Adam Safron
preprint
What do we mean when we talk of “free will?” What are the “varieties of free will worth having” (Dennett, 2003), and to what extent can we be said to possess such capabilities? While preferred definitions may vary across individuals and situations, we may perhaps find broad agreement that free will indicates a capacity for conscious intentions to meaningfully cause actions, which could be...
Frederick Pattisson, Sunjeev K. Kamboj, Devon Stoliker et al.
preprint
Positive psychological changes following psychedelic experiences are widely studied, yet no validated instrument has been developed specifically to assess the breadth of enduring change that individuals attribute to those experiences. We therefore conducted a two-part programme of research to evaluate an existing measure and to develop and validate a more comprehensive scale. In Part 1, a...
Ramin Bidari
preprint
Emotions are one of the fundamental aspects of human experience, influencing behavior, decision-making, and overall quality of life. This study examines how emotions are encoded in the brain through hormonal processes and whether consciousness can modify these hormonal effects. Scientific research indicates that neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, cortisol, and oxytocin play crucial...
Jun Jing, Meng-Ying Zhang, Wei-hong Yin et al.
preprint
Abstract Objective To observe the effects of esketamine on postoperative depression and pain indicators in individuals undergoing total laparoscopic hysterectomy. Methods 135 patients undegoing total laparoscopic hysterectomy were recruited and randomly allocated to three groups. Finally, a total of 127 patients were selected into the statistical analysis, with the final grouping information as...
Richard Clark Kaufman
preprint
Background: A person with depression, unresolved trauma, a substance problem, and cognitive complaints is treated differently depending on which practitioner they consult. A psychiatrist draws on the monoaminergic and glutamatergic literature. A licensed facilitator draws on the session literature. A naturopath draws on the botanical and nutritional literature. Each draws on a defensible...
Carlo Sala, Jessica Pagano, Eleonora Mangano et al.
preprint
Abstract Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of global disability, and a substantial proportion of patients develop treatment-resistant depression (TRD), highlighting the urgent need for mechanistically novel and fast-acting antidepressants. Ketamine has emerged as a paradigm-shifting therapy due to its rapid and robust antidepressant effects, yet its molecular mechanisms in...
Ziming Li, Crystal Weber, Francesca Sellitti et al.
Abstract A single dose of psilocybin can induce long-lasting antidepressant effects. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying such sustained antidepressant effect remain insufficiently understood, particularly at the level of synaptic function and drug-target specificity. Here, we aimed to delineate single-dose psilocybin-induced excitatory synaptic plasticity. Synaptic plasticity was assessed...
Herian Monika, Wojtas Adam, Maćkowiak Marzena et al.
preprint
Abstract 4-Iodo-2,5-dimethoxy-N-(2-methoxybenzyl)phenethylamine (25I-NBOMe) is a new psychoactive substance with strong hallucinogenic properties. Our previous data reported increased release of dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate after acute injections and a tolerance development in the neurotransmitters release and rats’ behavior after chronic treatment with 25I-NBOMe. The recreational use of...
Ngo Cheung
preprint
Cognitive impairment—rather than psychosis or mood instability—often drives long-term disability in schizoaffective disorder, yet current antipsychotic and mood-stabilising regimens offer little relief. We describe a 22-year-old man with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, whose persistent "brain fog" jeopardised university graduation despite euthymic mood and quiescent psychosis on...
Ari Brouwer, Robin Carhart-Harris, Charles L. Raison
preprint
It is a paradox that psychotomimetic drugs can relieve symptoms that increase risk of and cooccur with psychosis, such as attention and motivational deficits (e.g., amphetamines), pain (e.g., cannabis) and symptoms of depression (e.g., psychedelics, dissociatives). We introduce the ideas of psychotomimetic compensation and psychotomimetic sensitization to explain this paradox. Psychotomimetic...