Recurrent isolated sleep paralysis (RISP) belongs to the parasomnias of the REM sleep. Currently, there are few treatment options for this disorder. Pharmacotherapy is reserved only for the most severe cases of RISP. The first-line treatment is cognitive-behavioural therapy, the availability of which is limited. A new treatment option is meditation-relaxation therapy (MR therapy), the...
Psychedelics and AI modulate cognitive frameworks, disrupt rigid thought patterns, and enhance neuroplasticity, offering therapeutic potential for depression, PTSD, and addiction. Relaxing neural filters reveal altered states of consciousness, challenging perceptions of reality. This Viewpoint explores their neurobiological mechanisms and AI's role in augmenting psychiatric treatments.
In this case report, we present a patient with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and comorbid generalized anxiety disorder, eating disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and borderline personality disorder. Over a 10-year period, our case transitioned from adolescence to adulthood and received antidepressant monotherapy, adjunctive therapy with antipsychotics, lithium, or lamotrigine,...
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychiatric condition that affects approximately 6% of the US population, with even higher rates among veterans. Sleep disturbances (e.g., distressing dreams) are among the most reported symptoms in individuals with PTSD. Distressing dreams (sometimes referred to as nightmares) have been associated with significant negative mental health...
Medical treatment for behavioral disorders such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) represent emerging challenges in the field and have been a subject of studies for a long time. Available therapeutics include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tricyclics, etc. Nevertheless, recent studies have identified a...
Nightmares are almost an ubiquitous phenomenon but only nightmare disorders would need to be treated. Nightmare disorders result from a variety of causes including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, or idiosyncrasy. Nightmare disorders can be treated by either pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy. We performed literature search to explore eighteen possible...
Psychedelic-assisted therapy could transform treating psychiatric illness, but harms from exacerbating substance use disorder (SUD) among adults with psychiatric illness using psychedelics have not been studied. A cross-sectional survey in the US was used to test whether Drug Abuse Screening Test scores (DAST-10, validated instrument predicting SUD) were more severe when psychiatric illnesses...
COVID-19 long haulers face profound psychosocial stressors (e.g., depression, anxiety, PTSD) and physical health challenges (e.g., brain fog, fatigue). This study tests the feasibility and initial impact of a digitally delivered mindful-walking (MW) intervention for improving the physical and psychosocial wellbeing of COVID-19 long haulers. We recruited 23 participants via Facebook groups,...
Rapidly acting therapeutics like 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) are promising treatments for disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, understanding who benefits most and the underlying neural mechanisms remains a critical gap. Stratifying individuals by neural circuit profiles could help differentiate neural, behavioral, and affective responses to MDMA,...
ABSTRACT The recent review of a new drug application for MDMA‐assisted therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder by the United States' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) highlighted epistemological and methodological challenges for evidence assessments. Similar challenges will also be faced in reviews of other compounds in early‐ and late‐stage development, like psilocybin for depression. The...