Nature CommunicationsDecember 9, 2025Cristina Martín-Monteagudo, Javier Sánchez Romero, Julia Adams et al.
Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug, particularly during adolescence. Its consumption disrupts glutamate homeostasis and synaptic plasticity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Here, we identify a functionally distinct accumbal astrocytic ensemble, associated with the ventral hippocampus-NAc (vHip→NAc) circuit, that is critical for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced synaptic and...
The global demographic shift toward aging populations has intensified the need for innovative therapeutic interventions targeting late-life mental health conditions, notably depression, loneliness, and existential distress. Traditional pharmacological treatments often exhibit limited efficacy and poor tolerability in older patients, primarily due to age-related physiological changes and the...
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), particularly its treatment-resistant form, represents a substantial burden on global public health, characterized by low remission rates with conventional monoaminergic pharmacotherapy. The paradigm shift toward glutamatergic modulation has identified the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor as a critical target for rapid-acting antidepressants. Nitrous oxide...
Novel interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) leverage the psychoactive properties of psychedelic compounds, such as ketamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and psilocybin, which may overcome limitations of conventional treatments. Through the modulation of pathways involved in synaptic plasticity, psychedelic interventions are believed to enhance the mechanisms underlying...
Psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, have garnered significant attention as potential therapeutic tools for treating substance use disorders (SUDs), such as those related to alcohol, nicotine, heroin (an opioid), or cocaine. Traditional treatments often fall short, leading to high relapse rates and an urgent need for innovative approaches. This article explores the emerging role of...
Explaining when neural activity supports conscious processing remains an unresolved question in neuroscience. Current frameworks describe correlates of consciousness but rarely provide thresholds to predict its emergence or recovery. We introduce the Attribution Consciousness Index (ACI), a metric that estimates the generative potential of consciousness by balancing measures of dynamic...
Ayahuasca is an Amazonian psychedelic brew that contains dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and beta carbolines. Prolonged use has shown changes in cognitive-behavioral tasks, and in humans, there is evidence of changes in cortical thickness and an increase in neuroplasticity factors that could lead to modifications in functional neural circuits. To investigate the long-term effects of Ayahuasca usage...
CureusDecember 1, 2025Paweł Liszka, Agata Ogórek, Klaudia M Olejnik-Chlewicka et al.
Classic psychedelics and related substances, such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), have again become a focus of interest in psychiatry as potential therapeutic tools. The aim of this paper is to review current data on their mechanisms of action, clinical applications in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, addictions and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as to...
This study examines the transmission of mystical memory in Islamic musical traditions by exploring how the intellectual and aesthetic legacy of Mawlānā Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī (d. 672/1273) resonated across the Indo-Islamic cultural sphere through epigenetic and neuroaesthetic mechanisms. While previous scholarship has primarily emphasized Rûmî’s written works and spiritual influence, this article...
Depression is increasingly conceptualized as a disorder of impaired synaptic plasticity and excitation-inhibition imbalance within corticolimbic circuits. Two rapid-acting therapeutic classes, NMDA receptor modulators (ketamine, esketamine) and neuroactive-steroid GABA-A positive allosteric modulators (brexanolone, zuranolone), offer complementary approaches to restore circuit function....