in week three of the MBCT programme and are integrated within the teaching process throughout. These are ``meditations in motion&s;&s;. The practices taught are commonly drawn from hatha yoga postures but may also be drawn from other disciplines such as qigong or tai chi, depending upon the practice experience of the teacher. The...
Background: Functional imaging studies using working memory tasks have documented both prefrontal cortex (PFC) hypo- and hyperactivation in schizophrenia. However, these studies have often failed to consider the potential role of task-related deactivation. Method: Thirty-two patients with chronic schizophrenia and 32 age- and sex-matched normal controls underwent functional magnetic resonance...
Opioid receptor agonists can enhance some effects of cannabinoid receptor agonists, and cannabinoid receptor agonists can enhance some effects of opioid receptor agonists; however, the generality of these interactions is not established. This study examined interactions between the discriminative stimulus and antinociceptive effects of mu opioid receptor agonists and...
Today, the main route of introduction of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active substance of cannabis, into the human body is via the lungs, from smokes produced by combustion of a haschich-tobacco mixture. The use of a water pipe (nargileh-like) intensifies its fast supply to the body. THC reaches the brain easily where it stimulates CB1 receptors; their ubiquity underlies a wide variety...
Recent clinical studies in schizophrenic patients show that a selective agonist of group II metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors has robust efficacy in treating positive and negative symptoms. Group II mGlu receptor agonists also modulate the in vivo activity of psychotomimetic drugs, reducing the ability of psychotomimetic hallucinogens to increase glutamatergic transmission. The use of...