While nitrous oxide (N2O) has demonstrated antidepressant properties in treatment-resistant major depression (TRD), little is known about neural mechanisms mediating these effects. Employing serial resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), we compared spatiotemporal effects of inhaled N2O on brain functional connectivity in TRD patients (n=14) and non-depressed healthy...
Self-awareness can be defined as the capacity of becoming the object of one's own awareness and, increasingly, it has been the target of scientific inquiry. Self-awareness has important clinical implications, and a better understanding of the neurochemical basis of self-awareness may help clarifying causes and developing interventions for different psychopathological conditions. The current...
A single dose of psilocybin, a psychedelic that acutely causes distortions of space-time perception and ego dissolution, produces rapid and persistent therapeutic effects in human clinical trials1-4. In animal models, psilocybin induces neuroplasticity in cortex and hippocampus5-8. It remains unclear how human brain network changes relate to subjective and lasting effects of psychedelics. Here...
How is the information-processing architecture of the human brain organised, and how does its organisation support consciousness? Here, we combine network science and a rigorous information-theoretic notion of synergy to delineate a 'synergistic global workspace', comprising gateway regions that gather synergistic information from specialised modules across the human brain. This information is...
Abstract Introduction Trait mindfulness refers to one’s disposition or tendency to pay attention to their experiences in the present moment, in a non-judgmental and accepting way. Trait mindfulness has been robustly associated with positive mental health outcomes, but its neural underpinnings are poorly understood. Prior resting-state fMRI studies have associated trait mindfulness with within-...
Meditation using the "OM" mantra is the most widely used practice in India. Though reports have been published about the relaxation effect during both verbal "OM" chanting and listening to "OM" chanting, there is a paucity of literature concerning the cortical areas activated/deactivated after verbal "OM" chanting and listening to "OM" chanting using quantitative electro-encephalography (qEEG)....
Psychedelics, substances known to alter perception, mood, and consciousness, have been used across various cultures for centuries, often in religious ceremonies to facilitate spiritual experiences. Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) was used clinically from the 1950s until its ban in 1967. Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in psychedelics for treating mental health disorders such...
The extent of changes in functional connectivity (FC) within functional networks as a common feature across hallucinogenic drug classes is under-explored. This work utilized fMRI to assess the dissociative hallucinogens Psilocybin, a classical serotonergic psychedelic, and Salvinorin-A, a kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) agonist, on resting-state FC in nonhuman primates. We highlight overlapping and...
Developmental stuttering (DS) is a neurodevelopmental speech-motor disorder characterized by symptoms such as blocks, repetitions, and prolongations. Persistent DS often has a significant negative impact on quality of life, and interventions for it have limited efficacy. Herein, we briefly review existing research on the neurophysiological underpinnings of DS -specifically, brain metabolic and...
Modern medicine has been shaken by the surge of psychedelic science that proposes a new approach to mitigate mental disorders, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Clinical trials to investigate whether psychedelic substances can treat psychiatric conditions are now underway, yet less discussion gravitates around their use in neurological disorders due to brain injury. One...