A new model of schizophrenia opens the door to a better understanding of, and therapeutic options for brain dysfunction that is at the root of psychosis.
Ketamine and exposure to 60-hertz flickering light show promise as a potentially new, non-invasive therapy to help rejuvenate the aging brain.
One dose of psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in magic mushrooms, increases dendritic spine density within 24 hours. The neurobiological changes lasted for a month following psilocybin exposure. Additionally, mice subjected to stress showed behavioral improvements and increased neurotransmitter activity after psilocybin exposure.
Mouse study reveals elevated dopamine levels preceded hallucination-like events, and artificially boosting dopamine levels induced more hallucination-like events. The behavioral effects could be blocked by administering haloperidol, an antipsychotic which blocks dopamine. The study sheds light on potential new treatments for psychotic disorders marked by hallucinations.
SSRI's, ketamine, and tricyclic antidepressants all bind with TrkB. The findings challenge the roles serotonin and glutamate receptors play in the effects of antidepressant medications.
A series of ketamine infusions reduced PTSD symptoms by up to 30% from baseline compared to treatment with midazolam, which reduced symptoms by 20% over the same period. Ketamine treatment significantly reduced three of four PTSD associated symptoms, including intrusive thoughts, avoidance, and negative alterations in cognition and mood.
With the risk of potential for abuse, some new fast-acting antidepressants, like Ketamine, may not be a magic "cure-all" for depression.
4E-BPs proteins are key to unlocking ketamine's antidepressant effects. When 4E-BPs are absent in neurons, ketamine can not produce its antidepressant effect.
Overactivity in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex underlies several key symptoms of depression, anxiety, and heart disease.
Summary: An artificial neural network has identified a potential mechanism for the impaired decision-making often seen in schizophrenia patients, which involves the reduced activity of NMDA receptors.
Researchers have identified a key neural circuit that plays a role in dissociation, a phenomenon in which people can feel disconnected from their bodies and reality.
Higher doses of ketamine administered to sheep completely reduced brain activity for a short period. Researchers report as the drug wore off and consciousness was regained, the animals' brain activity switched between high and low-frequency oscillations. The timing of the brain activity corresponds to the time human users report experiencing feelings that their brain 'disconnected' from their bodies after ketamine use.
