International Journal of Molecular Sciences
September 23, 2018
Domenico de Berardis, Michele Fornaro, Alessandro Valchera et al.
171 citations
Suicide remains difficult to predict despite advances in neuroscience. The World Health Organization reports one million suicide deaths annually, with one every 40 seconds. Recent genomic studies suggest genetics influence suicide risk. Combining genomic and clinical assessments has identified biomarkers for suicidal ideation involved in neural connectivity, mood, and immune response, including the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. This provides a neurobiological basis for drugs like ketamine, an NMDA antagonist, which has shown rapid antidepressant and anti-suicidal effects. This review examines preclinical and clinical evidence for ketamine's efficacy in treating suicidal ideation in mood disorders, addressing the neurobiological processes of suicide and potential therapeutics.
Psychiatry Clin Neurosci
September 18, 2016
Vishal Bhavsar, Antonio Ventriglio, Dinesh Bhugra
49 citations
Dissociative possession and trance disorders show similar patterns across cultures, yet their cross-cultural validity remains debated, which hinders research and prevalence interpretation. In India, dissociative and conversion disorders are common in clinical settings. True cultural variations exist in these conditions. A new framework could help clinicians better understand possession states and spirit possession.
Expert review of neurotherapeutics
April 1, 2025
Stefania Chiappini, Gaia Sampogna, Antonio Ventriglio et al.
17 citations
Depression involves a wide range of emotional, cognitive, and physical symptoms that disrupt daily life. Societal changes such as technological advances, economic pressures, climate change, and shifting cultural norms have altered how depression appears and is understood, leading to the identification of new depression subtypes. These include depression in adolescents and young adults, depression with social disconnection, depression with alcohol or substance use disorder, depression with gender dysphoria, and depression linked to stressful events and environmental factors. Managing these subtypes requires individualized treatment approaches. While SSRIs and SNRIs remain standard, atypical antidepressants like trazodone, ketamine, neuromodulation, and personalized psychotherapy offer hope for complex or treatment-resistant cases.
Brain sciences
June 24, 2023
Mariana Campello De Oliveira, Mariana Capelo Vides, Dângela Layne Silva Lassi et al.
Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs), sold as 'K2', 'K9', or 'Spice', pose greater health risks than cannabis, with higher toxicity and addiction potential unrelated to Δ9-THC. A systematic review of 64 articles (10 original papers and 54 case studies) found that SCs, particularly AB-CHMINACA and MDMB-CHMICA, were linked to deaths, with tachycardia and seizures as the most common toxicity symptoms. Third-generation SCs showed higher prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms. SCs may exhibit greater toxicity and longer-lasting effects than THC, especially harmful for people with epilepsy and schizophrenia due to increased risk of psychiatric and neurologic disorders, convulsive crises, consciousness decline, and hemodynamic changes.