Boosting Psychotherapy With Noninvasive Brain Stimulation: The Whys and Wherefores of Modulating Neural Plasticity to Promote Therapeutic Change.

The phenomenon of neural plasticity pertains to the intrinsic capacity of neurons to undergo structural and functional reconfiguration through learning and experiential interaction with the environment. These changes could manifest themselves not only as a consequence of various life experiences but also following therapeutic interventions, including the application of noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) and psychotherapy. As standalone therapies, both NIBS and psychotherapy have demonstrated their efficacy in the amelioration of psychiatric disorders' symptoms, with a certain variability in terms of effect sizes and duration.

Frequency-dependent assembly processes determine the coexistence and relative abundance of tropical plant species.

Testing the extent to which ecological communities are structured by deterministic (niche-based) assembly processes, resulting in predictable species abundance and composition, is a fundamental goal of ecology. Here we use a 10-year dataset of 55,156 lianas comprising 86 species in an old-growth tropical forest in Panama to test whether community assembly is consistent with niche-based assembly processes. We find that species diversity and community composition was maintained because species conformed to four general requirements of coexistence theory: (1) species have negative conspecific frequency-dependent feedback that control their local population size; (2) species have a stronger negative effect on their own population than that of heterospecifics; (3) the equilibrium frequencies of species correspond to their relative abundance; and (4) species have positive invasibility.

Epigenetic Modifications and Neuroplasticity in the Pathogenesis of Depression: A Focus on Early Life Stress.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating mental illness, and it is considered to be one of the leading causes of disability globally. The etiology of MDD is multifactorial, involving an interplay between biological, psychological, and social factors. Early life represents a critical period for development.

Optical Methods for the Study of Brain Metabolism In Situ.

From its inception, the International Society of Oxygen Transport to Tissue (ISOTT) included several core members who were intrigued by the possibility of using light to probe the metabolic state of the cerebral cortex. This 50th anniversary review will focus on optical methods (UV, Visible, NIR) used to study brain oxygen metabolism in the intact brain. Chance, Lübbers, and Jöbsis did fundamental work in the 1970s and 1980s.

Consequences of Local Conspecific Density Effects for Plant Diversity and Community Dynamics.

Conspecific density dependence (CDD) in plant populations is widespread, most likely caused by local-scale biotic interactions, and has potentially important implications for biodiversity, community composition, and ecosystem processes. However, progress in this important area of ecology has been hindered by differing viewpoints on CDD across subfields in ecology, lack of synthesis across CDD-related frameworks, and misunderstandings about how empirical measurements of local CDD fit within the context of broader ecological theories on community assembly and diversity maintenance. Here, we propose a conceptual synthesis of local-scale CDD and its causes, including species-specific antagonistic and mutualistic interactions.