Albert Hoffman suggested that low doses of LSD might be an appropriate alternative to Ritalin. Following this possibility, a systematic exploration of the effects of "microdoses," comprising hundreds of lengthy descriptive reports, was undertaken. Based on these reports, using a psychedelic in the microdose range (10 micrograms) every three days was determined to be safe across a wide variety...
Significance A metabolite of ketamine, (2 R ,6 R )-hydroxynorketamine [(2 R ,6 R )-HNK], produces rapid and sustained antidepressant effects in animal models but without the side effects of ketamine. Notably, (2 R ,6 R )-HNK does not block the NMDA receptor, the primary target of ketamine. Here, we demonstrate that the antidepressant effects of (2 R ,6 R )-HNK require activity dependent release...
Exploding head syndrome is a sensory parasomnia characterized by the perception of loud noises and/or a sense of explosion in the head that occurs when transitioning to or from sleep. Despite receiving little attention from both researchers and clinicians, studies suggest that approximately 10%-15% of individuals have episodes, with significant levels of fear occurring in a subset of cases....
Mindfulness meditation is increasingly incorporated into mental health interventions, and theoretical concepts associated with it have influenced basic research on psychopathology. Here, we review the current understanding of mindfulness meditation through the lens of clinical neuroscience, outlining the core capacities targeted by mindfulness meditation and mapping them onto cognitive and...
The author Edgar Allan Poe is one of many artists who describe how it feels to live with major, involuntary changes of consciousness. Are the large upturns and downturns in his life attributable to a neurological conditions, or can substance use and depressive thoughts explain these fluctuations?
New studies in end-of-life depression, OCD, resistant depression, smoking and alcohol addiction have revealed powerful effects for psilocybin These need to be replicated in major double-blind controlled studies Historical use of psychedelics that ended in the 1960s revealed they had considerable utility in a number of psychiatric conditions especially addiction and affective disorders Over the...
Psychedelics stimulate 5-HT2A receptors in the human brain This can produce profound changes in perceptions and sense of self with positive benefits on mood and wellbeing In the 1950s and 1960s psychedelics were tested in many studies as treatments for addiction and anxiety and mood disorders with considerable success These drugs were banned, since then very little research has occurred Recent...
Ketamine (an NMDA antagonist) is associated with a fast but transient antidepressant response in treatment-resistant patients Ketamine forms that are safer and able to overcome the transient effect limitation are being studied in clinical trials Ketamine’s mechanism of action could be linked to the metabolite hydroxynorketamine and its activity on glutamate AMPA receptors
Introduction: Depression is one of the most disabling diseases worldwide. Approximately one-third of depressed patients are treatment-resistant to the currently available antidepressants and there is a significant therapeutic time lag of weeks to months. There is a clear unmet need for rapid-acting and more efficacious treatments. (R,S)-ketamine, an old anesthetic drug, appears now to be going...
Synthetic cannabinoid intoxication has become difficult to diagnose and manage in the United States, in part due to varying clinical effects within this heterogeneous group of compounds. A 38-year-old man was admitted with altered mental status and bradycardia. He demonstrated progressive encephalopathy, seizure activity, second-degree atrioventricular block type I, respiratory failure,...