Publications by authors named "A Brzezicka"

Background: Psychedelics have gained increasing interest in scientific research due to their ability to induce profound alterations in perception, emotional processing and self-consciousness. However, the research regarding the functioning of individuals who use psychedelics in naturalistic contexts remains limited.

Aims: Here we aim to explore psychological and neurophysiological differences between naturalistic psychedelics users and non-users in terms of processing of self-related thoughts.

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Sadness is commonly perceived as an affective state with negative valence. However, studies on the psychological and physiological effects of sadness have yielded mixed results. We proposed a systematic analysis of sadness, taking into account an additional dimension - the intensity of approach motivation, understood as an urge to move toward.

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Video games are a valuable tool for studying the effects of training and neural plasticity on the brain. However, the underlying mechanisms related to plasticity-associated brain structural changes and their impact on brain dynamics are unknown. Here, we used a semi-empirical whole-brain model to study structural neural plasticity mechanisms linked to video game expertise.

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Background: The gut microbiota in healthy older individuals typically show a decrease in beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, alongside an increase in pro-inflammatory microbes such as Enterobacteriaceae and Clostridia. These changes contrast with younger and middle-aged individuals and appear to correlate with cognitive status. Although there is extensive research on gut microbiota and cognitive functions in cognitively impaired elderly individuals, its impact on cognitively healthy elderly populations has not been extensively studied.

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Background: Products containing cannabidiol (CBD) are attracting attention because of their potential therapeutic benefits and positive impacts on well-being and mental health. Although additional research is needed to understand their effectiveness in treating mental disorders, cross-sectional studies may help identify the factors influencing CBD use patterns. This study examined the impact of variables such as health status, medication use, medical supervision, gender, age, and cannabis use on CBD consumption patterns.

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