Publications by authors named "J H Krystal"

Background: Auditory steady-state response (ASSR) abnormalities in the 40-Hz (gamma band) frequency have been observed in schizophrenia and rodent studies of N-methyl D-aspartate glutamate receptor (NMDAR) hypofunction. However, the extent to which 40-Hz ASSR abnormalities in schizophrenia resemble deficits in 40-Hz ASSR induced by acute administration of ketamine, an NMDAR antagonist, is not yet known.

Methods: To address this knowledge gap, we conducted parallel EEG studies: a crossover, placebo-controlled ketamine drug challenge study in healthy subjects (Study 1) and a comparison of patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls subjects (Study 2).

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Article Synopsis
  • MDMA, also known as Ecstasy or Molly, has been used since the 1970s for both recreational and therapeutic purposes, with the FDA recognizing its potential for treating PTSD as a Breakthrough Therapy in 2017.
  • The effects of MDMA in therapeutic settings are distinct, promoting trust and self-compassion while allowing cognitive clarity, which differentiates it from other psychedelics.
  • Preliminary evidence indicates that MDMA-Assisted Therapy is effective, with 67%-71% of PTSD patients no longer meeting diagnostic criteria after treatment, significantly more than those receiving placebo therapy.
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Objective: The authors critically examine the evidence base for psilocybin administered with psychological support/therapy (PST) in the treatment of psychiatric disorders and offer practical recommendations to guide future research endeavors.

Methods: PubMed was searched for English-language articles from January 1998 to November 2023, using the search term "psilocybin." A total of 1,449 articles were identified and screened through titles and abstracts.

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Article Synopsis
  • The review explores the role of various omics-based biomarkers in understanding alcohol and alcohol use disorder (AUD), providing definitions and background on key concepts.
  • It highlights four types of omics information: genetic, epigenetic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic, detailing their use as risk and diagnostic biomarkers for AUD and related alcohol consumption.
  • Finally, the review discusses the clinical implications of these findings and suggests directions for future research in the field of alcohol studies.
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Psychological trauma has profound effects on brain function and precipitates psychiatric disorders in vulnerable individuals, however, the molecular mechanisms linking trauma with psychiatric risk remain incompletely understood. Using RNA-seq data postmortem brain tissue of a cohort of 304 donors (N=136 with trauma exposure), we investigated transcriptional signatures of trauma exposures in two cortical regions (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex) and two amygdala regions (medial amygdala and basolateral amygdala) associated with stress processing and regulation. We focused on dissecting heterogeneity of traumatic experiences in these transcriptional signatures by investigating exposure to several trauma types (childhood, adulthood, complex, single acute, combat, and interpersonal traumas) and interactions with sex.

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