Psilocybin increases emotional empathy in patients with major depression.

Empathy plays a crucial role in interpersonal relationships and mental health. It is decreased in a variety of psychiatric disorders including major depression. Psilocybin, a promising candidate for treating depression, has been shown to acutely increase emotional empathy in healthy volunteers.

Targeted memory reactivation during sleep improves emotional memory modulation following imagery rescripting.

Targeted Memory Reactivation (TMR) during sleep benefits memory integration and consolidation. In this pre-registered study, we investigated the effects of TMR applied during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep following modulation and updating of aversive autobiographical memories using imagery rescripting (ImR). During 2-5 nights postImR, 80 healthy participants were repeatedly presented with either idiosyncratic words from an ImR updated memory during sleep (experimental group) or with no or neutral words (control groups) using a wearable EEG device (Mobile Health Systems Lab-Sleepband, MHSL-SB) [1] implementing a close-loop cueing procedure.

Neurochemical dynamics during two hypnotic states evidenced by magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

This study explores neurochemical changes in the brain during hypnosis, targeting the parieto-occipital (PO) and posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG) regions using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). We examined 52 healthy, hypnosis experienced participants to investigate how two different hypnotic states of varying depth impacted brain neurochemistry in comparison to each other and to their respective non-hypnagogic control conditions. Alongside neurochemical assessments, we recorded respiration and heart rate variability (HRV) to further explore possible associations between physiological correlates of hypnotic depth.

Reconsidering evidence for psychedelic-induced psychosis: an overview of reviews, a systematic review, and meta-analysis of human studies.

Background: Persons with schizophrenia are excluded from psychedelic-assisted therapy due to concerns about the risk of triggering or worsening psychosis. However, there is limited meta-analytic data on the risk of psychedelic-induced psychosis in individuals with pre-existing psychotic disorders.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review, meta-analysis, and overview of reviews to assess the incidence of psychedelic-induced psychosis and symptom exacerbation in schizophrenia.

Neuro-cognitive effects of degraded visibility on illusory body ownership.

Based on visuo-tactile stimulation, the rubber hand illusion induces a sense of ownership for a dummy hand. Manipulating the visibility of the dummy hand during the stimulation influences cognitive aspects of the illusion, suggesting that the related brain activity may be influenced too. To test this, we analyzed brain activity (fMRI), subjective ratings, and skin conductance from 45 neurotypical participants undergoing a modified rubber hand illusion protocol where we manipulated the visibility (high, medium, and low) of a virtual hand, not the brush (virtual hand illusion; VHI).

Neurobiological research on N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and its potentiation by monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibition: from ayahuasca to synthetic combinations of DMT and MAO inhibitors.

The potent hallucinogen N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) has garnered significant interest in recent years due to its profound effects on consciousness and its therapeutic psychopotential. DMT is an integral (but not exclusive) psychoactive alkaloid in the Amazonian plant-based brew ayahuasca, in which admixture of several β-carboline monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibitors potentiate the activity of oral DMT, while possibly contributing in other respects to the complex psychopharmacology of ayahuasca. Irrespective of the route of administration, DMT alters perception, mood, and cognition, presumably through agonism at serotonin (5-HT) 1A/2A/2C receptors in brain, with additional actions at other receptor types possibly contributing to its overall psychoactive effects.

Network analyses of ecological momentary emotion and avoidance assessments before and after cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders.

Negative emotions and associated avoidance behaviors are core symptoms of anxiety. Current treatments aim to resolve dysfunctional coupling between them. However, precise interactions between emotions and avoidance in patients' everyday lives and changes from pre- to post-treatment remain unclear.

Neurobiological Correlates of Psychedelic Experiences and Psychedelic-Associated Adverse Effects.

This chapter offers a comprehensive overview of our current understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying the effects of psychedelic drugs, with a primary focus on human neuroimaging studies. Whenever possible, we explore the neurobiological mechanisms that may underly acute and subacute adverse effects and describe hypotheses on how these results may inform on the pathophysiology of psychiatric illnesses. We delve into the general effects of psychedelics on EEG, fMRI, and PET measurements, drawing insights from experiments that have assessed their acute biological mechanisms.

Bright light therapy versus physical exercise to prevent co-occurring depression in adolescents and young adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a multicentre, three-arm, randomised controlled, pilot phase-IIa trial.

Depression is common in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but preventive behavioural interventions are lacking. This randomised controlled, pilot phase-IIa trial aimed to study a physical exercise intervention (EI) and bright light therapy (BLT)-both implemented and monitored in an individual, naturalistic setting via a mobile health (m-health) system-for feasibility of trial design and interventions, and to estimate their effects on depressive symptoms in young people with ADHD. Two hundred seven participants aged 14-45 years were randomised to 10-week add-on intervention of either BLT (10,000 lx; daily 30-min sessions) (n = 70), EI (aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities 3 days/ week) (n = 69), or treatment-as-usual (TAU) (n = 68), of whom 165 (80%) were retained (BLT: n = 54; EI: n = 52; TAU: n = 59).

Psilocybin enhances insightfulness in meditation: a perspective on the global topology of brain imaging during meditation.

In this study, for the first time, we explored a dataset of functional magnetic resonance images collected during focused attention and open monitoring meditation before and after a five-day psilocybin-assisted meditation retreat using a recently established approach, based on the Mapper algorithm from topological data analysis. After generating subject-specific maps for two groups (psilocybin vs. placebo, 18 subjects/group) of experienced meditators, organizational principles were uncovered using graph topological tools, including the optimal transport (OT) distance, a geometrically rich measure of similarity between brain activity patterns.

Oral prolonged-release ketamine in treatment-resistant depression - A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled multicentre trial of KET01, a novel ketamine formulation - Clinical and safety results.

Introduction: We investigated the antidepressant effects of a novel oral prolonged-release formulation of racemic ketamine (KET01) in patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression (TRD) as add-on therapy.

Material And Methods: Patients were randomized to an additional 160 mg/day or 240 mg/day KET01 or placebo for 14 days. The primary endpoint was change in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores from baseline to day 15.