A Polish expert panel developed national treatment standards for intravenous racemic ketamine in depressive disorders, addressing the one-third of depressed patients who do not respond to standard antidepressants. The guidelines summarize research on ketamine's efficacy and safety for unipolar and bipolar depression, leveraging its action as an NMDA receptor antagonist to modulate the overactive glutamatergic system implicated in depression. The recommendations cover indications, contraindications, precautions, and treatment protocols, aiming to expand therapeutic options for practicing psychiatrists.
Consciousness is often defined as subjective experience of mental processes. This article first reviews evolutionary concepts of consciousness from scientists including Joseph LeDoux, Daniel Dennett, António Damásio, and Arthur Reber, who each offer slightly different views on how consciousness evolved alongside the nervous system and mental life. The second part discusses recent research on cognitive and neurobiological components of consciousness, focusing on work by Chris Frith and Anil Seth, covering neuroanatomical and perceptual aspects of both the level and context of consciousness. The article also aims to introduce prominent neuroscience researchers.