Processing of self-related thoughts in experienced users of classic psychedelics: A source localisation EEG study.

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.

The effect of high- and low-approach motivated sadness on frontal alpha asymmetry and other metrics.

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.

Gaming expertise induces meso‑scale brain plasticity and efficiency mechanisms as revealed by whole-brain modeling.

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.

The Interplay between Gut Microbiota and Cognitive Functioning in the Healthy Aging Population: A Systematic Review.

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.

Cannabidiol usage, efficacy, and side effects: analyzing the impact of health conditions, medications, and cannabis use in a cross-sectional online pilot study.

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.

Dataset of human-single neuron activity during a Sternberg working memory task.

We present a dataset of 1809 single neurons recorded from the human medial temporal lobe (amygdala and hippocampus) and medial frontal lobe (anterior cingulate cortex, pre-supplementary motor area, ventral medial prefrontal cortex) across 41 sessions from 21 patients that underwent seizure monitoring with depth electrodes. Subjects performed a screening task (907 neurons) to identify images for which highly selective cells were present. Subjects then performed a working memory task (902 neurons), in which they were sequentially presented with 1-3 images for which highly selective cells were present and, following a maintenance period, were asked if the probe was identical to one of the maintained images.

Gaming expertise induces meso-scale brain plasticity and efficiency mechanisms as revealed by whole-brain modeling Gaming expertise, neuroplasticity and functional dynamics.

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

Association between real-time strategy video game learning outcomes and pre-training brain white matter structure: preliminary study.

In recent years the association between video games, cognition, and the brain has been actively investigated. However, it is still unclear how individual predispositions, such as brain structure characteristics, play a role in the process of acquiring new skills, such as video games. The aim of this preliminary study was to investigate whether acquisition of cognitive-motor skills from the real-time strategy video game (StarCraft II) is associated with pre-training measures of brain white matter integrity.

Cognitive Function Decline in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy Is Associated with Sleep Fragmentation.

During late pregnancy, sleep deterioration is regularly observed. In concert with these observations, in previous studies by other researchers, a slight objective cognitive decline in pregnant women has been found. Sleep is essential for memory consolidation.

The Role of Psychobiotics to Ensure Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic-A Current State of Knowledge.

Psychobiotics are defined as probiotics, mainly of the genus and , that confer mental health benefits to the host when consumed in a particular quantity through the interaction with commensal gut microbiota. The gut microbiota, which means a diverse and dynamic population of microorganisms harboring the gastrointestinal tract, communicates with the brain and vice versa through the brain-gut axis. The mechanisms of action of psychobiotics may be divided into four groups: synthesis of neurotransmitters and neurochemicals, regulation of the HPA axis, influence on the immune system, and synthesis of metabolites.

Neuroanatomical predictors of complex skill acquisition during video game training.

It is known that the outcomes of complex video game (VG) skill acquisition are correlated with individual differences in demographic and behavioral variables, such as age, intelligence and visual attention. However, empirical studies of the relationship between neuroanatomical features and success in VG training have been few and far between. The present review summarizes existing literature on gray matter (GM) and white matter correlates of complex VG skill acquisition as well as explores its relationship with neuroplasticity.

Validation of Polish Version of Dispositional Flow Scale-2 and Flow State Scale-2 Questionnaires.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Dispositional Flow Scale-2 (DFS-2) and Flow State Scale-2 (FSS-2), for use with Polish adults and young adults. Currently, there are no tools that would allow us to study flow among Polish speakers. At the same time, due to the great interest in flow and its potential importance for effectiveness, cooperation, and learning, it is worth ensuring that reliable validated measurement questionnaires are available for people studying the Polish population.

Who Is at Risk of Developing Cannabis Dependence? Findings From an Extensive Online Study on Cannabis Users.

Objectives: Although frequency of cannabis use is considered to be the strongest risk factor for developing cannabis dependence, only up to half of daily users become dependent. In this study, we explored an array of risk factors and moderators of cannabis dependence symptoms from the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition endorsed by participants.

Methods: A sample of 1,635 cannabis users completed an Internet survey consisting of measures of cannabis and other drug use.

Psychophysiological, but Not Behavioral, Indicator of Working Memory Capacity Predicts Video Game Proficiency.

