Stimulating neurons to induce particular perceptions in mice’s minds
Using optogenetics, researchers stimulated neurons in the visual cortex of mice to induce illusory images in the animals' minds.... Read More...
hallucinations
Kratom herbal supplement used to treat addiction and pain found unsafe by researchers
Kratom, a herbal supplement used to manage pain and treat opioid addiction, is unsafe to use, researchers report. The supplement has been linked to an increased risk of tachycardia, hallucinations, coma, and cardiac arrest. ... Read More...
One in 10 people have ‘near-death’ experiences
Near-death experiences (NDEs) including hallucinations, out-of-body sensations and time distortions, affect around 10% of people, a new study reports. 72% of people overall who experienced NDEs say their experience was unpleasant. Researchers found an association between NDEs and REM sleep intrusion into wakefulness, resulting in sleep paralysis and hallucinations. ... Read More...
Broccoli sprout compound may restore brain chemistry imbalance linked to schizophrenia
Sulforaphane, a compound derived from broccoli sprouts, may be a useful new treatment for those suffering from schizophrenia. In a recent set of animal and human studies, researchers characterized novel chemical imbalances in the brain related to glutamate. Levels of glutamate, they discovered, can be altered by administering sulforaphane.... Read More...
Teenage psychotic experiences more common in areas with high air pollution
Exposure to nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen oxides through air pollution is linked to an increased risk of experiencing psychotic symptoms in teenagers. Accounting for other known risk factors, exposure to both NO2 and NOx accounted for 60% of the link between symptoms of psychosis and living in an urban environment.... Read More...
Optimum Amount of Dopamine Improves Cognitive Ability
According to researchers, there is an optimum amount of dopamine that should be present within the brain. This optimum amount can help improve cognitive performance on tasks, researchers report.... Read More...
Tobacco Use in Adolescence Tied to Paranoia, Due Largely to Shared Genetic Influences
Researchers have discovered a link between teenage tobacco use and an increased risk of psychotic experiences, such as paranoia and hallucinations. They report this may be due, in part, to some shared genetic influences.... Read More...
Hallucinations May Be Caused By a Fold in the Brain
Researchers implicate a brain region called the paracingulate sulcus in the experience of hallucinations. The findings shed light into why some people are more likely to hallucinate than others, and provides a new target for treatment aimed at reducing the experience.... Read More...
Are Near Death Experiences Hallucinations?
Researchers consider the neurobiology of near death experiences.... Read More...
Brain Activity Pattern May Be Early Sign of Schizophrenia
Researchers have identified abnormalities in specific neural networks that may be a biomarker to predict the risk of developing schizophrenia.... Read More...
Sensory Perception is Not A One Way Street
Researchers decipher the pathways by which the brain alters its own perception of the outside world.... Read More...
We May Hear Others’ Footsteps, but How Do We Ignore Our Own?
A new study reveals the neural processes we use to ignore the sound of our own footsteps and other self made noises. Researchers say the findings may shed new light on how we learn to speak and play music.... Read More...