Idiopathic nightmares are a common disturbance of rapid eye movement sleep (REM) sleep, but studies of comorbid pathologies and sleep architecture suggest that non-REM (NREM) sleep is also affected. Sleep spindles are a NREM sleep characteristic associated with both pathophysiology and sleep-dependent memory consolidation, yet they have not been evaluated in frequent nightmare recallers. The...
Abstract Introduction Meditation has attracted increased attention in the literature as a non-pharmacological strategy to foster positive mental health amongst the general population. This systematic review aims to summarise studies of mantra meditation (which includes Transcendental Meditation, TM®) to understand its potential value in fostering positive mental health and alleviating negative...
Given the demanding nature of many professions, efforts are ongoing to develop initiatives to improve occupational wellbeing, including mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). To assess the efficacy of MBIs, meta-analytic procedures were conducted on 35 randomized controlled trials derived from an earlier inclusive systematic literature search (covering all occupations, MBIs, and...
Background: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an evidence-based intervention developed to teach mindfulness meditation to a wide range of patients. Although the efficacy of MBSR has been established for a variety of medical and psychiatric conditions, measured outcomes rarely include physical symptoms related to anxiety, depression, and/or stress. The current study presents a...
Elucidating how cannabinoids affect brain function is instrumental for the development of therapeutic tools aiming to mitigate 'on target' side effects of cannabinoid-based therapies. A single treatment with the cannabinoid receptor agonist, WIN 55,212-2, disrupts recognition memory in mice. Here, we evaluate how prolonged, intermittent (30 days) exposure to WIN 55,212-2 (1 mg/kg) alters...
The most common psychological functions assigned to religion are emotional. Religion, by giving the person identity, security, and courage, succeeds in reducing, relieving, and allaying anxiety, fear, tension, and stress. This chapter focuses on those studies on non-Western societies which make direct or indirect reference to the psychological and/or psychiatric functions of these new groups,...
Background Academic stress is associated with (a) increased food intake and (b) choosing calorie-dense food choices in higher education students. In this research, mindfulness was used to alleviate academic stress and, in effect, promote healthier eating behaviours and decision-making. Participants and procedure Ninety students were randomly allocated to either a mindfulness or a control...
Neural plasticity-the ability to change and adapt in response to stimuli-is an essential aspect of healthy brain function and, in principle, can be harnessed to promote recovery from a wide variety of brain disorders. Many neuropsychiatric diseases including mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders arise from an inability to weaken and/or strengthen pathologic and beneficial circuits,...
Background: Comorbidity of anxiety and mood disorders is rather common, making the treatment of each disorder more difficult. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders with a high degree of association with depression; PTSD-depression comorbidity can significantly affect the quality of life of the ones affected. Hence, using the best way to deal with each of these...
The West African iboga plant has been used for centuries by the Bwiti and Mbiri tribes to induce hallucinations during religious ceremonies. Ibogaine, the principal alkaloid responsible for iboga's psychedelic properties, was isolated and sold as an antidepressant in France for decades before its adverse effects precipitated its removal from the market. An ibogaine resurgence in the 1960s was...