Visual working memory (VWM) is the ability to actively maintain visual information over short periods of time and is strongly related to global fluid intelligence and overall cognitive ability. In our study, we used two indices of visual working memory capacity: the behavioral estimate of capacity (K) and contralateral delay activity (CDA) in order to check whether training in a Real-Time Strategy (RTS) video game StarCraft II can influence the VWM capacity measured by the change detection task. We also asked a question whether individual differences in behavioral and psychophysiological indices of VWM can predict the effectiveness of video game training.

Theta and Alpha Oscillatory Activity During Working Memory Maintenance in Long-Term Cannabis Users: The Importance of the Polydrug Use Context.

Impairments in various subdomains of memory have been associated with chronic cannabis use, but less is known about their neural underpinnings, especially in the domain of the brain's oscillatory activity. To investigate neural oscillatory activity supporting working memory (WM) in regular cannabis users and non-using controls. We focused our analyses on frontal midline theta and posterior alpha asymmetry as oscillatory fingerprints for the WM's maintenance process.

Age-Related Cognitive Decline May Be Moderated by Frequency of Specific Food Products Consumption.

Our study aimed to evaluate whether the type of food products and the frequency of their consumption are associated with cognitive functioning in younger and older adults. The impact of diets that are high in added sugars and saturated fat on cognitive functioning, especially on memory, was at the center of our interest. Participants in the study were 204 healthy adults (aged 20-55) who performed a multitasking cognitive test and completed dietary and psychological questionnaires.

Are You Able to Trust Me? Analysis of the Relationships Between Personality Traits and the Assessment of Attractiveness and Trust.

Behavioral and neuroimaging studies show that people trust and collaborate with others based on a quick assessment of the facial appearance. Based on the morphological characteristics of the face, i.e.

: Visual Episodic Memory in Cannabis Users and Polydrug Cannabis Users: ROC and ERP Preliminary Investigation.

While research has consistently identified an association between long-term cannabis use and memory impairments, few studies have examined this relationship in a polydrug context (i.e., when combining cannabis with other substances).

No relationship between frontal alpha asymmetry and depressive disorders in a multiverse analysis of five studies.

For decades, the frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) - a disproportion in EEG alpha oscillations power between right and left frontal channels - has been one of the most popular measures of depressive disorders (DD) in electrophysiology studies. Patients with DD often manifest a left-sided FAA: relatively higher alpha power in the left versus right frontal lobe. Recently, however, multiple studies failed to confirm this effect, questioning its reproducibility.

The role of individual differences in attentional blink phenomenon and real-time-strategy game proficiency.

The impact of action videogame playing on cognitive functioning is the subject of debate among scientists, with many studies showing superior performance of players relative to non-players on a number of cognitive tasks. Moreover, the exact role of individual differences in the observed effects is still largely unknown. In our Event-Related Potential (ERP) study we investigated whether training in a Real Time Strategy (RTS) video game StarCraft II can influence the ability to deploy visual attention measured by the Attentional Blink (AB) task.

Lenticular nucleus volume predicts performance in real-time strategy game: cross-sectional and training approach using voxel-based morphometry.

It is unclear why some people learn faster than others. We performed two independent studies in which we investigated the neural basis of real-time strategy (RTS) gaming and neural predictors of RTS game skill acquisition. In the first (cross-sectional) study, we found that experts in the RTS game StarCraft II (SC2) had a larger lenticular nucleus volume (LNV) than non-RTS players.

Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment.

The efficacy of cognitive training interventions is recently highly debated. There is no consensus on what kind of training regimen is the most effective. Also, individual characteristics as predictors of training outcome are still being investigated.

Ambiguous at the second sight: Mixed facial expressions trigger late electrophysiological responses linked to lower social impressions.

Social interactions require quick perception, interpretation, and categorization of faces, with facial features offering cues to emotions, intentions, and traits. Importantly, reactions to faces depend not only on their features but also on their processing fluency, with disfluent faces suffering social devaluation. The current research used electrophysiological (EEG) and behavioral measures to explore at what processing stage and under what conditions emotional ambiguity is detected in the brain and how it influences trustworthiness judgments.

Combined Phase-Rate Coding by Persistently Active Neurons as a Mechanism for Maintaining Multiple Items in Working Memory in Humans.

Maintaining multiple items in working memory (WM) is central to human behavior. Persistently active neurons are thought to be a mechanism to maintain WMs, but it remains unclear how such activity is coordinated when multiple items are kept in memory. We show that memoranda-selective persistently active neurons in the human medial temporal lobe phase lock to ongoing slow-frequency (1-7 Hz) oscillations during WM maintenance.