The rising use of cognitive enhancement drugs and predictors of use during COVID-19: findings from a cross-sectional survey of students and university staff in the UK.

Background: The use of psychoactive substances to increase cognitive performance while studying has been termed 'pharmacological cognitive enhancement' (PCE). In previous years, several large-scale national surveys have focused on their use by students at university, including drug types, prevalence rates, and predictive factors. The recent coronavirus pandemic brought about widespread structural changes for UK universities, as students were forced to adapt to home-based learning and in many cases reduced academic support.

Esketamine combined with a mindfulness-based intervention for individuals with alcohol problems.

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a major public health issue, posing harmful consequences for individuals and society. Recent advances in addiction research have highlighted the therapeutic potential of ketamine-assisted therapy for AUD. However, the exact mechanisms underlying its effectiveness remain unknown.

Baseline heart rate variability predicts placebo hypoalgesia in men, but not women.

Introduction: Placebo hypoalgesic effects vary greatly across individuals, making them challenging to control for in clinical trials and difficult to use in treatment. We investigated the potential of resting vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) to help predict the magnitude of placebo responsiveness.

Methods: In two independent studies (total  = 77), we administered a placebo paradigm after measuring baseline HRV.