Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews
September 1, 2024
Jesca E De Jager, Rutger Boesjes, Gijs H J Roelandt et al.
13 citations
Electroconvulsive shocks (ECS) and ketamine are fast-acting antidepressant treatments whose shared neurobiological mechanisms are explored in this systematic review of animal models of depression. Both interventions consistently increase hippocampal neurogenesis and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. They also positively affect glutamatergic neurotransmission, astrocyte and neuronal morphology, synaptic density, vasculature, and functional plasticity. Restoration of neuroplasticity may be a common mechanism underlying their antidepressant efficacy. Fewer studies have examined these processes after ECS. Understanding these shared fundamental mechanisms could help develop novel therapeutic approaches for severe depression.
Schizophrenia bulletin
February 24, 2023
Salma M Khaled, Sanne G Brederoo, Arij Yehya et al.
8 citations
Hallucinations in nonclinical populations are shaped by culture. Comparing Dutch and Qatari adults (2,999 each) on the Questionnaire for Psychotic Experiences, tactile and olfactory hallucinations occurred at similar lifetime rates in both countries. Auditory and visual hallucinations were twice as common in the Dutch sample, and Dutch participants reported younger ages of onset for auditory and tactile hallucinations. Although Qatari participants reported fewer auditory and visual hallucinations overall, those who experienced them had higher mean scores for past-week hallucinations, more impact on daily functioning, and more frequent commanding voices. The findings suggest hallucinations in the Qatari sample carried greater clinical relevance, with implications for early screening and prevention.
Frontiers in psychiatry
January 1, 2022
Arij Yehya, Salma M Khaled, Iris E C Sommer et al.
4 citations
Psychotic-like experiences (hallucinations or delusions below the threshold of a disorder) are common in the general population. In interviews with 12 female undergraduate students in Qatar, these experiences were prevalent. Students' descriptions showed that culture and religion shaped the types of hallucinations and some delusions they reported. Many students normalized their experiences and linked them to real-life events, possibly as a defense against the stigma of mental illness and being labeled abnormal.
Schizophrenia bulletin
March 22, 2023
Eric J Tan, Iris E C Sommer, Lena Palaniyappan
This special issue examines the role of language in psychosis, exploring the connections between formal thought disorder and conceptual disorganization, along with speech and language markers and their neural underpinnings. It also discusses the use of computational methods to analyze language in psychosis and the potential of speech and language data for digital phenotyping in psychiatry.